This site uses cookies.
Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site,
while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used.
For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Toasts are made frequently, usually with vodka. Men are expected to take part in every toast they are offered; women can sometimes politely decline alcohol, but etiquette in Kyrgyzstan otherwise are expected to keep up with every toast. It is common that if a bottle of vodka is opened, it must be finished in one sitting.
MacroJanus is right:) There's even a brilliant Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett: "Interesting Times", which is a satire on the Chinese proverb/curse.
Great suggestion, well nuanced. At the end, though, bottoms up, regardless. Or we can turn the toast into a prayer: Please,O Lord, could you spare us all this excitement?
You've got a point there. A good way to render it halfway or even three-quarters of the way through, is by making an understatement such as May we all live in slightly less interesting times or May this country abound in slightly less exciting events! Alternatively, you might ridicule it by saying "Here's to boredom!" Yeah, I wish we all could say that...
The original Chinese saying - May you live in interesting times - is a CURSE that wishes one to live in times of war and upheaval - interesting times, indeed. The opposite of that is preferable, hence our answers above. Perhaps, we should offer a middle-of-the-road toast sometime later.
George BuLah (X)
Poland
08:07 Dec 14, 2013
Interesująca przewrotność, taki mało lojalny i niepatriotyczny toast ;) ciekawe, o jaką ojczyznę chodzi, takiego np. ... Jana bez Ziemi ;), innych, bez ziemi ;)
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
37 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +2
Here's to less interesting times in our country!
Explanation: And mine...
Dawid Cieśla Poland Local time: 17:11 Works in field Native speaker of: Polish
39 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
May our country become less eventful!
Explanation: might sound more natural
Example sentence(s):
India is an eventful country be it cities or towns there are innumerable conferences, meets, seminars, summits and even get together.