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Glossary entry

Portuguese term or phrase:

Se correr o bicho pega, se ficar o bicho come, se juntar o bicho foge.

English translation:

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Added to glossary by José Serodio
Jan 20, 2005 17:43
19 yrs ago
5 viewers *
Portuguese term

Se correr o bicho pega, se ficar o bicho come, se juntar o bicho foge.

Portuguese to English Social Sciences Philosophy
Aceitam-se sugestões para tradução deste adágio popular que, em geral, só é conhecido pela metade: "Se ficar, o bicho pega; se correr, o bicho come; se juntar, o bicho foge". Não sei a razão, mas omite-se sempre a última parte.
Pois bem, se ficar estagnado, o bicho pega. Se correr desnorteado, sem alvo a alcançar, sem a clarificação do objectivo, o bicho come.
Proposed translations (English)
5 +3 caught between the devil and the deep blue sea
5 +5 Caught between a rock and a hard place
4 +2 many hands make light work
5 you can run but you can't hide
4 the work in group solves every king of problem

Discussion

Ricardo Fonseca Jan 21, 2005:
s� por curiosidade essa express�o ficou conhecida dos portugueses pelo filme "Cidade de Deus"
Paula Vaz-Carreiro Jan 20, 2005:
C and M's answers have the right meaning - it would be nice though to find something with closer phrasing...
Paula Vaz-Carreiro Jan 20, 2005:
Jos�, I have just realized that if you want the equivalent to the whole sentence then my answer is no good and neither is Jane's or Kevin's (IMHO). The meaning of the whole sentence is completely different.Don't know why I didn't think of it before!!
Non-ProZ.com Jan 20, 2005:
�..e se esperar muito tempo, o bicho sobe em outro bonde...�, como diziam outrora...
Non-ProZ.com Jan 20, 2005:
�..e se esperar muito tempo, o bicho sobe em outro bonde...�, como diziam outrora...

Proposed translations

+3
1 hr
Selected

caught between the devil and the deep blue sea

just another suggestion - it has the same meaning, i.e., a no-win situation, whatever you do you your still in trouble

or perhaps

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't"

HTH

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Note added at 5 hrs 30 mins (2005-01-20 23:14:13 GMT)
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The meaning is to be between two evils or alternatives, so that one is in a hazardous or precarious positions. Probably of nautical origin, the devil being a seam in the hull of a ship that run along the water line. (Brewer\'s Phrase and Fable) Therefore to be in a such a place was to be in a tricky position.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X) : devil and deep blue = no wiggle room..do you know the origin? Do you know what devil means here? Yes, I knew it. I was wondering if you did. A fastnet sailor told me when I was about 20 years old..have kept it int he back of my mind all these years..:)
51 mins
see above
agree Deborah do Carmo : I understand the phrase as you do Paula, maybe Jane can expand further - I'm curious
2 hrs
Thanks Debbie (hope you're fine)
agree Paul Kozelka
3 hrs
Thanks Paul
agree Bloomfield : Interesting. Thank you for the explanation.
1 day 21 hrs
Not at all. Thanks for your agree, however, I only left it up for reference because this isn't the right meaning for the whole of the sentence of this Q
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "« Damned if you do, damned if you don't » é o que me parece melhor transmitir a essência da 'raiva' ("damned") e da poesia do "pegar do bicho", do "correr" e do "comer" do cidadão. A resposta foi útil não pela primeira frase sugerida, mas sim pela frasezinha de adenda: « Damned if you do, damned if you don't » que, esta sim corresponde à essência da coisa. Em Portugal existem ditados semelhantes, por exemplo: «Tanto faz correr como saltar» «Culpado por ter cão e culpado por não ter» (etc) Muito obrigado a todos pelo tempo generoso que dedicaram. "
+5
11 mins

Caught between a rock and a hard place

I think this phrase is better than Jane's. It has more of a natural feel to it.

"You can run but you can't hide" reminds me of George W. Bush's election campaign rhetoric.....which is highly undesirable, in my opinion.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2005-01-20 17:58:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another phrase, though much more coarse, is: \"up shit creek without a paddle\"
Peer comment(s):
agree Magda Marques
1 hr
agree Eduardo Queiroz
2 hrs
agree Deborah do Carmo : Agree has more of a natural feel to it - and today of all days let's avoid Bushisms!
4 hrs
agree Cristina Santos
5 hrs
agree Bloomfield : to be caught between a rock and a hard wall, or to be up the creek without a paddle
1 day 23 hrs
neutral Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X) : George Bush does not own the English language..more natural feel? I wonder what that means?
3 days 4 hrs
Something went wrong...
29 mins

the work in group solves every king of problem

Declined
:) E a última parte é a principal
Something went wrong...
Comment: "Tem pouco a ver, afasta-se muito do sentido da frase,"
3 mins

you can run but you can't hide

I guess that's the basic idea....nué?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2005-01-20 18:10:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

something is gonna get you! No matter what you do...the idea of FLIGHT and STAYING is important....



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 28 mins (2005-01-20 18:12:42 GMT)
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e se esperar muito tempo, o bicho sobe em outro bonde....como diziam outrora....



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 36 mins (2005-01-20 18:20:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

falando da omissão: acho que é pelo siguinte: as duas primeiras circumstâncias colocam o perigo numa certa relação ao sujeito...de todas maneiras o bicho vai acabar com o sujeito..aqui ou alí...más se o sujeito fizer uma aliança, ele e o parceiro podem acabar com o bicho...

então: the bugeyman\'ll get you one way or the other, you can run but you can\'t hide unless you get a friend....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 49 mins (2005-01-20 20:33:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ALTERNATIVE: Damned if you do and damned if you don\'t...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs 39 mins (2005-01-21 14:23:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

There is NO WAY to translate this finding any kind of equivalent...
Something went wrong...
+2
2 hrs

many hands make light work

Declined
or
two can live as cheaply as one

I am sure there is a better one out there, but the basic jist is that one can do better by joining forces

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2005-01-25 14:22:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I forgot to mention at the time that I, like many others, only saw the real meaning after Clauwolf made her contribution (Thanks!)
Peer comment(s):
agree Ana Rita Santiago : I must confess that I had never known the whole saying, just the dire straits part. For the whole thing, this is the correct idea.
14 hrs
Thanks!
agree rhandler : This was also my understanding: the only way out is working together against the common enemy.
1 day 2 hrs
Thanks!
Something went wrong...
Comment: "Tem pouco a ver, afasta-se muito do sentido da frase,"
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