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יושבים על המדוכה

15:44 Mar 2, 2009
Hebrew to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Hebrew term or phrase: יושבים על המדוכה
What is the English equivalent of that phrase? I'm having a hard time translating it. Thank you.
Aleksandra Adler
Sweden
Local time: 08:07


Summary of answers provided
5Wrestle with a problem
azmi jbeili
5Pondering the problem/issue
Ron Armon


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Wrestle with a problem


Explanation:
...

azmi jbeili
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:07
Native speaker of: Arabic
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you! :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lingopro: Struggle is more appropriate IMHO
15 mins
  -> Thanks
disagree  Ron Armon: Wrestle is not ain place here IMHO
2 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Pondering the problem/issue


Explanation:
I believe it's not necessarily as strong as struggling, though this answer is valid, since the difficulty to decide IS inherent to this term.
It's more focused about the deep long weighing thinking, and considering, hence I suggest: Pondering, Deliberating, contemplating.

The best Hebrew equivalent IMHO is
מתחבטים בבעיה
and MORFIX's translation for that
is: "to think over, to deliberate, to ponder, to mull, to weigh possibilities "

And as for struggling - here's backing for that too:
ישב על המדוכה
ישב על הַמְּדוֹכָה = הִתְקַשָּׁה בְּפִתְרוֹן בְּעָיָה קָשֶׁה. מְדוֹכָה = מַכְתֵּשׁ. עַל פִּי הַתַּלְמוּד הַמְּדוֹכָה הִיא גַּם בִּימָה זְמַנִּית. כָּךְ אֶפְשָׁר לְהָבִין אֶת הַכָּתוּב אוֹדוֹת חַגַּי הַנָּבִיא.
דוגמה: רָאשֵׁי הַמִּפְלָגוֹת יָשְׁבוּ עַל הַמְּדוֹכָה בְּעִנְיַן הַרְכָּבַת הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה.
מקור: הִתְחִילוּ [חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל] מְסַבְּבִים אוֹתוֹ [את ר' דוֹסא] בַּהֲלָכוֹת, עַד שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ לְ"צָרַת הַבַּת". אָמְרוּ לוֹ: צָרַת הַבַּת - מַהוּ? אָמַר לָהֶם: מַחֲלֹקֶת בֵּית שַׁמַּאי וּבֵית הִלֵּל. אֲבָל מֵעִיד אֲנִי עָלַי שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, שֶׁעַל הַמְּדוֹכָה זוֹ יָשַׁב חַגַּי הַנָּבִיא וְאָמַר - צָרַת הַבַּת אֲסוּרָה. [יְבָמוֹת ט"ז].
http://www.nivon.net/nivon/results.asp?search=�����

Ron Armon
Israel
Local time: 09:07
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in HebrewHebrew
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you! :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  TechWrite: that's what I wrote her in Polish :) And gave the link to the same text :)
11 hrs
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