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

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 9 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 (9 total; 4 finalists) Expand all entries

Entry #10220
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
427 x47 x20
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.893.71 (14 ratings)4.07 (14 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 7 "like" tags
  • 7 users agreed with "likes" (10 total agrees)
  • 4 users disagreed with "likes" (5 total disagrees)
+2
Ако започнеш разговора, преди да знаеш какво точно искаш да кажеш и продължиш да говориш, след като си го казал, ще стигнеш или до съда, или до просешка тояга, като първото води директно до второто
Flows well
Ivelina Todorova
-1
+3
1
Имам цял отдел адвокати, които ми струват цяло състояние, но пък ми спестяват ходенето по съдилища.
Flows well
iacta alea est
-1
Когато ухажваш девойка или говориш с приятели след вечеря, е приемливо да водиш разговора все едно си на неделна екскурзия, със спирания да откъснеш някое и друго цветенце
Flows well
Ivelina Todorova
Забрави за предисловията и заключенията и спри преди да стигнеш до “второ
Flows well
Ivelina Todorova
+3
На глупака дай първата, а на жената – последната дума
Flows well
Denka Momkova
-3
+2
Казвай по-малко от събеседника си, и слушай повече, отколкото говориш; защото когато слушаш, не се разкриваш, а в същото време ласкаеш говорещия
Flows well
Katya Popova
Парите говорят – но само ако притежателят им има развързан език, и тогава коментарите са винаги обидни
Flows well
Ivelina Todorova
Entry #10729
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
325 x45 x22 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.143.07 (14 ratings)3.21 (14 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (8 total disagrees)
-1
Спестете си увода и заключението и спрете преди да стигнете до второто.
Flows well
Ivelina Todorova
-2
Шунката е винаги по средата на сандвича.
Good term selection
SemDD
-1
Говорете по-малко от събеседника си и повече слушайте отколкото казвате; защото когато човек слуша другия, не се злепоставя, а ласкае онзи, който го прави
Flows well
Ivelina Todorova
-2
Парите говорят – но не и преди притежателят им да си развърже езика, а тогава думите им са винаги оскърбителни. Бедността също говори, но никой не желае да чуе нейния глас.
Flows well
Kalinka Hristova
-2
+1
Парите говорят – но не и преди притежателят им да си развърже езика, а тогава думите им са винаги оскърбителни. Бедността също говори, но никой не желае да чуе нейния глас.
Flows well
SemDD
Entry #8288
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
204 x404 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.353.54 (13 ratings)3.15 (13 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #10202
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
132 x42 x21 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.053.18 (11 ratings)2.91 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
  • 4 users disagreed with "likes" (4 total disagrees)
-4
2
Истината винаги е някъде по средата. Естествено, леки отклонения около нея не биха навредили никому, ако и човекът, за който са предназначени оценява това.
Flows well
Kalinka Hristova
Да, парите говорят, но ако притежателят им е с развързан език, думите му са винаги обидни за околните
Flows well
Ivelina Todorova