The original statement could be interpreted in this way: the former operation 'returns a function' and in the latter, it 'bind[s] [...] arguments' - suggesting

The original statement could be interpreted in this way: the former operation 'returns a function' and in the latter, it 'bind[s] [...] arguments' - suggesting a form of destructive updating of the original function. But I agree with you that in this context, since both return functions it's an implementation detail.