Jun 18, 2007 20:41
16 yrs ago
Russian term
MA in Translation & CompLit, PhD student
Native in: Ukrainian 
Works in: English to Ukrainian, Ukrainian to English, Russian to English, and 1 more.
Тяни лямку, пока не выкопают ямку!
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Looking for an idiomatic translation into English. Sorry, no context. I'd be grateful if anybody could think of an English proverb or saying that relflects the connotation of hard work that is somewhat Sisyphean in the sense of its futility.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+4
31 mins
Selected
Work like a slave till you've dug your own grave
Couldn't think of an equivalent in English so I made up a saying.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, Jim, and thanks to everyone for a great discussion and lots of food for thought. I appreciate your help. "
-1
10 mins
Dig a ditch without digging yourself into a hole
I only found the first part of this expression in Lubensky's R>E Dictionary of Idioms as "sweat it out"/"toil away"/"engage in drudgery" so I decided to create my own original-sounding proverb! :-)
Ditch-digging, at least in the American understanding, is hard work without the prospect of a promotion
Ditch-digging, at least in the American understanding, is hard work without the prospect of a promotion
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Alexander Demyanov
: I believe the meaning of the original is quite different: something like "work/dig your ditch/whatever until you die".
12 mins
|
27 mins
Vladimir Dubisskiy
United States
United States
Native in Russian
Specializes in field
United States
UNSURPASSABLE EXPERIENCE
Native in: Russian , Ukrainian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, Ukrainian to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
36
work hard until you die
not that idiomatic, though :-)
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Note added at 28 mins (2007-06-18 21:10:37 GMT)
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Ha, i did not refresh the page ...
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Note added at 28 mins (2007-06-18 21:10:37 GMT)
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Ha, i did not refresh the page ...
+3
34 mins
Evgenia Mussuri
United States
United States
Native in Russian
United States
Legal, Medical, IT, PR
Native in: Russian , Ukrainian
Works in: English to Russian, English to Ukrainian, Ukrainian to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Slave Away Until Your Grave
the expression goes "Don't Slave Away Until Your Grave" or "drop dead"
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jim Tucker (X)
: Yes it's good - just wanted to note that it's not an existing expression. In the first paragraph it says these were lines they thought of while drinking beer.
43 mins
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| agree |
Alexander Demyanov
2 hrs
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Thanks, Alexander!
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| agree |
Alexandra Tussing
6 hrs
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Thank you!
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| agree |
Сергей Лузан
7 hrs
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Спасибо, Сергей!
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+1
23 mins
Larissa Boutrimova
Canada
Canada
Native in Russian
Canada
Accuracy and Style
Native in: Russian 
Works in: English to Russian, Russian, Russian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
8
Work til you die
I think that's what it means. Not sure if it's idiomatic enough.
Graveyard And Ballroom
A track made up of slogans including "Work 'til you die, Work 'til you die... in Death Factree, Death Factree" it stops and starts, and splutters into ...
home.wxs.nl/~frankbri/slaterfac.html
2005 Archive
Bush and Conservatives on Retirement: Work 'Til You Die. While President Bush is still hustling his private investment account assault on Social Security, ...
www.thiscantbehappening.net/id13.html
What's the best ever lyric? - Have your say - Music - Virgin Media
"work and work and work your arse off beacuse the only one smiling is the sun tanned boss, work and work and work til you die because there's plenty more ...
boards.virginmedia.com/music/haveyoursay/besteverlyric.html
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Note added at 25 мин (2007-06-18 21:07:17 GMT)
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or: "... tilL you die"
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Note added at 36 мин (2007-06-18 21:17:58 GMT)
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Sweatshop 'til you drop
Graveyard And Ballroom
A track made up of slogans including "Work 'til you die, Work 'til you die... in Death Factree, Death Factree" it stops and starts, and splutters into ...
home.wxs.nl/~frankbri/slaterfac.html
2005 Archive
Bush and Conservatives on Retirement: Work 'Til You Die. While President Bush is still hustling his private investment account assault on Social Security, ...
www.thiscantbehappening.net/id13.html
What's the best ever lyric? - Have your say - Music - Virgin Media
"work and work and work your arse off beacuse the only one smiling is the sun tanned boss, work and work and work til you die because there's plenty more ...
boards.virginmedia.com/music/haveyoursay/besteverlyric.html
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Note added at 25 мин (2007-06-18 21:07:17 GMT)
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or: "... tilL you die"
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Note added at 36 мин (2007-06-18 21:17:58 GMT)
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Sweatshop 'til you drop
+4
1 hr
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Specializes in field
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
658
One day older and deeper in debt
Best known line of a song about exploitation of miners who have to buy everything in a company store at such high prices that all their money goes to the store and their debt just keeps on increasing.
Load sixteen tones and what do you get?
One day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't call me, 'cause I can't go.
I owe my soul to the company store!
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Note added at 1 hr (2007-06-18 21:56:45 GMT)
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Sorry, "sixteen tons".
Load sixteen tones and what do you get?
One day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't call me, 'cause I can't go.
I owe my soul to the company store!
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Note added at 1 hr (2007-06-18 21:56:45 GMT)
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Sorry, "sixteen tons".
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jim Tucker (X)
: melikes it
6 mins
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Thank you.
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| agree |
Alexander Demyanov
1 hr
|
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Thank you.
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| agree |
Alexandra Tussing
5 hrs
|
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Thank you.
|
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| agree |
James McVay
: Jack comes through again. But the correct quote is "another day older." See the complete lyric here: http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/tennessee_ernie_ford_lyric...
8 hrs
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Thank you for finding the complete lyric. I found the line on Google as I quote it, but it looka as if your version is the correct one.
|
+1
1 hr
Emil Tubinshlak
Canada
Canada
Native in English
Specializes in field
Canada
Excellence in all areas
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, Hebrew to English
Related KudoZ points
:
38
Pull the yoke until you croak
My two cents
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Сергей Лузан
: It's rhymed that conveys the idea of the source :)
7 hrs
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Merci
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8 hrs
Сергей Лузан
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Native in Russian
Works in field
Russian Federation
Always welcome! :)
Native in: Russian
Works in: German to Russian, English to Russian, Spanish to Russian, and 7 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
37
Sweat it out til you crap out
my humble contribution :)
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Note added at 8 hrs (2007-06-19 05:27:43 GMT)
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SORRY, TYPO - "Sweat it out tilL you crap out "
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&as_qdr=all&q="till yo...
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Note added at 8 hrs (2007-06-19 05:27:43 GMT)
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SORRY, TYPO - "Sweat it out tilL you crap out "
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&as_qdr=all&q="till yo...
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