"Ο πατέρας μου αποφάσισε με το έτσι θέλω να κρατήσει τα παιδιά"

English translation: my father decided just like that to keep the children

15:54 Mar 7, 2009

Greek to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

Greek term or phrase: "Ο πατέρας μου αποφάσισε με το έτσι θέλω να κρατήσει τα παιδιά"

I don't understand the relationships of the verbs here

J A Lawrence KudoZ activity Questions: 9 (1 open) Answers: 1 Greece
Local time: 06:41

English translation:my father decided just like that to keep the children

Explanation:
Various ways you could put this.

με το έτσι θέλω is a set phrase, literally "with the I want it so", i.e. high-handedly, without so much as an if-you-please.

Take out this phrase, and you're left with Ο πατέρας μου αποφάσισε ... να κρατήσει, so you can see clearly that να follows on from αποφάσισε.

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Note added at 11 mins (2009-03-07 16:06:09 GMT)
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"so" in the sense of "thus", of course, rather than "so much".

έτσι θέλω - "thus I wish"... sounds autocratic.

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Note added at 42 mins (2009-03-07 16:37:17 GMT)
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"without so much as a by-your-leave" - that's another rendering of με το έτσι θέλω.

Selected response from:

Dylan Edwards
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:41

Grading comment

Thanks - that is just what I thought but that "thelo" threw me!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

my father decided just like that to keep the children

Dylan Edwards

Answers

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

my father decided just like that to keep the children

Dylan Edwards
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:41
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

Grading comment

Thanks - that is just what I thought but that "thelo" threw me!

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks again - and the character IS an autocrat!

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"Ο πατέρας μου αποφάσισε με το έτσι θέλω να κρατήσει τα παιδιά"

English translation: my father decided just like that to keep the children

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"Ο πατέρας μου αποφάσισε με το έτσι θέλω να κρατήσει τα παιδιά"

English translation: my father decided just like that to keep the children

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