Maria Kaverina Mar 8, 2017:

sorry, but I am still not convinced:-). As repeatedly said here earlier, 2 translators - five translations or something like that:)

JW Narins Mar 7, 2017:

Maria, unfortunately the phrase just does not mean that they're looking on the bright side. It means they'd welcome more. If you want to say they're looking on the bright side (and that's exactly what the text says, you're right), this phrase doesn't work. It's attractive because it's kind of close and it's certainly the only actual idiom here - the rhyming phrases are pseudo-idioms that no one would ever use. This is a real idiom and it IS used - but the meaning is simply different.

Maria Kaverina Mar 7, 2017:

Imho the more the merrier is a good idiom here Perhaps they don't want more people but they are trying to be optimistic by looking on the bright side, trying to ignore the cramped conditions and thus emphasising the more the merrier

JW Narins Mar 7, 2017:

Definitely not "the more, the merrier" Your text does NOT mean that they WANT more people - and that's what "the more, the merrier" means. It's a phrase meaning: are you sure you want another person here? Is there room, would I be intruding? Answer: no problem, come on over - the more, the merrier! It's wrong here not simply stylistically, but semantically.