Thread: Translation help, please!

Кто понял жизнь - тот не торопится.

Who has understood a life - that does not hurry up.

?????? That sounds really awkward.... what am I doing wrong?

Originally Posted by strawberryfynch

what am I doing wrong?

You are making THE fundamental error that is so common among beginning foreign language students: translating word for word. It never works.

The proper translation procedure is as follows:
1) Understanding what the foreing text says
2) Conveying the MEANING of it in the target language, using the words/phrases that are natural for the target language.

It looks like you are trying to do it the other way around, translating first, then trying to understand.

Originally Posted by strawberryfynch

Кто понял жизнь - тот не торопится.

Who has understood a life - that does not hurry up.

?????? That sounds really awkward.... what am I doing wrong?

Those who understood life don't rush (hurry).

its ok, I already talked about in another thread how I couldn't figure out зачем ты всё время говоришь одно и тоже.

I was like "Uhmmm What for you all time speak..." lolz!


It just takes practice mang! Slow down and smell the Russian, as that quote would suggest.

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

its ok, I already talked about in another thread how I couldn't figure out зачем ты всё время говоришь одно и тоже.

I was like "Uhmmm What for you all time speak..." lolz!


It just takes practice main! Slow down and smell the Russian, as that quote would suggest.

Originally Posted by xRoosterx

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

its ok, I already talked about in another thread how I couldn't figure out зачем ты всё время говоришь одно и тоже.

I was like "Uhmmm What for you all time speak..." lolz!


It just takes practice main! Slow down and smell the Russian, as that quote would suggest.

Uh, Nope. Pretty sure I meant Mang. But thanks for trying.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mang



Plain and simple, this was started by the Mexicans. It's their way of saying "Man".. This is due to the Mexican accent converted to English. Now people say 'mang' because it's (1) different and (2) humorous.

I'm just joshin' ya, bro. That's what me and my friends say, "What up main?"

Originally Posted by xRoosterx

I'm just joking with you, brother. That's what me and my friends say, "What up main?"

So then why on earth would you correct me? I'm not your friend and its not what I said...

Whatever.

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

Plain and simple, this was started by the Mexicans. It's their way of saying "Man".. This is due to the Mexican accent converted to English. Now people say 'mang' because it's (1) different and (2) humorous.

Do Mexicans (those who have accent, of course ) really say Mang instead of Man?
Why on Earth do they do it? The sound isn't even there. Do they add "g" after all "n"s at the end of the word? Just curious.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

Plain and simple, this was started by the Mexicans. It's their way of saying "Man".. This is due to the Mexican accent converted to English. Now people say 'mang' because it's (1) different and (2) humorous.

Do Mexicans (those who have accent, of course ) really say Mang instead of Man?
Why on Earth do they do it? The sound isn't even there. Do they add "g" after all "n"s at the end of the word? Just curious.

I don't know if its just mexicans. Maybe all Latino language speaking peoples.
And not just them, because, as you've seen, other people (me) sometimes use it as well (for fun).

I know of no mexicanos that say mang instead of man, and I am quite dig in the latino community, hombre.

Originally Posted by translations.nm.ru

Originally Posted by strawberryfynch

what am I doing wrong?

You are making THE fundamental error that is so common among beginning foreign language students: translating word for word. It never works.

The proper translation procedure is as follows:
1) Understanding what the foreing text says
2) Conveying the MEANING of it in the target language, using the words/phrases that are natural for the target language.

It looks like you are trying to do it the other way around, translating first, then trying to understand.

That's a very good post, well said!

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by translations.nm.ru

Originally Posted by strawberryfynch

what am I doing wrong?

<snip>It looks like you are trying to do it the other way around, translating first, then trying to understand.

That's a very good post, well said!

Trans and Taty: first of all: don't get me wrong, I totally agree with your point.
But if you haven't travelled very far down the road of whatever new language you're learning yet, sometimes translating word for word and trying to use that (usually impossible ) translation to try to figure out WTF the phrase means, is the only way..... I'm sure you both remember that from when you were beginners yourselves.

Strawberry: I don't know where you stand with your Russian, but make sure that you try to do what Trans is suggesting, once you have enough "luggage" to be able to do so....

BY, word-4-word translation is one of the method a translator can work if he/she doesn't understand the sense.

Рай- Это место, где нет понельников, начальников, и бодильников.
Paradise- It's a place where no Mondays, bosses, and alarm clocks are present.

I think this translation flows better than my previous one... I tried to undertand it first but that didn't work straight away so I tried traslating it word for word and got what I thought the basic point of the sentence was and voila... It's either a huge mistake, or an improvement.

Originally Posted by strawberryfynch

Рай - это место, где нет понедельников, начальников_ и будильников.
Paradise- It's a place where no Mondays, bosses, and alarm clocks are present.

I'd translate:
Paradise is a place where there are no (any) Mondays, bosses, and alarm clocks.

Originally Posted by Оля

Originally Posted by strawberryfynch

Рай - это место, где нет понедельников, начальников_ и будильников.
Paradise- It's a place where no Mondays, bosses, and alarm clocks are present.

I'd translate:
Paradise is a place where there are no Mondays, bosses, and alarm clocks.

Bolshoi spasibo vam!

Originally Posted by strawberryfynch

BolshoE spasibo vam!

Paradise is a place where there are no(t) (if you use any you must use not) Mondays, bosses, or alarm clocks.