Лучше уже было!

English translation: - When's life going to get better? - It already has, didn't you notice?

17:26 Sep 19, 2013

Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / punchline to a joke

Russian term or phrase: Лучше уже было!

A character is telling a joke.

"Приходит озабоченный Рабинович к ребе и спрашивает:

Ребе, ну когда уже будет лучше?

Ребе: Лучше? Лучше уже было!"

Aside from reducing "озабоченный Рабинович" to a prosaic "distressed Jew" (I can't think of a proper Рабинович equivalent), I'm struggling with the punchline. Short and snappy in Russian, it invariably turns into something long and dull in English.

I'm open to rewriting the joke, as long as the meaning (which embodies Jewishness superbly, even if the joke itself isn't very funny) is retained. TIA.

Mark Berelekhis KudoZ activity Questions: 145 (none open) (3 closed without grading) Answers: 2399 United States
Local time: 02:55

English translation:- When's life going to get better? - It already has, didn't you notice?

Explanation:
- When's life going to get better?
- It already has, didn't you notice?

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Note added at 52 mins (2013-09-19 18:18:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

- Will life ever turn around for us?
- Sure, it's getting worse already!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 56 mins (2013-09-19 18:22:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

- Will life ever get better?
- Didn't you hear? Worse is the new better!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 58 mins (2013-09-19 18:24:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

- Will life ever get better?
- It sure will... get the better of you.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2013-09-19 18:26:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

- Will things get better?
- They sure can't get any worse.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2013-09-19 18:27:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

- Will life ever get better?
- It's getting better... at getting worse.

Selected response from:

Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Local time: 08:55

Grading comment

This was a hard one, but I ended up going with 'worse is the new better' simply because I felt it was the funniest option, IMHO (while retaining the original meaning). Thanks to everyone!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +10

Better was last month! (+ variations)

Rachel Douglas

3 +5

- When's life going to get better? - It already has, didn't you notice?

Mikhail Kropotov

4 +2

' Better future? Better future's behind us!

Michael Korovkin

4 +1

The better times are already behind us.

LilianNekipelov

3 +2

Better? You've already had it better!

The Misha

4 +1

Better? I've seen better.

Jim Tucker (X)

The good times have come and gone.

Sarah McDowell

Gooder and gooder...

Vitals

Is it going to get better? - It can only get worse.

Andrew Vdovin

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

The better times are already behind us.

Explanation:
I think so.

LilianNekipelov
United States
Local time: 02:55
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Polish
PRO pts in category: 16

18 mins confidence:

The good times have come and gone.

Explanation:
In my opinion this is what he's trying to say.

Sarah McDowell
Canada
Local time: 01:55
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

37 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

Better? You've already had it better!

Explanation:
The implication being that it's only going to go down from here. Just thinking out loud, another way would be to come up with some play on "it's going to get worse before it gets any better". In any case, I don't envy you this one:)

The Misha
Local time: 02:55
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Russian
PRO pts in category: 96

44 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

- When's life going to get better? - It already has, didn't you notice?

Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Local time: 08:55
Works in field
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 376

Grading comment

This was a hard one, but I ended up going with 'worse is the new better' simply because I felt it was the funniest option, IMHO (while retaining the original meaning). Thanks to everyone!

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Better? I've seen better.

Explanation:
The standard expression, but with a different emphasis. Gives you a little pause while you figure it out. Funny.

Jim Tucker (X)
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 43

2 hrs confidence:

Gooder and gooder...

Explanation:
- When are things getting gooder and gooder?
- Why?! They was "gooder". Where were you then?

Something like this. "Gooder and gooder" has an element of a joke in itself, you may want to use it.

"They was" - (may) add a bit of grammatical humour.

Vitals
Lithuania
Local time: 09:55
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Russian,

Lithuanian
PRO pts in category: 3

50 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +10

Better was last month! (+ variations)

Explanation:
So Rabinovich is all upset and he goes to his Rabbi.
"Rabbi," he says, "When's it going to be better?"
The Rabbi says, "You want better? Better was last month!"

Variations:
"last year", "last week"
"Better already happened!"
"You already had better!"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 53 mins (2013-09-19 18:19:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

If you've heard a lot of jokes like that, of course you know that in delivery the emphasis is on LAST.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2013-09-20 00:10:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Come to think of it, you can make up for being unable in writing to show the emphasis on "last," by putting "already" - at the end, not anywhere else: "Better was last week already!"

Rachel Douglas
United States
Local time: 02:55
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 384

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

The Misha: I think this is the best we can do here, both in terms of the letter and the spirit. It also kind of sounds right for a Jewish joke.

2 hrs

-> Thanks, Misha. The thing is, it's a compressed version of a famous Yiddish parable, which has been published, for example, as "It Could Always Be Worse" and as "Terrible, Terrible!" So the PUNCH LINE has to express that. "Better was BEFORE!"

agree

David Knowles: better was last month!//I thought of "better's been and gone" but I prefer your "last month"

3 hrs

-> Thanks, David. / I closed my eyes and listened to how my beloved New York-born, second-generation immigrant, Jewish late grandfather would have told the joke.

agree

Maria Mizguireva: именно прошедшее время тут и нужно

5 hrs

-> Thanks, Maria.

agree

Max Deryagin: Spot on, in my opinion.

5 hrs

-> Thanks, Max.

agree

cyhul

7 hrs

-> Thank you.

agree

Andrew Vdovin

12 hrs

-> Thanks, Andrew.

agree

alex suhoy

17 hrs

-> Thanks, Alex.

agree

svetlana cosquéric

23 hrs

-> Thanks, Svetlana.

agree

Sarah McDowell

1 day 11 hrs

-> Thanks, Sarah.

agree

MariyaN (X)

3 days 4 hrs

-> Thanks, Mariya.

13 hrs confidence:

Is it going to get better? - It can only get worse.

Explanation:
...

Andrew Vdovin
Local time: 13:55
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Russian
PRO pts in category: 88

1 day 1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

' Better future? Better future's behind us!

Explanation:
I tried to make it funnier...

Michael Korovkin
Italy
Local time: 08:55
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Russian
PRO pts in category: 174

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Лучше уже было!

English translation: - When's life going to get better? - It already has, didn't you notice?

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Лучше уже было!

English translation: - When's life going to get better? - It already has, didn't you notice?

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