a stitch in time saves nine
How does this work out in spanish ? Thanks
14 Answers
Hi Motley
Will you please stop finding these interesting little sites.
My favourites box is overflowing.
mira aquí
<http://spanish.about.com/library/weekly/aa031901a.htm'p=1>
What about that children's poem, "For want of a nail, the shoe was lost / For want of the shoe the horse was lost" . . . and finally, of course, the kingdom is lost. Is there a Spanish equivalent for that'
Why do you not think that "Más vale prevenir que lamentar" is equivalent to the stitch saying? As you said, making a prompt stitch saves you from having to make more later, in which case you would regret not having done it sooner. So to me, the Spanish saying conveys the idea very well. They aren't identical, but would seemingly be used in the same situation, i.e., advising someone to do something now rather than later.
If you regard your saying as being quite different from "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", then my translation is not the one you're looking for. Otherwise, it is reasonably close, I think.
There was another discussion about this Spanish saying. I remember seeing it. I bet if you search for "de prisa" it will come up.
I'm aware of this. But also feel that we are not getting to the spirit of a "stitch in time saves nine."
Ira, Lazarus was just giving a separate example of a saying that can be cleverly worded, without resorting to literal translation. He wasn't referring to the stitch saying.
I don't think the issue is speed equaling waste ( we have "haste makes waste) but one of checking work over , doing timely repairs. The stitch is needed, there is a rip: take the time now and not need more later. Ira
Yes.
I don't understand. Is the verb vestir? "Dress me slowly, I'm in a hurry"'
There are sometimes ingenious ways of translating these sayings without using word-by-word versions. For example:
More haste, less speed = Vísteme despacio, que tengo prisa
Nice. That is similar to another English saying, which is synonymous with the one above: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
This is an equivalent saying, and not literal translation:
Más vale prevenir que lamentar.
