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Looking for a proverb Thread poster: Mihail Mateev
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Mihail Mateev
Bulgaria
Local time: 21:19
Member
English to Bulgarian
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I need the exact proverb, which has the following sense:
""You can never see a monument of a collective"".
I really need it and every response will be appreciated highly!
[Edited at 2007-01-17 19:34]
[Edited at 2007-01-17 19:35]
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Anne Brackenborough (X) 
Germany
Local time: 20:19
German to English
| Could you explain it a bit more? | Jan 17, 2007 |
What exactly does this proverb mean?
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Amy Duncan (X)
Brazil
Local time: 15:19
Portuguese to English
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| Could it be? | Jan 17, 2007 |
You can't see the forest for the trees?
Good luck!
Amy
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Mihail Mateev
Bulgaria
Local time: 21:19
Member
English to Bulgarian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Anne Koth wrote:
What exactly does this proverb mean?
It was something related to the fact that ideas do not come out of a collective, but only from individuals, and thus you will never see a statue of a collective (a group of people)
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| There is no monument dedicated to the memory of a committee | Jan 17, 2007 |
Lester J. Pourciau
By the way, I like:
"Monuments are for pigeons" far better...
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RHELLER
United States
Local time: 12:19
French to English
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| wouldn't you? | Jan 17, 2007 |
what would you call all of the monuments erected to honor the dead?
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| well Rita: “Monuments are for the living, not the dead.” | Jan 17, 2007 |
Frank Wedekind
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| There is at least 1 exception :-) | Jan 17, 2007 |
CULTURE : THE BEATLES MONUMENT IS TO OPEN IN ALMATY
The first monument to The Beatles in the former Soviet Union will be dedicated in Almaty on September 8, 2006. A group of Kazakh fans initiated the idea which has since received the support of the surviving Beatles, the British Council... See more CULTURE : THE BEATLES MONUMENT IS TO OPEN IN ALMATY
The first monument to The Beatles in the former Soviet Union will be dedicated in Almaty on September 8, 2006. A group of Kazakh fans initiated the idea which has since received the support of the surviving Beatles, the British Council, and Kazakh authorities.
http://www.kogiguk.com/News/Archive/2006/Aug/Article2437.htm ▲ Collapse
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Irene N
United States
Local time: 13:19
English to Russian
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| How about this one | Jan 17, 2007 |
http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/usmc.htm
I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure that the roots of this humor go back to communist times in USSR/Eastern Europe - sort of a rebellious proverb, an attempt to express individualism in a totally "collective" society. I remember it in Russian. It was a tradition in communist societies to pick a figure of a common proletarian - factory worke... See more http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/usmc.htm
I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure that the roots of this humor go back to communist times in USSR/Eastern Europe - sort of a rebellious proverb, an attempt to express individualism in a totally "collective" society. I remember it in Russian. It was a tradition in communist societies to pick a figure of a common proletarian - factory worker, or a collective farmer, and blow his/her image up to a scale of people's hero. Thousands of people working hard for pennies have never been appreciated but on the facade communists have always had that single hero, a flagman of every trade, so to speak. The same was equally true for scientists, engineers, designers, writers etc. There had been a small number of privileged (and in certain cases truly deserving) individuals to recognize and love while others who contributed to the success or the achievement have been treated as mere working bees - no special treatment, no extra privileges (except for being a member of the best society in the world, of course:-). To make a long story short - this is a bitter humor referencing the one who grabbed the labor and the glory of the entire collective and is now towering over them in bronze.
Side note - speaking literally, monuments to collectives can be found everywhere - from Greek and Roman bas-reliefs representing squads of warriors to the monuments in memorial of WWII victums and heroes...
[Edited at 2007-01-17 23:02]
[Edited at 2007-01-17 23:08] ▲ Collapse
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| To get back to the topic :-) | Jan 17, 2007 |
Mihail Mateev wrote:
It was something related to the fact that ideas do not come out of a collective, but only from individuals, and thus you will never see a statue of a collective (a group of people)
Perhaps "too many cooks spoil the broth"?
The general idea is that, when too many people are involved in something, the result can be less than perfect.
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PRen (X)
Local time: 14:19
French to English
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is a horse designed by a committee.
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Lia Fail (X)
Spain
Local time: 20:19
Spanish to English
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| you might have to coin one | Jan 18, 2007 |
Mihail Mateev wrote:
I need the exact proverb, which has the following sense:
""You can never see a monument of a collective"".
I really need it and every response will be appreciated highly!
[Edited at 2007-01-17 19:34]
[Edited at 2007-01-17 19:35]
It's hard to think of proverbs straight off, and maybe there isn't even an equivalent, so the best thing is to coin an expression. From what you say it seems like the idea is:
"the best ideas come from individuals (working alone) (not groups)"
In brackets are optional extras:-)
That's my interpretation, based on what you say about statutes typically being raised to individual achievers.
[Edited at 2007-01-18 00:42]
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| As Lia says..."you might have to coin one" | Jan 18, 2007 |
Lia Fail wrote:
.... maybe there isn't even an equivalent, ....
.... From what you say it seems like the idea is:
"the best ideas come from individuals (working alone) (not groups)"
I take your idea to mean not that merely GROUPS do not have monuments (as indicated by those who have responded above) or not merely the LIVING (most monuments are TO the dead, and AFTER they've died), but that bureaucracy and committees per se, do not usually have monuments erected to their memory. In fact, they usually would work against any idea of memorial monument.
So my tuppence worth is this:
"Collectives repress monuments; individuals inspire them"
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Mihail Mateev
Bulgaria
Local time: 21:19
Member
English to Bulgarian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | The winner is Mr. Middelhof | Jan 18, 2007 |
Riens Middelhof wrote:
There is no monument dedicated to the memory of a committee
Lester J. Pourciau
By the way, I like:
"Monuments are for pigeons" far better...
That was the proverb!
Thank you, Riens!
You can have a drink on me, if you come to my place!
Michael
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ckealy
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:19
French to English
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| another proverb..can't see the wood for the trees | Jan 18, 2007 |
can't see the wood for the trees
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