охота пуще неволи

English translation: we are slaves to our desires

12:17 Jan 20, 2006
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Russian term or phrase: охота пуще неволи
I understand the saying: desire is stronger than necessity, but wonder if you have any suggestions as to best put this in English.
Theodora OB
Local time: 00:53
English translation:we are slaves to our desires
Explanation:
putting it bluntly ...
Selected response from:

sergey (X)
Local time: 00:53
Grading comment
This is the best one in the context of the story I am translating so thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4burning desire is worse than fire
Prima Vista
5 +2desire has no rest
koundelev
5 +2Where they'[re a will there's a way.
Deborah Hoffman
5a labor of love охота
Alexander Onishko
3 +2a bad day at fishing is better than a good day at work
Henry Schroeder
4work you enjoy never feels too hard
Janebel
3 +1desire is worse than any plague
Andrew Vdovin
3 +1desire is more than necessity
Vassyl Trylis
3 +1a willing horse needs no spur
Blithe
3we are slaves to our desires
sergey (X)


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
охота пуще неволи
a labor of love охота


Explanation:
a labor of love охота пуще неволи

see for example http://www.efl.ru/forum/threads/4076/

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Note added at 5 mins (2006-01-20 12:22:35 GMT)
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http://www.idioms.ru/?q=node/1676

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Note added at 5 mins (2006-01-20 12:22:55 GMT)
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"a labor of love"

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Note added at 6 mins (2006-01-20 12:23:27 GMT)
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"it's a labor of love "

Alexander Onishko
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in UkrainianUkrainian
PRO pts in category: 63
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
охота пуще неволи
burning desire is worse than fire


Explanation:
вариант из Мультитрана

Prima Vista
Russian Federation
Local time: 05:53
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dmitry Venyavkin
1 min

agree  Alla Tatyants: It sounds nice :)
5 mins

agree  Alexander Alexandrov
5 mins

agree  Сергей Лузан: w/ rendition :)
9 hrs

neutral  Mikhail Kropotov: Нигде не используется
1 day 15 mins
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
охота пуще неволи
desire has no rest


Explanation:


koundelev
Local time: 03:53
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 66

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alexander Alexandrov
5 mins
  -> Thank you, Alexander

agree  Konstantin Popov: однозначно
20 mins
  -> Thank you, Konstantin
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
охота пуще неволи
work you enjoy never feels too hard


Explanation:
work you enjoy never feels too hard

Janebel
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in EnglishEnglish
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48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
охота пуще неволи
desire is worse than any plague


Explanation:
Another possible version.

We act like dogs, our brains are between our legs; the desire is worse than any plague. Where’S our self-control? the bonds of sex are being raped. ...
www.letssingit.com/ sinai-beach-man-or-animal-chkrh7p.html


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Note added at 53 mins (2006-01-20 13:11:02 GMT)
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Вот ближе:

Desire is more (or stronger) than bondage

Desire Is Stronger Than Bondage* · If You Have Desire, You Must Also Have* · The Dog Is A Lion In His Own Home* · If You Drink You Die. ...
www.srichinmoysongs.com/songs/my_appreciation_ for_proverbs_from_china_russia_japan_quotes

That is so to say “Desire is more than bondage”! “I smoke and don’t know how to give up. What should I do?” – one asks. Come to our center “Harmony”, ...
cpti.projectharmony.ru/en/news/ print.php?place=1&lang=2&id=283



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Note added at 54 mins (2006-01-20 13:11:34 GMT)
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Also: desire is more than a fire

Desire is more than a fire in your heaving chest, just as a heartbeat is the drum that drives the thrust, adding kindling to love's pyre, ...
www.lovestories.com/content.php?sid=56589


Andrew Vdovin
Local time: 07:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 88

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alla Tatyants
1 hr
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
охота пуще неволи
a bad day at fishing is better than a good day at work


Explanation:
This made me laugh so hard that I couldn't help but throw it up there with the others. There are millions of great options at google if you type in the Russian phrase plus than.

Or just click on link below:


    Reference: http://www.google.de/search?hl=de&q=%D0%BE%D1%85%D0%BE%D1%82...
Henry Schroeder
United States
Local time: 20:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 174
1 corroborated select project
in this pair and field What is ProZ.com Project History(SM)?

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mikhail Kropotov
36 mins

agree  Dorene Cornwell: I like this one best, but I'm not sure anyone has quite nailed it.
1 day 53 mins
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
охота пуще неволи
we are slaves to our desires


Explanation:
putting it bluntly ...

sergey (X)
Local time: 00:53
PRO pts in category: 51
Grading comment
This is the best one in the context of the story I am translating so thank you!
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
охота пуще неволи
desire is more than necessity


Explanation:
I see no way to rival this Russian idiom. Instead I propose Your own translation (apprehension), modified quite a bit.

As to colleagues' versions, they are all relevant but something in them is inevitable lost or surplus.

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Note added at 4 hrs (2006-01-20 17:12:50 GMT)
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inevitablY:)

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Note added at 6 hrs (2006-01-20 19:14:56 GMT)
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Salon Wanderlust | Passages: Won Ton Lust
Eating is more than necessity, it's the essential adventure, the quest that must
be fulfilled most often and therefore offers the surest route to surprise. ...
www.salon.com/wlust/pass/1997/12/18pass2.html

Vassyl Trylis
Local time: 02:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in UkrainianUkrainian, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mikhail Kropotov: I do agree with your central idea, but "more" should be replaced with "greater" or something like it
1 hr
  -> Thank you, but I can not find that "something". Well, something is lost in my version, too. But I like it :).
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
охота пуще неволи
Where they'[re a will there's a way.


Explanation:
Variant, common idiom.

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Note added at 8 hrs (2006-01-20 20:38:44 GMT)
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Sorry, "there's"!

Deborah Hoffman
Local time: 20:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 36

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yuri Geifman: this is what occurred to me as well
4 hrs

agree  Mikhail Kropotov: Yes, I've thought about it too. It could work in some contexts, but not if неволя is meant to refer to some specific limitation
16 hrs
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
охота пуще неволи
a willing horse needs no spur


Explanation:
an option from Lubensky's dictionary of Russian idioms; can be used in some contexts.

Blithe
Local time: 20:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 19

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mikhail Kropotov: :)
14 hrs
  -> thank you
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