A fuller version of the quote seems to be: "I don't think she can have that man into court under those circumstances. I guess it is one of the subtle parts of the men/women relationship that has to be negotiated and worked out between them." (e.g. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/mirren-talks-of-her-daterapes-then-provokes-furore-with-views-on-sex-attackers-914596.html) and elsewhere online word-for-word; presumably copied verbatim from the GQ interview or PR.)
'can' in the first sentence could indeed suggest she think that it's a practical problem as you suggest; but people do say "you can't do that" meaning "you shouldn't do that" so I don't think that's definitive.
The second sentence seems to me to imply that it's something people ought to sort out between themselves rather than get the law involved though - I don't think one would say things like "subtle part of a relationship" if talking about a crime you happened to be unable to prove.
Perhaps if she disagrees with the popular interpretation she will clarify. (I know "I was misunderstood" is often unconvincing...)
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-02 01:57 pm (UTC)Always possible, of course.
A fuller version of the quote seems to be: "I don't think she can have that man into court under those circumstances. I guess it is one of the subtle parts of the men/women relationship that has to be negotiated and worked out between them." (e.g. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/mirren-talks-of-her-daterapes-then-provokes-furore-with-views-on-sex-attackers-914596.html) and elsewhere online word-for-word; presumably copied verbatim from the GQ interview or PR.)
'can' in the first sentence could indeed suggest she think that it's a practical problem as you suggest; but people do say "you can't do that" meaning "you shouldn't do that" so I don't think that's definitive.
The second sentence seems to me to imply that it's something people ought to sort out between themselves rather than get the law involved though - I don't think one would say things like "subtle part of a relationship" if talking about a crime you happened to be unable to prove.
Perhaps if she disagrees with the popular interpretation she will clarify. (I know "I was misunderstood" is often unconvincing...)