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ovum/ovule
Sep 19, 2006 07:46
18 yrs ago
English term

phrase

English Law/Patents Law (general)
Please help me in construction of a phrase. I do not know how to express it in English

Two families were in a very close relationship and one member of one family says about the children of another family: "The children grew up in my hands" - this is a word for word translation and I am not sure that it sounds well in English. The meaning is: "I have an impact in bringing up the children". Please help me to express this correctly.

Thanks in advance.
Responses
4 +4 I played a large part in the children's upbringing / in bringing up the children
3 +4 I was like a father/mother to them.
5 The children were brought up under my care
4 I had a hand in bringing up their children
4 I raised the children as if they were my own
3 as if they were of my own blood
2 +1 The children were brought up with me
3 were raised in my lap

Discussion

Maya Gorgoshidze (asker) Sep 20, 2006:
Thank you, Rita, for your note, but this person is not "guardian", i.e. he does not have any legal rights yet. This is the main problem. Thanks anyway :)
RHELLER Sep 19, 2006:
the truly legal term is "guardian", describing the person who is legally responsible for making all decisions that impact the child
Non-ProZ.com Sep 19, 2006:
I think it simply means that the two families were so close that he merely "had a hand in" their upbringing. This person is not a blood relative, but was very close to the family. He tries to gain rights to help the children.
Tony M Sep 19, 2006:
...or in fact if it simply means that the two families were so close that he merely "had a hand in" their upbringing. This point is dividing the answers into 2 broad camps!
Tony M Sep 19, 2006:
Maya, what is still not clear is whether your "in my hands" seeks to imply that this man actually did bring up these children (i.e. in place of their own parents), ...
Maya Gorgoshidze (asker) Sep 19, 2006:
This phrase refers only to the period before the death of the parents. The person sent the children abroad as soon as their parents were dead, because the situation was very dangerous for them.
Maya Gorgoshidze (asker) Sep 19, 2006:
Clarification: This person promised to the father of the children that in case of problems he would take care of his children. The parents of the children died and the person sent the children abroad, because he thought this was the best way for them to survive. After the problems were settled, the children desired to return home, to their motherland, and this person tries his best to help them.

The text is legal and every word in it is important.

Responses

+4
20 mins
English term (edited): "The children grew up in my hands"
Selected

I played a large part in the children's upbringing / in bringing up the children

or: I had a significant influence in the children's upbringing

or stronger still, if the person really did do MOST of the bringing up:

I brought them up as if they were my own.

(but that's beginning to turn the meaning in a different direction...)

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Note added at 45 mins (2006-09-19 08:31:42 GMT)
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Ah, in that case, you might need to go for soemthing like "I have looked after these children as if they were my own"

You don't make it clear if this phrase refers only to the period before the regrettable death of the birth parents, or the period afterwards, or to both... It could make quite a difference.

For ex.

"While their parents were still alive, our families were very close, and their children were brought up alongside my own"

or

"Since their parents died, I have been taking care of these children as if they were my own"

or

"I have always played a large part in the children's upbringing, both when their parents were alive and especially since their deaths"

You see what I'm getting at?
Peer comment(s):
agree David Moore (X) : Not unjustified, if you think about it; the two answers Jack gives are poles apart, aren't they...
10 mins
Thanks, David! I didn't feel that, personally, but then the interpretation could be pretty wide too.
agree Joe L
21 mins
Thanks, Joe! (for BOTH your comments!)
agree Dave Calderhead
47 mins
Thanks, Dave!
agree RHELLER : great options (I also thought of "at my house")
13 hrs
Thanks a lot, Rita! Yes, depending on circumstances, that could work too, couldn't it?
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks to everybody for your help :-)"
25 mins
English term (edited): the children grew up on my hands

I had a hand in bringing up their children

IMHO simple good old- fashioned English

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Note added at 32 mins (2006-09-19 08:19:03 GMT)
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or

I have a hand in bringing up their children

if it is ongoing as in 'Ihave an impact' ?
Something went wrong...
+4
32 mins

I was like a father/mother to them.

