шаг на месте – это шаг назад

English translation: Marking time is (essentially) a step backwards

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Russian term or phrase:шаг на месте – это шаг назад
English translation:Marking time is (essentially) a step backwards
Entered by: Judith Hehir

23:07 Dec 12, 2009
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Russian term or phrase: шаг на месте – это шаг назад
А как вы знаете, ноябрь – месяц высокой активности: тендеры, закупки, конференции. Никак нельзя остановиться. Ведь шаг на месте – это шаг назад. Мы не можем всем сказать: подождите, сейчас у нас закончится интеграция, а потом уже проведете и тендеры, и конгрессы.
tar
Local time: 01:15
Marking time is essentially a step backwards
Explanation:
Marking time has a literal and figurative meaning. Literally, it is a шаг на месте (or marching in place), but figuratively it means to do nothing.
Selected response from:

Judith Hehir
United States
Local time: 18:15
Grading comment
Спасибо!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5Marking time is essentially a step backwards
Judith Hehir
4 +1staying in the same place means falling behind
Dylan Edwards
4If we don't go ahead, we fall behind
Nick Grekov (X)
3If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!
boostrer
3treading water is the same as step backwards
Libero_Lang_Lab


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
If we don't go ahead, we fall behind


Explanation:
или No advance means lagging behind.
Тут вообще уйма вариантов может быть, сейчас другие подключатся, будет из чего выбирать.

Nick Grekov (X)
Russian Federation
Local time: 00:15
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 16
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Marking time is essentially a step backwards


Explanation:
Marking time has a literal and figurative meaning. Literally, it is a шаг на месте (or marching in place), but figuratively it means to do nothing.

Judith Hehir
United States
Local time: 18:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 56
Grading comment
Спасибо!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Susan Welsh: But I would take out the "essentially." Since it's figurative, adding "essentially" is superfluous. Better to be direct, I think.
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Susan. Perhaps you're right about that.

agree  Victoria H: I would absolutely do "Marking time is a backward step."
3 hrs
  -> Thank you, Victoria.

neutral  gutbuster: Marking time also means занимать выжидательную позицию, which does not imply a step back at all. Выжидательная позиция is a tactical ruse that may be rather profitable.
11 hrs
  -> Interesting. I wasn't aware of that. Thank you.

agree  engltrans: a step back
12 hrs
  -> Thank you.

agree  Libero_Lang_Lab
15 hrs
  -> Thank you, Dan.

agree  Alexandra Taggart: I would say "Biding your time..."-? However,this "marching" sounds a bit silly even in Russian.Actually, the phrase itself is about USSR:" Stagnation is a step backwards".
20 hrs
  -> Thanks, Alexandra. Marking time is literally marching in place. Figuratively, it doen'st quite mean biding one's time, but...doing nothing and making no progress.
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!


Explanation:
Alice

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Note added at 9 mins (2009-12-12 23:17:22 GMT)
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OR
"Now [, here, you see], it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place"

boostrer
United States
Local time: 18:15
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Libero_Lang_Lab: these both sound rather convoluted
11 hrs
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
treading water is the same as step backwards


Explanation:
or simply: treading water means going backwards.

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Note added at 16 hrs (2009-12-13 15:10:08 GMT)
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that should read: treading water is the same as A step backwards

Libero_Lang_Lab
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:15
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
staying in the same place means falling behind


Explanation:
My suggestion for a simple and direct way of saying it. There are some good ideas here already.


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Note added at 1 day13 hrs (2009-12-14 12:44:07 GMT)
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There may be longer and more 'literary' ways of saying it, but perhaps what's needed here is something short and pithy. A more idiomatic way of saying it would be:

Staying put means falling back.

Dylan Edwards
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 38

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mark Hemming
21 hrs
  -> Thank you
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