ProZ.com translation contests »
9th ProZ.com Translation Contest: "Business" » English to Italian

Competition in this pair is now closed.

Source text in English

I remember reading once that some fellows use language to conceal thought, but it's been my experience that a good many more use it instead of thought.

A businessman's conversation should be regulated by fewer and simpler rules than any other function of the human animal. They are:

Have something to say.

Say it.

Stop talking.

Beginning before you know what you want to say and keeping on after you have said it lands a merchant in a lawsuit or the poorhouse, and the first is a short cut to the second. I maintain a legal department here, and it costs a lot of money, but it's to keep me from going to law.

It's all right when you are calling on a girl or talking with friends after dinner to run a conversation like a Sunday-school excursion, with stops to pick flowers; but in the office your sentences should be the shortest distance possible between periods. Cut out the introduction and the peroration, and stop before you get to secondly. You've got to preach short sermons to catch sinners; and deacons won't believe they need long ones themselves. Give fools the first and women the last word. The meat's always in the middle of the sandwich. Of course, a light butter on either side of it doesn't do any harm if it's intended for a man who likes butter.

Remember, too, that it's easier to look wise than to talk wisdom. Say less than the other fellow and listen more than you talk; for when a man's listening he isn't telling on himself and he's flattering the fellow who is. Give most men a good listener and most women enough note-paper and they'll tell all they know. Money talks -- but not unless its owner has a loose tongue, and then its remarks are always offensive. Poverty talks, too, but nobody wants to hear what it has to say.

The winning entry has been announced in this pair.

There were 52 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase, 4 of which were selected by peers to advance to the finals round. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.

Competition in this pair is now closed.


Entries (52 total; 4 finalists) Expand all entries

Entry #9928
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
10121 x47 x23 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.373.30 (20 ratings)3.44 (16 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 22 users agreed with "likes" (41 total agrees)
  • 4 users disagreed with "likes" (7 total disagrees)
-1
+7
l'esperienza mi ha insegnato
Flows well
Francesca Tondi
-2
+9
quando si indugia qua e là a coglier fiori
Flows well
una buona ​resa
gianfranco
-2
+16
2
Ci vogliono sermoni corti per toccare l'anima dei peccatori;
Flows well
ottimo, ra​ramene ben​ reso nell​e altre ve​rsioni
gianfranco
+2
neppure i diaconi li vorrebbero lunghi
Other
questo mi ​sembra il ​giusto sen​so
Hash
-2
+7
2
perché chi ascolta non svela sé stesso ma compiace la vanità
Good term selection
blattanzi
Entry #8552
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
7012 x48 x26 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.273.53 (19 ratings)3.00 (17 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 3 "like" tags
  • 15 users agreed with "likes" (20 total agrees)
  • 5 users disagreed with "likes" (7 total disagrees)
-2
+5
1
C’è chi usa il linguaggio per mascherare il pensiero: l’ho letto una volta, ricordo.
Flows well
Jasmiez
-1
+7
1
Un velo di burro
Flows well
bella l'es​pressione
r_cantillo (X)
-4
+8
1
Ricordati, poi, che è più facile apparire saggi che pronunciare perle di saggezza.
Flows well
Marika Costantini
Entry #8638
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
628 x411 x28 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.173.17 (12 ratings)3.17 (12 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 3 "like" tags
  • 6 users agreed with "likes" (7 total agrees)
  • 5 users disagreed with "likes" (6 total disagrees)
+5
che sono molto più numerosi coloro che lo usano invece di pensare
Flows well
Rosanna Casamassima
-1
+1
1
Il companatico si trova sempre tra due fette di pane.
Good term selection
Ottima res​a per il l​ettore ita​liano
Mauro Rubino
-5
+1
2
Dai alla maggior parte degli uomini un buon ascoltatore e a gran parte delle donne filo in abbondanza e ti diranno tutto ciò che sanno.
Flows well
Alessandra Sticotti (X)
Entry #9934
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
264 x42 x26 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.313.38 (13 ratings)3.23 (13 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
  • 4 users disagreed with "likes" (4 total disagrees)
-4
+1
1
faccio affidamento su un dipartimento
Good term selection
Hash