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.
a expressão pode não ser muito conhecida, mas «quem bondade tem, mil canseiras lhe vem» significa que quem é bom acaba sempre por ter (mais) problemas, injustiças… penso que foi o caso.
I liked many of the answers. I went for Matheus' answer because it got the most Agrees. Another one that especially intrigued me was «quem bondade tem, mil canseiras lhe vem».
I love all your answers and I'm faced with a very difficult decision. So hard to choose! I asked to leave the question open a little longer to help me make up my mind.
This is a short book for publication in Brazil. I'm writing about my late husband, who was imprisoned under the dictatorship under false charges. As an architectural historian, he had devoted his career to saving colonial patrimony and the thanks he got was imprisonment. He was deeply bitter and believed there was no justice in the world. So his attitude, which I'm trying to capture, is more against institutions than individual "good deeds" toward others. I want it to sound deeply bitter, but not vulgar. That said, personally, I find the saying in English to be quite appropriate. So often good deeds do not match the needs or desires of the beneficiary.
Quem ajuda os outros só leva ferro. That wouldn't be so vulgar. However, Muriel's husband was Brazilian, a Mineiro da Gema, so maybe she can remember what he actually said in Portuguese?
I like Mario's suggestion. That definitely sounds more natural in Brazilian Portuguese. There are several variations of that (quem ajuda os outros só leva no rabo, só toma no..., etc.), but they are indeed vulgar.
Maybe something like He believed that no good deed goes unpunished. Na opinião dele, quem ajuda os outros só se ferra.
What we actually say, popularly, in Brazil is "quem ajuda os outros só toma na tarraqueta". So I was trying to devise a not-so-vulgar equivalent expression.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_good_deed_goes_unpunished The phrase 'No good deed goes unpunished' is a sardonic commentary on the frequency with which acts of kindness backfire on those who offer them. In other words, those who help others are doomed to suffer as a result of their being helpful.
The expression is intended to reflect deep cynicism. The character in my story is very bitter, having devoted his career to serving ideals that he held for his country, only to be imprisoned for his attempts. There is no room for exceptions in this statement--it is equivalent to 'all good deeds are punished'. It's intended to epitomize his thinking. I thought of "toda boa ação acaba sendo punida". Any more ideas?
Wasn't it "generous deed"? For "good deed" I agree with Matheus's suggestion, except for "impune". The context does not allow "impune" as the one who does the good deed shall not be punished. "No good deed goes unpunished" in the context means every act of generosity will have negative reflexes or consequeces, but there is no place for "punishment" here.
peer agreement (net): +6