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Translation of English proverbs

dari cFlat7, 20 Oktober 2013

Pesan: 40

Bahasa: English

cFlat7 (Tunjukkan profil) 20 Oktober 2013 21.27.35

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
________________________________________________________

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 (Tunjukkan profil) 20 Oktober 2013 21.42.38

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

noelekim (Tunjukkan profil) 21 Oktober 2013 07.30.40

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 (Tunjukkan profil) 21 Oktober 2013 11.17.57

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 (Tunjukkan profil) 22 Oktober 2013 05.07.48

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 (Tunjukkan profil) 22 Oktober 2013 11.07.19

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

Bona destino, tamen ruino.

La vojo al malsukceso estas garnita de bonaj intencoj.

cFlat7 (Tunjukkan profil) 22 Oktober 2013 12.48.12

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 (Tunjukkan profil) 23 Oktober 2013 04.06.17

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 (Tunjukkan profil) 23 Oktober 2013 05.37.34

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 (Tunjukkan profil) 23 Oktober 2013 05.44.39

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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