労力を使いもたもたする

English translation: afford any labor to mess around

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Japanese term or phrase:労力を使いもたもたする
English translation:afford any labor to mess around
Entered by: Su Hong

20:48 Apr 2, 2010
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Management
Japanese term or phrase: 労力を使いもたもたする
意見の摺り合わせに労力を使いもたもたするできない。
It is about Merge and Aqusition.
Su Hong
United States
Local time: 04:38
afford any labor to mess around
Explanation:
Hi Su Hong san,

>>意見を擦り合わせる
Dictionary entry: 摺り合わせ
すりあわせる【摺り合わせる·擦り合わせる】
意見を擦り合わせる iron out differences of opinion.
(研究社新英和中辞典)

>>労力
labor (or effort)

>>もたもたする
Dictionary entry: mess
mess around [about] 《口》 ぶらぶらする, 無為に過ごす; 《口》 ぐずぐず[もたもた]する;
(リーダース英和辞典)

So it is more or less a casual remark about the merger situation stating, "We cannot afford any labor to mess around with differences of opinion trying to iron them out."

For the purpose of more professional and formal presentation, the translation can be paraphrased as:

"We cannot afford any extra time for the labor to iron out all the differences of opinion."

So the translation for the oiginal phrase can be extracted as:

"afford any labor to mess around"

or, more professionally and formally;

" afford any extra time for the labor"

whichever is appropriate to the occasion.

However, I would say, the given context shows extra emotion that enhances the point, "Our timeline is very tight."

I hope this helps you.
Selected response from:

Takeshi Suda
Japan
Grading comment
You explained everything explicitly. Thank you very much for your help.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1expend/waste energy and take time uselessly
Tina Wooden
4afford any labor to mess around
Takeshi Suda
3wasting a lot of energy and making little progress...
Joyce A
1get nowhere fast using a lot of energy
cinefil


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
get nowhere fast using a lot of energy


Explanation:
an idea

cinefil
Japan
Local time: 17:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 16
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
expend/waste energy and take time uselessly


Explanation:
意見の摺り合わせに労力を使いもたもたする<ことしか>できない。
... <can only> waste time and energy trying to reach a concensus.

If that is what is missing.

PS: Merge and Aqu<i>sition.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2010-04-03 02:21:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Okay, you mean <ことは>できない。 In which case it should be:

(We) can't just waste time and energy trying to reach a consensus.

I misspelled that with a "c" before, but it should be "s".

Tina Wooden
United States
Local time: 04:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in JapaneseJapanese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yohei Nakamitsu: I agree with the latter example, "(We) can't just waste time and energy trying to reach a consensus."
13 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
wasting a lot of energy and making little progress...


Explanation:
もたもたする in my Shougakukan dictionary has example sentences such as:
交渉がもたもたしている =The negotiations have made little progress/ The negotiations have not gotten very far.




Joyce A
Thailand
Local time: 15:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
afford any labor to mess around


Explanation:
Hi Su Hong san,

>>意見を擦り合わせる
Dictionary entry: 摺り合わせ
すりあわせる【摺り合わせる·擦り合わせる】
意見を擦り合わせる iron out differences of opinion.
(研究社新英和中辞典)

>>労力
labor (or effort)

>>もたもたする
Dictionary entry: mess
mess around [about] 《口》 ぶらぶらする, 無為に過ごす; 《口》 ぐずぐず[もたもた]する;
(リーダース英和辞典)

So it is more or less a casual remark about the merger situation stating, "We cannot afford any labor to mess around with differences of opinion trying to iron them out."

For the purpose of more professional and formal presentation, the translation can be paraphrased as:

"We cannot afford any extra time for the labor to iron out all the differences of opinion."

So the translation for the oiginal phrase can be extracted as:

"afford any labor to mess around"

or, more professionally and formally;

" afford any extra time for the labor"

whichever is appropriate to the occasion.

However, I would say, the given context shows extra emotion that enhances the point, "Our timeline is very tight."

I hope this helps you.

Takeshi Suda
Japan
Native speaker of: Japanese
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
You explained everything explicitly. Thank you very much for your help.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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