Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Greek term or phrase:
'Οπου φτωχός κι η μοίρα του
English translation:
Misfortunes never come singly
Added to glossary by
Nick Lingris
Apr 29, 2005 00:16
19 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Greek term
United Kingdom
The word is my oyster
Native in: Greek 
Works in: English to Greek, Greek to English, Greek
'Οπου φτωχός κι η μοίρα του
Greek to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Proverbs
I don't believe there's an English equivalent. A literal translation could be "Misfortune never leaves the side of a poor man" or "Misfortune dogs him who is down". Two alternatives found in Google are: "No poor man is
relieved of his misfortune" and "A poor man's lot never improves". Any brilliant ideas? Take your time.
misfortune dogs him who is down
relieved of his misfortune" and "A poor man's lot never improves". Any brilliant ideas? Take your time.
misfortune dogs him who is down
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | misfortunes never come singly |
flipendo
|
| 3 +4 | Once poor always poor |
x-Translator (X)
|
| 1 +4 | Poor in money, but rich in trouble |
Andras Mohay (X)
|
| 4 | A poor man's lot is tough |
Nadia-Anastasia Fahmi
|
Proposed translations
+1
3 hrs
Greek term (edited):
'��� ��� �� � ����� ��
Selected
misfortunes never come singly
All from Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs:
It never rains but it pours, or
If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong,
or
Bad things come in threes, or
Misery loves company,
To tell you the truth the proverb in greek does not necessarily have to do with poverty, but with misfortune in general.
Hope I helped
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Note added at 9 days (2005-05-08 16:58:56 GMT) Post-grading
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Σας ευχαριστώ πολύ για την τιμή που μου κάνατε Κύριε Νίκο! Η αλήθεια είναι ότι λίγο-πολύ όλα όσα πρότειναν οι συνάδελφοι ταιριάζουν.
It never rains but it pours, or
If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong,
or
Bad things come in threes, or
Misery loves company,
To tell you the truth the proverb in greek does not necessarily have to do with poverty, but with misfortune in general.
Hope I helped
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 days (2005-05-08 16:58:56 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Σας ευχαριστώ πολύ για την τιμή που μου κάνατε Κύριε Νίκο! Η αλήθεια είναι ότι λίγο-πολύ όλα όσα πρότειναν οι συνάδελφοι ταιριάζουν.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Σας ευχαριστώ όλους για τη συμβολή σας. Προβληματίστηκα ποιο να διαλέξω, μια και συμφωνώ με τα περισσότερα από τα επιχειρήματά σας. Κατέληξα στο “Misfortunes never come singly” (κι ας αντιστοιχεί στο «Ενός κακού μύρια έπονται»), ίσως και στην καθυστερημένη δική μου σκέψη “The sun never shines on the poor” (κι ας αντιστοιχεί, όπως επεσήμανε ο Andras, σε κάποιους φτωχούς που «δεν έχουν στον ήλιο μοίρα»), για μοναδικό λόγο ότι στα περισσότερα αν όχι σε όλα τα παραδείγματα που βρήκα, ταιριάζουν το ένα ή το άλλο απ’ αυτά. Οφείλω ωστόσο να «ανταμείψω» και την Estelle και γιατί πρώτευσε στις ψήφους και γιατί συνδυάζει τους φτωχούς με μια συνηθισμένη παροιμία. Προσωρινό συμπέρασμα: ακριβές αντίστοιχο δεν υπάρχει."
5 hrs
Nadia-Anastasia Fahmi
Greece
Greece
Native in Greek
&
English
Greece
Quality Results & Respect of Deadlines
Native in: Greek (Variant: Modern) 
, English (Variants: UK, US)
Works in: English to Greek, Greek to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Greek term (edited):
'��� ��� �� � ����� ��
A poor man's lot is tough
Another alternative, based on the meaning of the proverb and when it is used.
+4
12 hrs
Greek term (edited):
'��� ��� �� � ����� ��
Poor in money, but rich in trouble
Απλή ιδέα για ton εμπλουτισμό του προβληματισμού.
„Poor in money, but/and rich in X” (όπου Χ = time, love, happiness κ.ο.κ.) συνηθίζεται πολύ και rich in trouble(s) επίσης.
Η μόνη γλώσσα στην οποία γνωρίζω παρόμοια παροιμία είναι τα Ουγγρικά και ο/η flipendo έχει δίκιο ότι η παροιμία αναφέρεται μάλλον στην ατυχία (και στα Ουγγρικά, όπου λέμε «τον φτωχό τον τραβάνε ως και τα κλαριά»).
Η ελληνική παροιμία παρουσιάζει ενδιαφέρον, διότι στις γλώσσες της Κεντρικής και Δυτικής Ευρώπης «φτωχός» έχει 2 υποσημασίες που δεν έχει στα Ελληνικά (αν εξαιρέσουμε κλισέ του 19ου αι. όπως «πτωχός διάβολος» που μυρίζουν μεταφρασίλα):
[1] καημένος (αναξιοπαθών)
[2] μακαρίτης (μεταστάς)
Η παροιμία αυτή αποτελεί εξαίρεση.
