"Be not afraid of going slowly," Translation exercise, all levels.

Question

No tenga miedo de ir lentamente, solo tener miedo de parado quieto.

Be not afraid of going slowly , be afraid only of standing still.

Correct my sentence please. How relevant is this in your life, and does it hold water ?

Hold water? only if it is a bucket mate :) - ian-hill, Aug 3, 2012

Hi Ian , I try to use expressions like that to teach the Spanish speakers how we use them - ray76, Aug 3, 2012

Ian , I just realised maybe you English types do not use that expression , do you ? - ray76, Aug 3, 2012

Oh yes we do my old cobber :) - ian-hill, Aug 3, 2012

I'm going to add that expression to my list. Perhaps in twenty years it will become very popular. - viejito, Aug 3, 2012

good o, you had me worried for a moment , are you still scooping the pool of gold medals ? - ray76, Aug 3, 2012

Good idea veijito, so where do you live then ? - ray76, Aug 3, 2012

not doing so badly just now Ray. - ian-hill, Aug 3, 2012

Just watched an amazing saling contest - our guy stopped whlle leading to put "bad" wind on a Danish sailor so that teh Dutch sailor could over take the Danish one. - ian-hill, Aug 3, 2012

Now all he has to worry about is finishing in front of the Dane in the next race to win the Gold. - ian-hill, Aug 3, 2012

Answer 1

Instead, I suggest a better translation would be: Don't be afraid of... "Be not.." has an aphoristic, even biblical (Beatitudes anyone?) tone that works fine in writing - if a bit brittle - but not well in speech.

As for whether it holds water, I'm not only not afraid of standing still, but believe that the clearest way to see oneself is by 'standing still', assuming your breathing.

Thanks for the opportunity to respond.

¡Hola yahvey! ¡Yes s s s s amigo! Estoy de acuerdo. - 0095ca4c, Aug 3, 2012

Good thoughts Yahvey! - pmikan-pam, Aug 3, 2012

Thanks yawey , I think that perhaps the use of "be " is to get away from it being a command , "be not afraid" , is more a suggestion , the second part means more , not to mentally stagnate, that is my interpretation , could be wrong. - ray76, Aug 3, 2012

Thanks for the feedback. I see what you are saying Ray, there is a gentle, fatherly tone 'Be not afraid' but of course we wouldn't use it in speaking English, unless it were a period piece or something.. - yahvey_hoffman, Aug 3, 2012

Answer 2

Hola amigo, I agree with the first part of your quote

"be not afraid of going slowly."

In my world, that phrase is very relevant.

But, I don't agree with the next part

"be afraid only of standing still".

I think sometimes along the way, it's a good idea to stop and re-evaluate the path you have chosen (just to make sure). Have you ever tried to smell the roses while you were moving? It's an impossible task (and you might scratch your nose). Stop once in a while and enjoy their fragrance. The rest of the journey will be much more enjoyable and there will be pleasant memories to recall when the path gets a little rough. These are just my personal thoughts I thought I would share. Happy travels everyone!

Good thoughts Margherite, and sometime we are forced to stand still. But I wonder when we are on the journey if we really stand still. There are times when I think I am not going anywhere to look back and realize that indeed I was making progress. - pmikan-pam, Aug 3, 2012

I guess that it means more in the context of not progressing rather than physically staying still. But gives one pause Margherita, thanks . - ray76, Aug 3, 2012

I agree Ray and pam. Contemplation and re-evaluation are not physical stops for sure. I used the roses as an example of the 'good' that is all around us on our travel through life. Sometimes we miss it as we rush onwards. - 0095ca4c, Aug 3, 2012

Muy bien Margherite - - pmikan-pam, Aug 3, 2012

Answer 3

Good one Ray, but so true, the Sherpa Indians, have a special way of taking tiny steps when they get tired, they keep moving and they eventually get to their destination. I have done this and it really works. This is an analogy. The longest journey is the journey inward.

Hi Pam , do you mean the Sherpas from "Nepal " ? - ray76, Aug 3, 2012

Yes. - pmikan-pam, Aug 3, 2012

Very well put,pmikan, and useful. :) - viejito, Aug 3, 2012

Muchas gracias Viejito - - pmikan-pam, Aug 3, 2012

Even the longest journey starts with the first step. - ian-hill, Aug 3, 2012

So true Ian, and every day that step leads to progress. - pmikan-pam, Aug 3, 2012

Answer 4

During my very early years of employment I briefly taught the arts. Life was such a race for me. I use to tell my students, “Take your time. It’s not who gets through the test first that counts, but rather who does the better job.” If only I had listened to those sage words. Lol Thanks for the great moment you provided us, ray76. ? Viejito

You are welcome mate . I think that we all rushed through our early years only to realise one day that we are all traveling on the same craft. - ray76, Aug 3, 2012

I realised that I rarely did what I told my students to do - - ian-hill, Aug 3, 2012

Human nature, do as I say, don't do as I do! :-) - pmikan-pam, Aug 3, 2012