Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Russian term or phrase:
хорошего помаленьку
English translation:
(not) too much of a good thing
Added to glossary by
cccp_15
Apr 16, 2010 17:46
14 yrs ago
2 viewers *
Russian term
хорошего помаленьку
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Folklore
хорошего помаленьку - не перевод, а английский эквивалент?
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+1
36 mins
Rachel Douglas
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Excellent English from Russian originals
Native in: English (Variants: British, Australian, US)
Works in: Russian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Selected
(not) too much of a good thing
The phrase "too much of a good thing" goes back to Shakespeare, in As You Like It:
ROSALIND: Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing?
In the negative, as
... not too much of a good thing;
... don't (verb) too much of a good thing,
it more or less matches your Russian.
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Note added at 37 mins (2010-04-16 18:23:48 GMT)
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Oh! Sorry, Mikhail, you answer was not visible when I was posting.
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Note added at 37 mins (2010-04-16 18:24:06 GMT)
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cx. your
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Note added at 3 hrs (2010-04-16 21:36:22 GMT)
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In the case you give here, I would suggest something more neutral: "I don't want to overdo it." That way it could at least possibly be construed as modest.
ROSALIND: Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing?
In the negative, as
... not too much of a good thing;
... don't (verb) too much of a good thing,
it more or less matches your Russian.
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Note added at 37 mins (2010-04-16 18:23:48 GMT)
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Oh! Sorry, Mikhail, you answer was not visible when I was posting.
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Note added at 37 mins (2010-04-16 18:24:06 GMT)
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cx. your
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Note added at 3 hrs (2010-04-16 21:36:22 GMT)
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In the case you give here, I would suggest something more neutral: "I don't want to overdo it." That way it could at least possibly be construed as modest.
Note from asker:
| say, i posted a pic of myself on a website and some people are asking for more. in russian id say - хорошего помаленьку meaning thats it, not posting more cos that would spoil you. so not too much of a good thing would be appropriate here? |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "thank you and thank you all"
24 mins
Too much water drowned the miller
Proverbs are hardly translated word for word. Very often one has to use the method of analogy.
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Note added at 30 mins (2010-04-16 18:16:56 GMT)
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Miller often works with water mill and is very familiar with water. Much water - good milling. But too muuch water - it is flood, so the accident may happen.
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Note added at 30 mins (2010-04-16 18:16:56 GMT)
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Miller often works with water mill and is very familiar with water. Much water - good milling. But too muuch water - it is flood, so the accident may happen.
Example sentence:
Too much good thing is good for nothihg.
Reference:
Note from asker:
| thank you |
+4
33 mins
Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Germany
Native in Russian
Germany
US-educated, precise & thorough
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, Russian
Related KudoZ points
:
8
too much of a good thing
Это действительно не перевод, но поговорка, которая часто встречается в схожих ситуациях.
Note from asker:
| thank you |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Rachel Douglas
4 mins
|
| agree |
Judith Hehir
44 mins
|
| agree |
Olga Derenko
13 hrs
|
| agree |
svetlana cosquéric
1 day 1 hr
|
+1
2 hrs
Maria Fokin
Italy
Italy
Native in Russian
&
English
Italy
MS Geology
Native in: English 
, Russian
Works in: Russian to English, Italian to English, English
good things in moderation
or all good things in moderation
Note from asker:
| thank you |
45 mins
Yevgeniy Sherlaimov
Ukraine
Ukraine
Native in Russian
Ukraine
A trusted party in translation business
Native in: Russian , Ukrainian
Works in: English to Russian, English to Ukrainian, Russian to English, and 1 more.
that would be enough of the treat
Как вариант из определенного контекста.
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Note added at 16 hrs (2010-04-17 10:11:54 GMT)
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В русском языке это выражение используется чаще всего в смысле "достаточно, хватит".
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Note added at 16 hrs (2010-04-17 10:11:54 GMT)
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В русском языке это выражение используется чаще всего в смысле "достаточно, хватит".
Note from asker:
| thank you |
Reference comments
13 hrs
Olga Derenko
Native in Russian
English to Russian/Ukrainian translator
Native in: Ukrainian , Russian
Works in: English to Russian, English to Ukrainian, Russian to English, and 3 more.
Reference:
значение русской пословицы (помаленьку = понемножку)
ХОРОШЕНЬКОГО (хорошего) ПОНЕМНОЖКУ (понемногу). Достаточно, хватит. Говорится тогда, когда считают, что пора прекратить что-л.
...
У Файга с первого числа начинаются какие-то осенние приемные испытания, да и вам с Павликом довольно уже бить баклуши и пора перед новым учебным годом освежить в памяти целый ряд предметов. Одним словом будет! Погуляли — хорошенького понемножку! Катаев, Хуторок в степи.
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Note added at 13 hrs (2010-04-17 07:24:54 GMT)
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Good things come in small packages
Meaning:
The meaning of this proverb is opposite to that of "The bigger, the better." You use this proverb to say that the size of things doesn't always indicate their quality, and small things often have better quality than big ones.
If someone says, "Good things come in small packages," he/she means that something is small, but it has better quality than big ones.
Example:
A: Why did you decide to buy such an important thing from such a small store? They don't have a wide selection of engagement rings.
B: Well, I know big stores offer wider selections, but, I found that store sells only the best products. They never sell second-class products. Good things come in small packages, you know.
http://useit.vn/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78...
...
У Файга с первого числа начинаются какие-то осенние приемные испытания, да и вам с Павликом довольно уже бить баклуши и пора перед новым учебным годом освежить в памяти целый ряд предметов. Одним словом будет! Погуляли — хорошенького понемножку! Катаев, Хуторок в степи.
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Note added at 13 hrs (2010-04-17 07:24:54 GMT)
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Good things come in small packages
Meaning:
The meaning of this proverb is opposite to that of "The bigger, the better." You use this proverb to say that the size of things doesn't always indicate their quality, and small things often have better quality than big ones.
If someone says, "Good things come in small packages," he/she means that something is small, but it has better quality than big ones.
Example:
A: Why did you decide to buy such an important thing from such a small store? They don't have a wide selection of engagement rings.
B: Well, I know big stores offer wider selections, but, I found that store sells only the best products. They never sell second-class products. Good things come in small packages, you know.
http://useit.vn/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78...
Reference:
Note from asker:
| thank you |
Peer comments on this reference comment:
| agree |
Yevgeniy Sherlaimov
: Yup. Check out my version=)
2 hrs
|
Discussion