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Cuando veas las barbas de tu vecino arder, pon las tuyas en remojo

English translation: When you see your neighbour's beard burn, soak your own

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Cuando veas las barbas de tu vecino arder, pon las tuyas en remojo
English translation:When you see your neighbour's beard burn, soak your own
Entered by: Kate Major Patience

22:43 Sep 1, 2009
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Slang
Spanish term or phrase: Cuando veas las barbas de tu vecino arder, pon las tuyas en remojo
Hola. Estoy traduciendo una conversación bastante coloquial entre dos campesinos y uno suelta esta perla.
Me preguntaba si alguno conoce un equivalente en inglés tan colorido como el original.
Saludos
Y gracias adelantadas.
LD
kleiner Kater
Chile
Local time: 05:59
When you see your neighbour's beard burn, soak your own
Explanation:
I think the original is too good to look for anything similar in English, since it translates very well and is understood. I have seen various versions of this, but I like the above best.
Other versions include:
When you see your neighbour's beard on fire, soak your own.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 33 mins (2009-09-01 23:16:41 GMT)
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Or
When you see your neighbour's beard burning, put yours to soak.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 35 mins (2009-09-01 23:18:44 GMT)
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NB: AmEng spelling would of course be "neighbor".
Selected response from:

Kate Major Patience
Spain
Local time: 11:59
Grading comment
Gracias a todos por sus respuestas.
Selecciono ésta dado que necesitaba algo tan colorido como el original.
Un millón. :)
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3When you see your neighbour's beard burn, soak your own
Kate Major Patience
4 +2you should learn from other people’s mistakes
Rafael Molina Pulgar
4Wise men learn from the mistakes of others
Rebecca Hendry
4Where there's smoke, there's fire
duran3d


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
When you see your neighbour's beard burn, soak your own


Explanation:
I think the original is too good to look for anything similar in English, since it translates very well and is understood. I have seen various versions of this, but I like the above best.
Other versions include:
When you see your neighbour's beard on fire, soak your own.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 33 mins (2009-09-01 23:16:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or
When you see your neighbour's beard burning, put yours to soak.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 35 mins (2009-09-01 23:18:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

NB: AmEng spelling would of course be "neighbor".

Kate Major Patience
Spain
Local time: 11:59
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7
Grading comment
Gracias a todos por sus respuestas.
Selecciono ésta dado que necesitaba algo tan colorido como el original.
Un millón. :)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marsha Wilkie: I like soak your own very much.
3 hrs
  -> Me too: thanks Marsha! :)
agree  Marjory Hord: i like on fire
4 hrs
  -> Good images, aren't they! :)
agree  Rosa Paredes
5 hrs
  -> Thanks Rosa: appreciated! :)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
you should learn from other people’s mistakes


Explanation:
suerte.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2009-09-01 22:48:08 GMT)
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http://www.languagerealm.com/spanish/spanishproverbs_c.php

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 43 mins (2009-09-01 23:26:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

En este libro de hace más de un siglo (p. 76)
http://www.archive.org/stream/spanishidiomswit00beckuoft#pag...

encontré también esta propuesta:

We must take warning by the experience of ohers

Rafael Molina Pulgar
Mexico
Local time: 03:59
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  lorenab23: and thank you for the link, very useful!!!
5 mins
  -> My pleasure. Thanks, Lorena.
agree  Wavehunter: Or, roughly, "Beware: it happened to him/her and it could happen to you!"
8 mins
  -> Gracias por tu sugerencia, Wavehunter... y por el agrí.
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Wise men learn from the mistakes of others


Explanation:
This is another possibility. The whole proverb says:

"Wise men learn from the mistakes of others, fools from their own"

Rebecca Hendry
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:59
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Where there's smoke, there's fire


Explanation:
El dicho propuesto es una versión alterada del original, que reza:

"cuando las barbas de tu vecino veas cortar, pon las tuyas a remojar" (antes de afeitar una barba hay que remojarla)

Y es una exhortación a la prudencia. Significa que cuando veas que a la gente cercana a ti les llegan malos tiempos, prepárate porque tú serás el siguiente.

Lo más parecido que yo conozca en inglés es:

"where there's smoke, there fire"

En español se dice "por el humo se sabe donde está el fuego", pero la versión inglesa "donde hay humo, hay fuego" tiene un sentido más parecido al que buscamos. Y además tiene la ventaja de que hace referencia al fuego, lo que le da connotaciones parecidas a tu frase.

duran3d
Local time: 10:59
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8
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