Glossary entry

Italian term or phrase:

bisogna farsi trovare pronti

English translation:

it does not matter whether you are prepared or not

Added to glossary by Lara Barnett
Dec 5, 2017 10:30
6 yrs ago
Italian term

bisogna farsi trovare pronti

Italian to English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters Character-based fiction
The character, who writes for a comic strip publication, has just been discussing the talent of a designer/artist he has met, who is trying to break into this sort of work with her drawings. The discussion has mentioned how she has talent but needs to improve on a couple of things, find more confidence and with persistence and luck she will succeed.
(Note: Up to now there has been no mention of who "gli altri" may be, so I assume it is regarding others working in this area or in his department.)

Talento, costanza, fortuna; già, fortuna è la parola chiave. So cosa significa avere l’occasione giusta. Senza quella, tutto il resto serve a ben poco. E hanno voglia gli altri a dire che bisogna comunque farsi trovare pronti.

Discussion

Lara Barnett (asker) Dec 5, 2017:
@ bluenoric/Dan Are either of you posting this?
bluenoric Dec 5, 2017:
I agree with Dan They can keep on insisting/stress on the fact that you have to be prepared, but without a lucky break anything else is pretty much useless.
*Gli altri* are not necessarily people working in the same area, it is some sort of general opinion shared by many.
Dan Newton Dec 5, 2017:
this may already be obvious, but FWIW that "hanno voglia gli altri a dire" sounds to me like it's being used in the sense of "hai voglia a" ...i.e. people can go on all they like about taking your chances, but without a lucky break....

Proposed translations

+2
5 hrs
Selected

it does not matter whether you are prepared or not

The phrase "hanno voglia gli altri a dire" is an idiomatic phrase meaning : it really does not matter that people say you need to be ready....as (in this contest) luck is what matters most
Peer comment(s):

agree Diego Troisi
40 mins
agree Peter Cox
7 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
-1
6 mins

you need to be sure you're ready/prepared

That's how I read it.
other ways:
make sure that others find you ready / see you're ready
Peer comment(s):

agree Lisa Jane
4 mins
Thanks :)
disagree bluenoric : sorry, but this is not what it means, rather the opposite
2 hrs
thank you. I learn every day.
disagree Diego Troisi : Not true
5 hrs
That's why we have native speakers! Thank you.
Something went wrong...
8 mins

you have to be prepared

Others are willing to say that you actually have to be prepared
Peer comment(s):

disagree Diego Troisi : While the explanation is true, the sentence provide is not consistent.
5 hrs
You mean the sentence provided? I don't understand where is not consistent, the explanation is a sentence. I would appreciate if you clarify please
agree Peter Cox
12 hrs
Something went wrong...
5 hrs

you can tell me to be ready as much as you like

<I know what it's like to have a chance: you can tell me to be ready as much as you like, but the truth is that without luck, all the rest is simply useless>
The expression is a strong, well-known idiom, and it should be probably translated accordingly.
"Gli altri" doesn't refer to anyone in particular (as it is common in Italian), but rather expresses the most common advice, as common as to be itself prototypical of what anyone would probably say in that situation.
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