3 ms·

How about "He who travels gets there."

• DenisM 16y ago
  Sadly, not the same. A more literal translation is "the road will be overcome by the walker". There is a sense of a struggle in it, but also a sense of an achievement in the end. And the walker is he who walks rather than stand still, that is he who exerts effort towards the goal. You suggestion does not deliver the same emotional load for me. The phrase itself is a grossly inaccurate translation of a biblical verse into Russian, and using the original is not much help either.
  • MrRumblefish 16y ago
    I personally prefer the more literal translation. I think it keeps the sense of a struggle and achievement as you described.
    • DenisM 16y ago
      But is it good English? I'm not a native speaker, but it does sound somewhat unnatural.
      • MrRumblefish 16y ago
        I agree that it does sound unnatural but I still would say it conveys the meaning better. The more correct version you wrote seems to loose the idea of struggle (to me at least).
        • DenisM 16y ago
          It also occurred to me just now that original phrase presents the road from two different points of view: it is an obstacle, as its length separates you from your goal, but it is also the means to reach your goal. Does this make sense?
        • 2mur 16y ago
          It seems awkward to me, probably because I have been taught to despise the passive voice in writing. I prefer 'The walker overcomes the road' which feels more better :)
  • T_S_ 16y ago
    If you can't reproduce the equivalent emotional load in English, it's probably because this particular phrase is not part of the culture. You can simulate it, much like Tolkien might, by choosing words that are more likely to resonate with an English speaker. For example, the word "walker" is not going to cut it, and "pedestrian" would be worse. Your explantation is helpful. So you could try variations like "The traveler will beat the path." Or wait for the Russian module of WordLens :-).