Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Russian term or phrase:
дело отцов не прошло даром
English translation:
the work of the fathers was not wasted
Russian term
United States
20 years of experience, certified, ATA
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
Works in: German to English, Russian to English, English
дело отцов не прошло даром
Текст описывает ситуации в автосалоне:
от пробной поездки я отказался , т.к. у меня не было с собой прав, мы с ним разговаривали как единомышленники. И он и я просто в восхищении от данной марки, много знаем о ее истории, очень рады, что владеет ей прямой потомок- ***дело отцов не прошло даром.*** Я с ним настолько чувствовал себя комфортно, как будто мы с ним знаем друг друга уже давно...
Спасибо за помощи.
Proposed translations
Ukraine
Life Sciences Translator and Editor
Native in: Russian (Variant: Standard-Russia) , Ukrainian (Variant: Standard-Ukraine)
Works in: English to Russian, English to Ukrainian, Russian to English, and 4 more.
the work of the fathers was not wasted
United States
Excellent English from Russian originals
Native in: English (Variants: British, Australian, US)
Works in: Russian to English
his forebears' labor was not in vain.
I suppose the thing here is to make it sound a bit incongruously lofty, and also that it's likely talking about more than one generation, or a couple of generations back, and about a single descendant - all of which make "fathers" of "father's" problematic in English.
... his forebears' labor was not in vain.
... the labor of his forebears was not in vain.
ancestors? - too distant
predecessors? - doesn't emphasize the blood relationship
Russian Federation
Legal & Financial since 1999
Native in: Russian
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian
fathers' work was not for nothing
the fathers' cause lives on
| agree |
Alex Marshall
: sounds just about right, better than other versions
8 hrs
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| agree |
Zahar Fialkovsky
: Присоединяюсь, хотя можно чтоо-нить вроде the fathers' business is in good hands. Но вообще выражение оригинала звучит как уродство, комбинация двух совершенно разных фразеологизмов: "дело отцов живет" и "это не пройдет даром" (в смысле безнаказанно).
2 days 7 mins
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Moldova
Eng to Rus/Rom interpreter/translator
Native in: Russian 
, Romanian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, German to Russian, and 1 more.
efforts have not been wasted
Russian Federation
proficient translation
Native in: English , Russian
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, English
Discussion