Sep 12, 2005 10:59
19 yrs ago
20 viewers *
French term

Qui peut le plus peut le moins

French to English Other Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Any ideas of how to translate this saying, which appears as a heading in a document.

Proposed translations

+1
14 mins
Selected

he who can do more can do less

apparently it exists but there must be something better!
Peer comment(s):

agree JCEC : http://trc.ucdavis.edu/french/Proverbs.html
2 hrs
that said, the French expression is common and I've never heard anyone use the English
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I've decided to opt for the safest suggestion. Many thanks to all"
49 mins

(Doing) less is also an option

One (not exactly awesome, I admit) possibility to express the general idea behind it.

I often find that with headings and titles, a good approach is to translate the section in question, and *then* decide what the title should be. What is the thrust of your text here? How would *you* entitle it if you were writing it directly in English? This is especially true with idomatic headings (like all those ones based on "xxx peut en cacher un autre"!). You may want to include one or two of the key notions from the idiom in question (in your case, some reference to either 'less' or 'more' might be appropriate), but (in this case) the heading (probably) really only serves to attract interest, to make sure that people read the text; it (probably) doesn't contain any actual "information" for the target readership, as such, so you can be a bit free with it, IMHO.
Peer comment(s):

agree Sara Freitas : agree wholeheartedly with your comments...I'd translate the section then come up with something catchy.
3 hrs
disagree jan24 : No. This is a completely different phrase with unrelated meaning.
2150 days
I'm not unduly concerned; it's only there because we're not supposed to put "see below" as the headline answer. The explanation makes my position clear. Clearer than your profile, anyway. I look forward to your sparkling future contributions.
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-1
1 hr

in for a penny, in for a pound (see link)

this is the most accurate idiom I know for this expression; Maybe it would be better to change the order: in for a pound, in for a penny. Good Luck!
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/in-for-a-penny,...
Peer comment(s):

neutral JCEC : Totally different menaning
40 mins
disagree jan24 : No. This is a completely different phrase with unrelated meaning.
2150 days
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19 hrs

He who can do the most can (also) do the least

... in the Agency's view a more detailed legal examination of the legislation, including
the principle of "he who can do the most can also do the least", leads to ...
www.itst.dk/static/publikationer-uk/annual_report_2002/bila...

He who can do the most can also do the least. [English]. Senator Nolin: Honourable
senators, does the Leader of the Government think the group in front of ...
www.parl.gc.ca/37/2/parlbus/chambus/senate/deb-e/066db_2003...

... an application to our field of the legal precept that ‘he who can do the most can do the least’, ...
eseries.ipa.org.uk/prev/newsletter/98-1/castro.htm -

He who can do the most can do the least.
lugansky.homestead.com/files/Concert_13_01_00.htm

Peer comment(s):

neutral Richard Benham : Hello Michele. I must say I am underwhelmed by the authority of your examples: one from Denmark, one from Canada (translated from French?), and two acknowledged translations...?
7 hrs
Thanks. There is, I believe, a legal precept to this effect, and I'm not sure of the exact wording in English. (I think a Latin phrase may be commonly used).
neutral jan24 : The sense is broadly correct, but this is not idomatic and would not be understood easily by a native British English speaker.
2149 days
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2150 days

-

This is a French proverb with the meaning that someone who can perform and difficult or complicated task can all the more be expected to perform an easy or simple task. I don't know of any phrase or proverb in English with a similar meaning. I would suggest coming up with a new title, based on the content of the section, as someone else suggested.
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5743 days

If you can move mountains, you can move molehills

Although it's not a very current phrase as I don't believe we really use an equivalent in English, I feel like "if you can move mountains, you can move molehills" is definitely the closest, clearest translation for this.
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