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Is this a proverb?

של acdibble, 5 בדצמבר 2010

הודעות: 9

שפה: English

acdibble (הצגת פרופיל) 5 בדצמבר 2010, 19:30:13

Mi regalis la diablon, li donacis al mi fablon.

I was wondering if this sentence is a proverb and what the English would be if it were.

Donniedillon (הצגת פרופיל) 5 בדצמבר 2010, 19:57:32

I would translate as:

I entertained the devil, he told me a fable.

I have no idea what this might actually mean in actual use though. Perhaps, "if you hang out with a bad person, he will lie to you"? Similar to, "If you play with fire you will get burned"?

bagatelo (הצגת פרופיל) 5 בדצמבר 2010, 21:48:41

I would interpret as meaning that the devil, as the father of lies, will only tell you what you want to hear to your destruction. The moral of the story being avoid the devil/flatterers/sycophants/demagogues.

The Genesis account of Satan's lies to Eve spring to mind.

bagatelo (הצגת פרופיל) 5 בדצמבר 2010, 21:52:45

How about this for a free translation?

I dallied with the devil and he spun me a tale.

acdibble (הצגת פרופיל) 5 בדצמבר 2010, 22:11:25

Well I translate it more literally as:

I regaled the devil and he gave me a fable.

sudanglo (הצגת פרופיל) 6 בדצמבר 2010, 10:30:14

Fablo='fable'; fabelo=fairy tale.

The first is moral instruction, the second is of dubious veracity.

Donniedillon (הצגת פרופיל) 6 בדצמבר 2010, 17:43:32

sudanglo:Fablo='fable'; fabelo=fairy tale.

The first is moral instruction, the second is of dubious veracity.
Just curious, where did you find that distinction? There is no distinction in the Lernu! Vortaro, and I didn't find it in Benson either.

darkweasel (הצגת פרופיל) 6 בדצמבר 2010, 17:55:36

Donniedillon:
sudanglo:Fablo='fable'; fabelo=fairy tale.

The first is moral instruction, the second is of dubious veracity.
Just curious, where did you find that distinction? There is no distinction in the Lernu! Vortaro, and I didn't find it in Benson either.
Try reta-vortaro.de.

acdibble (הצגת פרופיל) 7 בדצמבר 2010, 02:58:55

A fable in the sense of it has a moral at the end?

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