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Thread: Help with Ayn Rand quote

  1. #1
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    Help with Ayn Rand quote

    I would like to have this ayn rand quote translated to Russian for a tattoo. I want to make sure the translation is correct. So far this is what I have found:

    'The question isn't who is going to let me;
    It’s who is going to stop me.'

    Мой дорогой друг, кто вам позволит?
    Это не главное. Главное - кто меня остановит?

    My dear friend,   who will let you?
    That's not important. What's important is who will stop me?

    Any help would be appreciated.  

  2. #2
    Завсегдатай it-ogo's Avatar
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    Вопрос не в том, кто мне позволит, а в том, кто меня остановит.
    "Россия для русских" - это неправильно. Остальные-то чем лучше?

  3. #3
    Завсегдатай Throbert McGee's Avatar
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    That's quite a lot to put in a tattoo!

    Might I suggest:

    Что не запрещено, то разрешено.

    (That which is not prohibited, is allowed.)

    Similar idea, but less painful needlework required!
    Говорит Бегемот: "Dear citizens of MR -- please correct my Russian mistakes!"

  4. #4
    Завсегдатай Throbert McGee's Avatar
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    But that said, I would recommend it-ogo's answer as a general model for how to translate "The question is..." -- in Russian, one can often use вопрос в том ("the question [is] in this..."), or in interrogative contexts, в чём вопрос? ("in what [is] the question?..."). If you want an explicit verb, you can often use лежать, "to lie, to be in a horizontal position".

    Вопрос лежал в том, какой рыбой представляет собой эта окаменелость -- морской или речной?
    The question was, what kind of fish did this fossil represent: sea-dwelling or river dwelling? (Lit., "The question lay in this: What kind of fish...?")

    В чём лежит смысл жизни?
    What is the meaning of life? (Lit., "In what lies the meaning of life?")

    Вопрос в том, кто (из мужиков) круче всех?
    The question is, ¿Quién es más macho?
    Говорит Бегемот: "Dear citizens of MR -- please correct my Russian mistakes!"

  5. #5
    Moderator Lampada's Avatar
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    Вопрос состоит (не лежит) в том, что... Или Вопрос в том, что...

    В чём заключается (не лежит) смысл жизни? Или В чём смысл жизни?
    "...Важно, чтобы форум оставался местом, объединяющим людей, для которых интересны русский язык и культура. ..." - MasterАdmin (из переписки)



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