Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Russian term or phrase:
шаг на месте – это шаг назад
English translation:
Marking time is (essentially) a step backwards
Added to glossary by
Judith Hehir
Dec 12, 2009 23:07
14 yrs ago
Russian term
шаг на месте – это шаг назад
Russian to English
Marketing
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
А как вы знаете, ноябрь – месяц высокой активности: тендеры, закупки, конференции. Никак нельзя остановиться. Ведь шаг на месте – это шаг назад. Мы не можем всем сказать: подождите, сейчас у нас закончится интеграция, а потом уже проведете и тендеры, и конгрессы.
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Dec 14, 2009 13:57: Judith Hehir Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+5
5 mins
Selected
Marking time is essentially a step backwards
Marking time has a literal and figurative meaning. Literally, it is a шаг на месте (or marching in place), but figuratively it means to do nothing.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Susan Welsh
: But I would take out the "essentially." Since it's figurative, adding "essentially" is superfluous. Better to be direct, I think.
2 hrs
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Thank you, Susan. Perhaps you're right about that.
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agree |
Victoria H
: I would absolutely do "Marking time is a backward step."
3 hrs
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Thank you, Victoria.
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neutral |
gutbuster
: Marking time also means занимать выжидательную позицию, which does not imply a step back at all. Выжидательная позиция is a tactical ruse that may be rather profitable.
11 hrs
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Interesting. I wasn't aware of that. Thank you.
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agree |
engltrans
: a step back
12 hrs
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Thank you.
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agree |
Libero_Lang_Lab
15 hrs
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Thank you, Dan.
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agree |
Alexandra Taggart
: I would say "Biding your time..."-? However,this "marching" sounds a bit silly even in Russian.Actually, the phrase itself is about USSR:" Stagnation is a step backwards".
20 hrs
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Thanks, Alexandra. Marking time is literally marching in place. Figuratively, it doen'st quite mean biding one's time, but...doing nothing and making no progress.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Спасибо!"
3 mins
If we don't go ahead, we fall behind
или No advance means lagging behind.
Тут вообще уйма вариантов может быть, сейчас другие подключатся, будет из чего выбирать.
Тут вообще уйма вариантов может быть, сейчас другие подключатся, будет из чего выбирать.
7 mins
If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!
Alice
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Note added at 9 mins (2009-12-12 23:17:22 GMT)
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OR
"Now [, here, you see], it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place"
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Note added at 9 mins (2009-12-12 23:17:22 GMT)
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OR
"Now [, here, you see], it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place"
11 hrs
treading water is the same as step backwards
or simply: treading water means going backwards.
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Note added at 16 hrs (2009-12-13 15:10:08 GMT)
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that should read: treading water is the same as A step backwards
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Note added at 16 hrs (2009-12-13 15:10:08 GMT)
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that should read: treading water is the same as A step backwards
+1
13 hrs
staying in the same place means falling behind
My suggestion for a simple and direct way of saying it. There are some good ideas here already.
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Note added at 1 day13 hrs (2009-12-14 12:44:07 GMT)
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There may be longer and more 'literary' ways of saying it, but perhaps what's needed here is something short and pithy. A more idiomatic way of saying it would be:
Staying put means falling back.
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Note added at 1 day13 hrs (2009-12-14 12:44:07 GMT)
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There may be longer and more 'literary' ways of saying it, but perhaps what's needed here is something short and pithy. A more idiomatic way of saying it would be:
Staying put means falling back.
Discussion
:0))
`A slow sort of country!' said the Queen. `Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!'
Алиса в изумлении огляделась.
- Что это? - спросила она. - Мы так и остались под этим деревом!
Неужели мы не стронулись с места ни на шаг?
- Ну, конечно, нет, - ответила Королева. - А ты чего хотела?
- У нас, - сказала Алиса, с трудом переводя дух, - когда долго бежишь со всех ног, непременно попадешь в другое место.
- Какая медлительная страна! - сказала Королева. - Ну, а здесь, знаешь ли, приходится бежать со всех ног, чтобы только остаться на том же месте! Если же хочешь попасть в другое место, тогда нужно бежать по меньшей мере вдвое быстрее!