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Translation of English proverbs

by cFlat7, October 20, 2013

Messages: 40

Language: English

cFlat7 (User's profile) October 20, 2013, 9:27:35 PM

As you know there are 100's probably 1000's proverbs in various languages. We have our own Esperanto Proverbaro, containing 2660 proverbs compiled by Zamenhof. I have read some of these 2600 proverbs and I haven't come across any of the English ones we English speakers are familiar with. I believe the proverbs in the Proverbaro are translations of the Russian/Polish/German proverbs that his father had compiled. I don't think any English ones were in the collection.

Once in a while I hear an English proverb quoted by someone in conversation, in the media, or on TV or in a movie. On a whim recently, I therefore tried translating some of them into Esperanto. Here are a few attempts. Perhaps members of the forum can suggest revisions/corrections or better renditions:

Eng: What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over

Esp: Kion the okulo(j) ne vidas, tion la koro ne bedaŭras (1st literal attempt)
or: Ne vidita, (do) ne bedaŭrita
or: Se okulo ne vidas, koro ne avidas
or: For de l' okulo, for de l' koro
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Eng: Don't count your chickens before they hatch

Esp: Ne nombru la kokidojn antaŭ ol ili estas haĉitaj (1st literal attempt)
or: Ne nombru la kokojn antaŭ ol la haĉitado
or: Ne nombru la kokojn dum ili estas ovojn
or: Ne nombru la kokojn dum estas ili ovojn (better rhythm?)
________________________________________________________

Eng: No man is an island

Esp: Neniu homo estas insulo
________________________________________________________

Eng: Better to be safe than sorry

Esp: Pli bonas senriski, ol malfeliĉi

etala (User's profile) October 20, 2013, 9:42:38 PM

Various attempts:
Ne nombru kokidojn elŝeliĝontajn.
Neniu homarano estas sola insulano.
Preferindas malrisko ol bedaŭro.

noelekim (User's profile) October 21, 2013, 7:30:40 AM

cFlat7:
Once in a while I hear an English proverb quoted by someone in conversation, in the media, or on TV or in a movie. On a whim recently, I therefore tried translating some of them into Esperanto. Here are a few attempts. Perhaps members of the forum can suggest revisions/corrections or better renditions:
(P) = from the Proverbaro

Eng: What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over
eo: Se okulo ne vidas, koro ne avidas (P)

Eng: Don't count your chickens before they hatch
eo: Ne diru "hop" antaŭ la salto (P)
eo: Antaŭ mortigo de urso ne vendu ĝian felon (P)
eo: Ankoraŭ la ezoko ne estas sur la hoko (P)

Eng: No man is an island
eo: Neniu homo estas insulo

Eng: Better to be safe than sorry
eo: Pli bone ne fari ol erari (P)
eo: Pli bone estas (or: Estas pli bone) preventi ol kuraci

sudanglo (User's profile) October 21, 2013, 11:17:57 AM

Eng: Better to be safe than sorry
Pli bone saĝe ol domaĝe

Eng: No man is an island
Neniu ekzistas izole (en izolo).

Eng: What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over
Ne vidate, ne bedaŭrate

Eng: Don't count your chickens before they hatch
Ne kalkulu viajn sukcesojn tro frue.
Ne antaŭvidu, tro rapide.

cFlat7 (User's profile) October 22, 2013, 5:07:48 AM

These are some great variations.

I was thinking of another one this morning:

Eng: The road to perdition is paved with good intentions.

Any suggestions?

sudanglo (User's profile) October 22, 2013, 11:07:19 AM

Eng: The road to perdition is paved with good intentions.

Bona destino, tamen ruino.

La vojo al malsukceso estas garnita de bonaj intencoj.

cFlat7 (User's profile) October 22, 2013, 12:48:12 PM

sudanglo:Eng: The road to perdition is paved with good intentions.

Bona destino, tamen ruino.

La vojo al malsukceso estas garnita de bonaj intencoj.
I like how the first one reads, if only it included the notion of good intentions.

I hadn't thought of 'malsukceso', Maybe: La perdega vojo... however I think 'malsukceso' is better.

What do you think about 'per' at the end: "...per bonaj intencoj".

And 'garnita' is a great word here.

noelekim (User's profile) October 23, 2013, 4:06:17 AM

cFlat7:These are some great variations.

I was thinking of another one this morning:

Eng: The road to perdition is paved with good intentions.

Any suggestions?
A close equivalent from the Proverbaro is:
per promesoj estas pavimita la infero

cFlat7 (User's profile) October 23, 2013, 5:37:34 AM

noelekim:
cFlat7:These are some great variations.

I was thinking of another one this morning:

Eng: The road to perdition is paved with good intentions.

Any suggestions?
A close equivalent from the Proverbaro is:
per promesoj estas pavimita la infero
Yes, very similar. I wonder which direction the proverb "traveled" between cultures (or whether it sprang up independently).

cFlat7 (User's profile) October 23, 2013, 5:44:39 AM

Another one I was thinking of today:

Eng: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Eo: Gramo da preventado valoras kilogramon da kuracado.

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