Notbetting
Feb. 21st, 2025 09:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
migmitI've heard a saying, in Russian, that in any bet there are two sides: one is a scoundrel, another an idiot. Which, by the way, means that if you mentally make a bet with yourself, you are both.
Anyway, I've got curious as to the source of this saying; I guessed it's relatively modern. Tried googling, and the mighty internet told me this is from one of Sapkowski short stories; specifically, “A Shard of Ice”. I found the Russian translation first, and, indeed, there was a slightly different, but close enough statement:
Спорит либо дурак, либо подлец. Первый не знает, но спорит, второй же знает, но спорит.
Which means, “A wagerer is either a fool or a cad. The first doesn't know, but bets anyway; the second does know, but bets anyway.”
You notice perhaps that the wording is a bit awkward. That's because, when I looked it up in the English edition, I didn't find it. It just wasn't there.
My curiosity spiked, and I looked into the Polish edition — which, I presume, was the original. Lo and behold, it wasn't there either! Which means that it was likely added to a Russian version by the translator.
The question thus remains: where did it come from? Was it invented by the translator, or was there something else?
Anyway, I've got curious as to the source of this saying; I guessed it's relatively modern. Tried googling, and the mighty internet told me this is from one of Sapkowski short stories; specifically, “A Shard of Ice”. I found the Russian translation first, and, indeed, there was a slightly different, but close enough statement:
Спорит либо дурак, либо подлец. Первый не знает, но спорит, второй же знает, но спорит.
Which means, “A wagerer is either a fool or a cad. The first doesn't know, but bets anyway; the second does know, but bets anyway.”
You notice perhaps that the wording is a bit awkward. That's because, when I looked it up in the English edition, I didn't find it. It just wasn't there.
My curiosity spiked, and I looked into the Polish edition — which, I presume, was the original. Lo and behold, it wasn't there either! Which means that it was likely added to a Russian version by the translator.
The question thus remains: where did it come from? Was it invented by the translator, or was there something else?