... She was poor in money, but rich in time. Miserly Meals Overcoming food and money shortages. Moth Invasion A non-toxic solution for a home with little ...
www.stretcher.com/index.cfm
... Paroled for a crime she doesn't regret committing, ex-con turned paparazza Nina Zero is poor in friends, family, and money, but rich in trouble. ...
mostlyfiction.com/sleuths_pb.htm
... Poor in days and rich in trouble; He cometh forth like a flower and fadeth, He fleeth as a shadow and abideth not. ...
www.harvestfields.ca/etexts1/01/54/03.htm
... Orestes : There's not much to spare - but I'm rich in troubles, thanks to the god. Menelaus : What's wrong with you? Has your condition been diagnosed? ...
www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~loxias/orestes.htm
„Poor in money, but/and rich in X” (όπου Χ = time, love, happiness κ.ο.κ.) συνηθίζεται πολύ και rich in trouble(s) επίσης.
Η μόνη γλώσσα στην οποία γνωρίζω παρόμοια παροιμία είναι τα Ουγγρικά και ο/η flipendo έχει δίκιο ότι η παροιμία αναφέρεται μάλλον στην ατυχία (και στα Ουγγρικά, όπου λέμε «τον φτωχό τον τραβάνε ως και τα κλαριά»).
Η ελληνική παροιμία παρουσιάζει ενδιαφέρον, διότι στις γλώσσες της Κεντρικής και Δυτικής Ευρώπης «φτωχός» έχει 2 υποσημασίες που δεν έχει στα Ελληνικά (αν εξαιρέσουμε κλισέ του 19ου αι. όπως «πτωχός διάβολος» που μυρίζουν μεταφρασίλα):
[1] καημένος (αναξιοπαθών)
[2] μακαρίτης (μεταστάς)
Η παροιμία αυτή αποτελεί εξαίρεση.
... She was poor in money, but rich in time. Miserly Meals Overcoming food and money shortages. Moth Invasion A non-toxic solution for a home with little ...
www.stretcher.com/index.cfm
... Paroled for a crime she doesn't regret committing, ex-con turned paparazza Nina Zero is poor in friends, family, and money, but rich in trouble. ...
mostlyfiction.com/sleuths_pb.htm
... Poor in days and rich in trouble; He cometh forth like a flower and fadeth, He fleeth as a shadow and abideth not. ...
www.harvestfields.ca/etexts1/01/54/03.htm
... Orestes : There's not much to spare - but I'm rich in troubles, thanks to the god. Menelaus : What's wrong with you? Has your condition been diagnosed? ...
www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~loxias/orestes.htm
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Vicky Papaprodromou
2 hrs
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Asν es cuando sσlo miramos el diccionario y no el contexto. "Literatura" es muchas cosas en muchos contextos.
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| agree |
Valentini Mellas
7 hrs
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| agree |
Assimina Vavoula
6 days
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| agree |
Maria Ferstl
11 days
|
+4
1 hr
Greek term (edited):
'��� ��� �� � ����� ��
Once poor always poor
Although not the exact equivalent, I think it's the closest you can get if you wish to keep the word "poor" in the phrase AND use an expression that all English speakers will understand (and would actually use).
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Note added at 17 hrs 10 mins (2005-04-29 17:27:04 GMT)
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I just thought of this proverb that is used quite a lot here in the States (not sure about Britain though):
\"A poor man is always behind\"
www.countrylinks.biz/freeware/united_states.html
www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/tustumena/ cowans/Reading/ProverbsMP.htm
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs 10 mins (2005-04-29 17:27:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I just thought of this proverb that is used quite a lot here in the States (not sure about Britain though):
\"A poor man is always behind\"
www.countrylinks.biz/freeware/united_states.html
www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/tustumena/ cowans/Reading/ProverbsMP.htm
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Lamprini Kosma
15 hrs
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grazie, Lamprini!
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| agree |
Evdoxia R. (X)
5 days
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thanks, Evdoxia!
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| agree |
Vicky Papaprodromou
7 days
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thanks, Vicky!
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| agree |
Assimina Vavoula
12 days
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Discussion
So I hit on another idea, the title of an old ballad, "The sun never shines on the poor". Which also seems to fit well in most examples. Do you think this is an interesting tack?
�����������: ��� ���������� ���� ������ ������� ��� ����� ������ ������� ��� ����: ���� �� ��� �� ��� ��� ������ �������� ��� ��� �� � ����� ��.
����-���������: ��� ��� �� � ����� ��: ��� ���� ���� �� �������, �� ������ ��� ������� ��� ���������� �������� ������������ �� ������������ �� �������� �� ����� �� �������...
MEN MAGAZINE: ...� �������� �� ������� ��� ������ ��� ��� ��� �� � ����� �� ������� ��� ��������...
������������ (31/1/2002): ...��� ������� ���������� �� ������ ����� �� �� ������ ������ ��������. ��� ����� ��� 1.100 ������ ��� ���� �����. ��� ��� �� � ����� ��.
This all seems to agree with the "misfortune heaped upon misfortune" theory.