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hij komt zichzelf wel tegen; zij komt zichzelf wel tegen
22:32 May 4, 2014
This question was closed without grading. Reason: No acceptable answer
Dutch to English translations [PRO] Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Dutch term or phrase:hij komt zichzelf wel tegen; zij komt zichzelf wel tegen
This all of a sudden popped into my mind today. It’s not part of anything I’m translating, I’m just curious. People used to use this cryptic phrase in school when I was a kid.
I have two questions: 1. What do people here think it means? 2. How would you translate it into English?
was about 'finding' yourself, though. It wasn't necessarily about being confronted with negative things of yourself or your past, but rather about finding your position in life, what you like and things. AS we say in Flemish 'uwen draai vinden' like a cat who has to tread the cushion a few times before lying down.
And answers are to be given in the answer section,
06:51 May 5, 2014
yes, this is the one and only :-)
THERE is no experience so startling as to bump into oneself in a mirror, nor so sobering as the slowly dawning realisation that it is indeed a mirror and indeed oneself. Coming face to face with reality and consequently sorting oneself out is perhaps the main exercise we are called upon to make in these conciliar days. For Vatican II essentially presented a familiar thing (the Church) in an unfamiliar light (a new working out of relationships). It was all, so to speak, done by mirrors, mirrors as large as life held up to reflect new things and old in the irrefutable light of the Spirit. And the shocks have startled us into discovery.
Another option! Yeah! Not a brilliant one (a bit sterile) if you ask me, but then, we have no context. Any shot is going to end up in a large empty space.
And answers are to be given in the Answer section, also answers by the Asker. :-)
As usual he is going to answer his own question. In most cases this ends up like there is nothing he really can agree with. Well, this will certainly be the case here, since there are so many options.
This never works.
You are the receiving party (you are the one who doesn't know the answer, this is how it works here on Kudoz), the other ones are the giving party.
You need to be silent unless someone wants to know something from you, like contextual information for example.
He even knows what supposedly is the best interpretation of this expression!
I totally agree, there is a subtle, but substantive difference between what I was thinking and the meaning of the phrase. I still feel like saying "you will reap what you sow...". But now I see it is more about the aspect of "learning that truth".
To a certain extent you were right for that matter, but there are also significant differences.
There is an element of meeting the consequences of your past behaviour but the emphasis is placed on not knowing what you are doing.
It is related to ignorance of what or who you really are, what you are really able to, etc. and can pertain to all kinds of situations. However, at some point you are going to meet the consequences of your actions, burnout, whatever.
It could, for example, be said in the situation where someone bites off more then they can chew (think they can do everything) -->
"Iemand die zichzelf tegen komt" is quite a different thing.
It is more like the 'wal zal het schip keren' :-) but then different.
It means, at some point a person is going to come face to face with themselves, they will be going to find out the - painful - truth about themselves.
It is related to ignorance of what or who you really are, what you are really able to, etc. and can pertain to all kinds of situations. However, at some point you are going to meet the consequences of your actions, burnout, whatever.
writeaway Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 12
Note to reference poster
Asker: Thanks!
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