Thread: стоило им подойти

Но стоило им подойти к лестнице, ведущей на третий этаж...

How would you translate into English the word "стоило";
the standard definitions of "cost, worth, deserve" just do not seem to fit in this expression.

Originally Posted by Siriusly

Но стоило им подойти к лестнице, ведущей на третий этаж...

How would you translate into English the word "стоило";
the standard definitions of "cost, worth, deserve" just do not seem to fit in this expression.

I don't know. May be "as soon as" or "in the moment as"...

"But as soon as they approached the staircase..."

Originally Posted by Siriusly

Но стоило им подойти к лестнице, ведущей на третий этаж...

How would you translate into English the word "стоило";
the standard definitions of "cost, worth, deserve" just do not seem to fit in this expression.

Just as soon as they had approached a stairway leading to the third floor...

In the very moment...

Literally the word стоило translates here as:
It cost them (efforts) only to approach the stairway in order to (what happenned next)...

(edited: a terrible mistake I made )

---

you can say, it was worth. its not the financial sense of course. eg, не стоит пойти = its not worth going
Но стоило им подойти к лестнице, ведущей на третий этаж
but it was worth them approaching the stairs leading to the 3rd floor...
(i would then expect something interesting to happen

With the help of the replies I would now say the closest definition of "стоило" in this context is "worth"; but I would translate not use "worth" but instead translate the phrase into English as: But having succeeded in reaching the stairs leading to the third floor....

Thanks

---

any time they used to reach stairways...

---

Originally Posted by Siriusly

With the help of the replies I would now say the closest definition of "стоило" in this context is "worth"; but I would translate not use "worth" but instead translate the phrase into English as: But having succeeded in reaching the stairs leading to the third floor....

Very unlikely.

---

What's the problem? "Стоило им...." is synonymous in Russian with "как только они...", but this phrase means "as soon as they..."

"стоило им подойти к лестнице" = "как только они подошли к лестнице"

Originally Posted by Siriusly

Но стоило им подойти к лестнице, ведущей на третий этаж...

How would you translate into English the word "стоило";
the standard definitions of "cost, worth, deserve" just do not seem to fit in this expression.

See topic:
http://www.masterrussian.net/mforum/vie ... 274#126274

Here's another example of the same construction from the same author:

"Однако стоило им сделать несколько шагов, как комнату внезапно залил яркий свет."

This is easy translated into English as: "However they only made a few steps, before the room suddenly was filled with bright light."

An acceptable variation would be; "they only managed to make a few steps...

In English, "make it to" is a common expression when speaking about motion/traveling. Here's a common example: "Pheww! I just made it to the bathroom in time!"

---

---

Модератор, будьте добры, уберите этого <самоцензоред> танцора. Уж больно он гадит тут сильно везде. Мне кажется, он уже всех достал, не только меня. Причём, агрессия его абсолютно немотивированна и нездорова.

---

Originally Posted by charlestonian

Кто скажет - это правда, что есть такая пословица - Хорошего человека guinОМ не назовут?

Тянет на хамство? Или там где ты вырос это считается удачной шуткой?

---