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shenghuiqiong
07-20-2017, 09:08 PM
Hi,
Here are some words from the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover(page 44, Chapter Four) by DH Lawrence (planetebook):
(background: Clifford was getting rich and famous. His friends came visite him talking about sex and men-women relationship. Tommy Dukes told Hammond that mental life hinges on the instinct for success and is the pivot on which all things turn……)

Hammond looked rather piqued(=angry). He was rather proud of the integrity of his mind, and of his not being a time-server. None the less, he did want success.

The blue sentence seems to have nothing to do with what Tommy Dukes said in logic. How should I understand the blue sentence please?
But I try my best to rephrase it as:
he was quite(=rather) proud of the honisty(=integrity) of his mind, and of his not being a person who flatter/fawn on upperclass people(=being a time-server).
All in all, he thought he didn't take success as his only goal, as Tommy Dukes blamed, and that he had a good quality.

Is that right?
Thank you in advance

YesNo
07-21-2017, 03:41 PM
That is what I think it means as well. The phrase "being a time-server" is not something I would say. It may refer to working to make money on an hourly basis. That success would be limited to how much one earned per hour, but I might be misunderstanding it.

shenghuiqiong
07-21-2017, 10:16 PM
Thank you.
But here is a definition for timeserver by Cambridge:someone who changes their ideas and opinions in order to make them more like those that are held by people in power, especially because they believe it will be to their advantage.

I think it fit the context. People only focused on success were likely to fawn on others in power to achieve success.