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.
Cookie settings
Objekterkundung
Fremderzeugnisse
Feb 5, 2008 12:12
16 yrs ago
5 viewers *
German term

Einen Vorsprung im Leben hat, wer da anpackt, wo die anderen erst einmal reden

German to English Art/Literary Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
This quote is attributed to John F. Kennedy. I have searched and searched but can't find the original for this. Can anybody help?

Many thanks in advance.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +3 "Those who act while others are still talking are a great step ahead in life."
3 +3 Actions speak louder than words
3 -2 Change is the law of life. And those who look only to...
Change log

Feb 6, 2008 11:13: Steffen Walter changed "Field (specific)" from "Government / Politics" to "Idioms / Maxims / Sayings"

Discussion

Nesrin Feb 5, 2008:
I wanted to make the same comment earlier, Ken! It probably starts off with a single German site attributing a "quote" to some famous personality. I've seen that a few times on Kudoz, and I'm only an infrequent visitor of the German/English pages!
Ken Cox Feb 5, 2008:
... alleged source of the quotation is sufficiently famous (Mark Twain is a popular name, and JFK would certainly do nicely). IMO a quotation without a source citation should be treated with caution, even aside from the vagaries of (back) translation.
Ken Cox Feb 5, 2008:
FWIW, there have been quite a few 'quotations from famous people' questions asked already on Kudoz, and my impression is that Germans have such an appetite for quotations that they happily accept all sorts of apocryphal 'quotations' as long as the

Proposed translations

+3
1 hr
Selected

"Those who act while others are still talking are a great step ahead in life."

I suspect this might be the original, but unfortunately it is also used a s a quote and there is no reference to the author
Reference:

http://www.buefa.de/buefa/intranet/buefa_icmfl_en.nsf/(Allcontents)/830BUeFAChemicals_004Contact_000CarstenMeyer?OpenDocument&area=Chemikali

Peer comment(s):
agree Derek Gill Franßen : That fits the German phrase perfectly... it is not, however, among the 'standard' 100 or so quotes attributed to JFK. ;)
1 hr
agree Nesrin
2 hrs
agree Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks to all who contributed to this! Points to sappho as this was closest to what I ended up using."
+3
11 mins

Actions speak louder than words



I'm not claiming this as the original, but it gets the essence across - by the way, wasn't it JFK who said "I am a doughnut"?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2008-02-05 12:25:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It may even have been "I am a donut"....(Berliner)
Peer comment(s):
agree Ingeborg Gowans (X) : It would certainly get the point across; couldn't find the 'original' quote either; however, I was physically present in Berlin when Kennedy uttered his famous words; Ich bin ein Berliner"
44 mins
agree babli : I also agree with this comment
2 hrs
agree gangels (X)
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
-2
41 mins

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to...

the past or the present are certain to miss the future

Nur ein Vorschlag
Peer comment(s):
disagree Evi Wollinger : this changes the meaning in my opinion
27 mins
it was only one possibility, since there is no context
disagree Aniello Scognamiglio (X) : different meaning! It is not a possibility at all!
2 hrs
as mentioned before: one possibility out of JFKs actual quotes
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search