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Translation - German-English - Was man möchte...

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Category Essay

Title
Was man möchte...
Text
Submitted by Minny
Source language: German

Was man möchte,
dass andere für einen tun,
sollte man selbst
schon längst getan haben.
Remarks about the translation
Britisch
Fransösisch aus Frankreich

Title
What you want...
Translation
English

Translated by iamfromaustria
Target language: English

What you want
others to do for you,
you should have already done
for yourself long ago."
Validated by lilian canale - 24 November 2008 22:30





Last messages

Author
Message

24 November 2008 17:01

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
Hi Heidrun,

We have to match that "others" with "themselves"
I'd change the word order a bit into:

What you want
others to do for themselves,
you should have already done
for yourself long ago.


What do you think?

24 November 2008 19:06

Minny
Number of messages: 271
Hi Lilian Canale,
I would say:
"What you want
others to do for you,
you should have already done
for yourself long ago."
Meaning: Do it yourself. Do not wait for others to do it for you.

That is how I understand it.

24 November 2008 19:38

iamfromaustria
Number of messages: 1335
I agree with you Lilian, except for one thing. It should have to be "yourself" instead of "oneself/themselves". May I correct or do you want to reject it?

24 November 2008 20:20

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
Oh, I had understood that differently.
OK, then I think it should be:

"What you want others
to do for you,
you, yourself
should have already done."

Weird?

24 November 2008 20:25

iamfromaustria
Number of messages: 1335
Why can't we keep it the way you first suggested it? Because your second proposal doesn't contain the "long ago" and it seems to be quite the same as your first proposal anyway.
So I'd say:

"What you want
others to do for you,
you should have already done
for yourself long ago."

24 November 2008 20:28

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
That's fine for me. I'll edit that way and set a poll, ok?

24 November 2008 20:34

merdogan
Number of messages: 3769
I think all text that submitted by Minny are homeworks.

24 November 2008 21:28

italo07
Number of messages: 1474
Remove the " Gänsefüßchen (in German)

24 November 2008 21:33

itsatrap100
Number of messages: 279

I think the English is OK, but in the French version nous should be vous.

24 November 2008 21:41

Francky5591
Number of messages: 12396
in the first line from the French version there is "on", which is the German "man". So the "nous" at the 2nd line is here used as "on" (we do not say "pour on" in French, we say "pour nous"

24 November 2008 21:47

Francky5591
Number of messages: 12396
But the English is OK, I agree. In this case, English uses "you".

24 November 2008 21:58

akamc2
Number of messages: 18
'on' is not the second person

24 November 2008 22:15

Francky5591
Number of messages: 12396
Who said it was? English use second person, but I remind you that the original text is the German one. So the French translation is correct, about the English I'm not an expert but I guess it is correct as well. This "man", "on" in French, is meaning "people in general". french say "nous" or "vous" when the word before wants it. french understand "on" but do not say it, they say "nous".
English often say "vous".

24 November 2008 22:30

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
I suppose Heidrun did the translation from the German original...

I'm validating it the way it is now since it conveys the original and the English is perfect.