| | |
| | 17 duben 2008 17:09 |
| | How about:
Wishing To does not mean Being Able To
And Being Able To is not the same as Wishing To;
I Therefore Live Wishing
I Could Have You.
?
|
| | 17 duben 2008 06:02 |
| | Hi Ian,
It's almost that! The Portuguese text uses verbs in their "short" forms, unfortunately those verbs in English have a little longer spelling or are not usually used as present participles.for they would sound weird, like "wanting". However the shortest way to say that would be:
"Wishing is not being able
and being able is not wishing
so I live wishing
for being able to have you."
Weird, isn't it?
|
| | 17 duben 2008 06:42 |
| | Each language has its own Quirks, and its own Beauty... |
| | 19 duben 2008 05:12 |
| | Hello goncin,
this has been Here for a while.
I think I clearly understand it,
but what do you think we should do about it? CC: goncin |
| | 19 duben 2008 11:27 |
| | Hi Mats, Hi Ian, Hi Lilly
The text in Portuguese is very similar to the French saying "Vouloir n'est pas pouvoir..."
I agree with Lilly that the best thing to do is to retranslate the text, into coherent English, for example, by using the "...ing" form rather than the infinitive:
Want ing is not being able to
And being able is no longer wanting,
So I live, wanting
to be able to have you.
I have also taken out all of the superfluous capital letters as they just add confusion to a text that is already difficult .
Hope this helps
Bises
Tantine
|
| | 19 duben 2008 09:54 |
| | Thanks, Tantine!
We'll go with your excellent version!
---
Form of the last version of the translation before my edits:
Want is Not to Can,
And to Can is Not to Want,
So I Live Wanting
To Have You. |
| | 19 duben 2008 11:22 |
| | Hi Mats
I forgot to add above that "to can" means to put into a can (tin). "can" is a transitive verb that cannot be used in its infinitive form which has become obsolete, except in Scots.
Bises
Tantine
|
| | 19 duben 2008 12:56 |
| | So if you have many cans of preserves, you'll never be in want:
To Can is Not To Want!
Hee hee hee hoo hoo hoo...
;;
Well, I thought it was funny... |
| | 19 duben 2008 14:46 |
| | Absolutely Ian san
I really laughed out loud!!
|
| | 21 duben 2008 23:57 |
| | Thanks you both!
In fact, I tried myself to translate this into English, but that is so idiomatic in Portuguese... Tantine finally got it. |