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Translation - Danish-English - NÃ¥r man har sagt forvel til livet, er det blot...

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Category Thoughts

Title
NÃ¥r man har sagt forvel til livet, er det blot...
Text
Submitted by Minny
Source language: Danish

NÃ¥r man har sagt farvel til livet,
er det blot kaffen,
som smager af noget.
Remarks about the translation
aforisme

Title
coffee
Translation
English

Translated by jairhaas
Target language: English

When you have said farewell to life,
it is only the coffee,
that has a taste.
Last validated or edited by Lein - 10 February 2010 20:18





Latest messages

Author
Message

2 February 2010 14:48

gamine
Number of messages: 4611
"When you have said goodbye to life......"

2 February 2010 15:03

jairhaas
Number of messages: 261
Well, it all depends whether this metaphor also exists in English. I am not sure, and I therefore preferred capturing the meaning rather than the letter.

2 February 2010 15:11

gamine
Number of messages: 4611
Well, not sure it's a metaphor. Let's wait for other proposals.

2 February 2010 15:32

jairhaas
Number of messages: 261
Definitely a metaphor, since one cannot literally greet life farewell. literally it means to (decide to) die.

2 February 2010 15:41

gamine
Number of messages: 4611
Yes, think you may be right. But don't you think we could use another word. You have got the right sense though it seems a bit heavy to me.

3 February 2010 14:02

jedi2000
Number of messages: 110
I agree with Gamine.
"When you have said farewell to life..."
Same word "farvel" in Danish and "farewell in English)

3 February 2010 14:47

sgrowl
Number of messages: 29
I prefer jedi2000's suggestion

3 February 2010 15:11

jairhaas
Number of messages: 261
When you have bidden life farewell?

3 February 2010 15:14

bemymoca
Number of messages: 24
when you've said farewell to live, only coffee does have a taste

3 February 2010 20:27

cicalina
Number of messages: 10
the translation is too much free.. there are other ways to be nearer to the original text.

7 February 2010 09:21

Donna22
Number of messages: 75
I'd say:
Whwn one has said goodbye for the life...

7 February 2010 10:25

Minny
Number of messages: 271
Is it not possible in this case just to translate directly, like thise:
"When you've said goodbye to life
only the coffee is tasting of something."?

As far as I know in English you say "It does not taste of anything"

7 February 2010 17:34

iepurica
Number of messages: 2102
well, "har sagt farvel" can be translated by "has said godbye" and "man" can not be translated by "you, because then it should have been "du"instead of "man".

So, I believe the correct form should be "When someone has said good bye to life".

The rest seems to be ok.

7 February 2010 18:52

Minny
Number of messages: 271
Hi Iepurica,
"man" can be translated in many ways. "Gyldendals røde ordbog" gives a very good explanation. But you
can (du eller man kan) also find something here:
http://www.ordbogen.com/opslag.php?word=man&dict=auto#daen

8 February 2010 06:43

Tg83
Number of messages: 29
once you've said goodbye to life, it is only the cofee that has a taste.

8 February 2010 15:08

Fiore4
Number of messages: 4
when you say good bye to life,

8 February 2010 16:28

sismo
Number of messages: 74
I think the English translation should like the Danish and French ones use the act of saying goodbye in stead of the expression "take leave of" - because the latter one sounds as if you are already dead - but how can you then still taste the coffee? It is possible to say goodbye to life and still be alive... A while at least - long enough to have yet another cup of coffee...

8 February 2010 23:26

Nana93
Number of messages: 18
'When you have taken a leave of life' can be changed to: 'When you've said goodbye/farewell to life'

9 February 2010 09:27

Minny
Number of messages: 271
Hi Sismo,

I love your sense of humour!
Ich habe mich Tod gelacht! Thus no more coffee for me!


10 February 2010 11:44

annyzro
Number of messages: 14
When you have said goodbye to life,
Only coffee has a taste.