Another possiblity -- it means the relationship between the speaker and the children was practically the same as between the speaker and his or her own children.


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Note added at 54 mins (2006-09-19 08:40:44 GMT)
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In response to the asker's added information: perhaps what you want is 'I acted as a guardian of the children' or 'I was responsible for taking care of the children'.
Peer comment(s):
agree Tony M : Certainly in an informal context, this would be a much nicer way of putting it!
7 mins
agree Robert Fox : 'I acted as the children's guardian' is the best 'legal' phrase, but without the register of the text it is hard to know if this is over-formal. Sorry that should be - childrens'
35 mins
Agree with your comments. We're playing a bit of blind man's buff with this question...
agree NancyLynn
4 hrs
agree Alfa Trans (X)
6 hrs
Something went wrong...
11 mins

as if they were of my own blood

I love them just as much as if they were of my own blood. I make no differentation between them and by blood family, but my sister, and a few other members ...
forums.livingwithstyle.com/archive/ index.php/help-my-sister-t169164p1.html

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Note added at 15 mins (2006-09-19 08:01:34 GMT)
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they grew up with my children / were brought up by me etc... as if they were of my own blood...

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Note added at 33 mins (2006-09-19 08:19:38 GMT)
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i think that the asker is after a more emotional sentence than yours, dusty.
in my hands - is emotionally charged...



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Note added at 43 mins (2006-09-19 08:29:46 GMT)
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and that's all the context that we have apart from the fact that the subject is 'law', but then emotionally charged statements never went amiss when uttered in front of judges or decision makers as those are also humans at the end of the day.

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Note added at 1 hr (2006-09-19 08:51:37 GMT)
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dusty, i am glad that you are shifting closer to my suggestion (offered 9 min earlier than yours) in your explanations.

why would one want to under-interprete the emotionally charged 'in my hands'?

compare:

sb died in my hands
i was there when sb died.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Tony M : Over-interpreting a bit outside the given context, and as I've said about my own, similar suggestion, perhaps turning the meaning slightly away from the original sense.
13 mins
Something went wrong...
1 hr

The children were brought up under my care

de ma main...
Peer comment(s):
neutral Tony M : Don't you think this is over-interpreting, Z.? We don't know for sure, do we, that he did ACTUALLY bring them up (instead of their parents)...
23 mins
I was thinking this would work even if the person doing the bringing up was not hte parent, but had influence over them. You're probably right.
Something went wrong...
1 hr

I raised the children as if they were my own

This is more dramatic and possibly 'defensive'. Not sure if that's what you're looking for.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Tony M : There's nothing in the given context to say that this person actually went as far as 'bringing up/raising' these children / Please don't be sorry! :-)
11 mins
You're right, sorry
Something went wrong...
+1
7 mins

The children were brought up with me

Or "I helped bring up the children" or "I helped with the children's upbringing"
if the person concered was not fully responsible.

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Note added at 1 hr (2006-09-19 09:21:03 GMT)
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Meant to say "The children were brought up BY me", but this is now obviously incorrect anyway in view of the asker's explanations.
Peer comment(s):
agree Tony M : Jack, not quite so comfortable with "brought up with me" as the others...
14 mins
No, nor am I; it's a typo. I meant to say BY me, but in view of the asker's later explanation, this is not correct.
agree Joe L : With Tony.
17 mins
Thank you. See above response to Tony.
disagree David Moore (X) : IMO, neither of Maya's explanations suggests your top posting.
23 mins
True. I'm leaving this open as I still thnk my second suggestion is valid.
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

were raised in my lap

"I know that your daughter, whom I have raised in my lap, and whose transcendent qualities I appreciate as they deserve, would be the best of wives, ...

penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/
Peer comment(s):
neutral NancyLynn : this is no more idiomatic than the source text, Alexander
1 hr
Thanks, you are probably right. There aren't too many hits on the phrase. However, I think the meaning would be readily understandable by any reader.
Something went wrong...
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