Question

The detonators are just what we thought they would be. they're traceable, he said. they are part numbers on them which encode the country of origin. babble, babble. he said that detonators are photocells. don't know what they're for, but you guys did well. i don't think they'll attack. he said bable. babel. why does robin describing part of the conversation as babel? he thinks colonel roberts is lying. he only wants to remember the important details. he no longer believes that the word matters. he is too excited about their success to pay close attention.

Answer 1

The term 'babel' used in the conversation suggests a sense of confusion or perceived irrelevance, indicating the character's selective attention to key details while finding others to be nonsensical or hard to understand.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term "babel" being used by the character likely signifies a sense of confusion or irrelevance to the main conversation. In the context provided, it seems as though the character interprets certain parts of the dialogue as unimportant or difficult to understand, akin to the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel where the language of the people was confused, preventing them from communicating effectively.

Language barriers and the ensuing confusion can lead to parts of a conversation becoming 'babble' or nonsensical noise to the listener, especially when they are focusing on the key points that are of utmost importance to them. Therefore, when Robin describes parts of the conversation as 'babel', it is indicative of his selective attention to the details that he deems necessary and his disregard for the rest.