How to convey meaning from Russian to English?
Я бы хотела грамотно перевести на английский язык предложение "Мы могли не думать о том, как мы выглядим". (смысл - "нам было не до того, всё равно")
We could not think about how we look. Но этот вариант можно перевести, как "Мы НЕ могли думать, как мы выглядим", а это совсем другой смысл. Do you have any ideas?)
Search from various English teachers...
Corrections · 3
0
After posting my first comment, I realized that I may have misunderstood the Russian sentence. Sorry.
I now think the sentence means just the opposite of what I first thought, and it should also be in the past tense. So here is my revised, hopefully correct, translation:
We were able not to think about how we looked.
0
How to convey meaning from Russian to English?
We cannot not think about how we look.
In English, meaning is frequently expressed through modulation. In the sentence I wrote, the word not will be stressed when spoken.
This sentence also demonstrates a rare use of the double negative in English.
Want to progress faster?
Join this learning community and try out free exercises!
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!
Start Learning Today
