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  3. Poetry & Literature

No hay peor gestión que la que no se hace.

English translation: Nothing ventured, nothing gained

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:No hay peor gestión que la que no se hace.
English translation:Nothing ventured, nothing gained

11:11 Nov 11, 2009
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2009-11-14 12:54:07 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)


Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Poetry & Literature / proverbios
Spanish term or phrase: No hay peor gestión que la que no se hace.
No me parece que las versiones que encontré de este proverbio hasta ahora se ajusten al significado en español.
Desde ya muchas gracias.
Ana Baameiro
Uruguay
Local time: 01:18
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Explanation:
A possibility which is close in meaning.
Selected response from:

Evans (X)
Local time: 05:18
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +8Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Evans (X)
3 +2Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
Carol Gullidge
4 +1You never know what you can do until you try
Remy Arce
4Doing something badly is worse than doing nothing at all /Anything worth doing is worth doing right
Jenni Lukac (X)
3To try and fail is better than to never have tried at all.
Thayenga
3The worst thing you can do is do nothing.
Marsha Wilkie
3Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today
axies


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all


Explanation:
I'm sure there are closer proverbs, but this is what immediately springs to mind. I guess you are looking for an idiom rather than a translation...

Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 315

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carmen Schultz: This hits the nail on the head!
15 mins
  -> many thanks Carmen!
agree  Natalia Pedrosa (X)
16 mins
  -> many thanks Natalia!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
Nothing ventured, nothing gained


Explanation:
A possibility which is close in meaning.

Evans (X)
Local time: 05:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 72
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you to everyone for the prompt answers. As the proverb in Spanish is used in a commercial letter, I think this is the closest version in English. Once again, thank you to everyone.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Maria Mastruzzo
2 mins
  -> thanks Maria!
agree  Carmen Schultz: This is very close !
2 mins
  -> thanks Carmen!
agree  Christine Walsh: I think it's the closest
13 mins
  -> thanks Chris!
agree  David Ronder
27 mins
  -> thanks David!
agree  alidalc
49 mins
  -> thanks alidalc!
agree  Julie Waddington
3 hrs
  -> thanks Julie!
agree  Claudia Luque Bedregal
5 hrs
  -> gracias, Claudia!
agree  Cecilia Welsh
20 hrs
  -> thanks LadyofArcadia
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
You never know what you can do until you try


Explanation:
http://www.learn-english-today.com/Proverbs/proverbs_L-Z.htm...

Remy Arce
United States
Local time: 00:18
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 25

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carmen Schultz: This works too
3 mins
  -> thanks Carmen!
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Doing something badly is worse than doing nothing at all /Anything worth doing is worth doing right


Explanation:
It think the interpretation depends on the context of the original text in which the proverb is quoted.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2009-11-11 11:37:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I have to admit that the different perspective toward "doing nothing" makes this translation difficult. I did find the line (There are times) "when doing nothing works better than doing something" brainzooming.blogspot.com/.../arghhhh-when-doing-nothing-works-better.html

Jenni Lukac (X)
Local time: 06:18
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 156

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Carol Gullidge: isn't this the opposite of what is being said? Ie, it's better to do something than nothing at all...
15 mins
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
To try and fail is better than to never have tried at all.


Explanation:
This could possibly capture the Spanish meaning which, I believe, refers to complete inactivity vs. at least trying.

Another possibility would be

Nothing is worse than doing nothing at all.


Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 06:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 16
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
The worst thing you can do is do nothing.


Explanation:
Una opción sencilla.

Marsha Wilkie
Colombia
Local time: 23:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today


Explanation:
Somehow it also applies.

axies
Australia
Local time: 13:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 24
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