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gissen is missen

English translation: guess and be sorry


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23:07 Mar 4, 2008
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - IT (Information Technology) / Business Intelligence
Dutch term or phrase: gissen is missen
Training material for a masterclass in Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing contains the following sentence:
"Meten is weten, gissen is missen"

Any suggestions for a catchy translation of (the second half of) this phrase?
Kitty Brussaard
Netherlands
Local time: 07:41
English translation:guess and be sorry
Explanation:
as a companion to 'measure and be sure'

But what snappy translation did you have in mind for the first part?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 hrs (2008-03-05 11:01:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

another option:

If you measure, you know; if you guess, you don't
Selected response from:

Ken Cox
Local time: 07:41
Grading comment
Thanks for both suggestions. They are certainly 'catchy', but somehow they do not seem to fit in very well with the text as a whole. Business intelligence is basically all about gaining critical knowledge to support well-considered, fact-based decision making.
I have therefore finally chosen for a more literal translation: "To measure is to know (cf. Lord Kelvin's famous saying), to guess is to miss the facts"
1 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2guess and be sorryKen Cox


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


52 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
guess and be sorry


Explanation:
as a companion to 'measure and be sure'

But what snappy translation did you have in mind for the first part?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 hrs (2008-03-05 11:01:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

another option:

If you measure, you know; if you guess, you don't


Ken Cox
Local time: 07:41
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28
Grading comment
Thanks for both suggestions. They are certainly 'catchy', but somehow they do not seem to fit in very well with the text as a whole. Business intelligence is basically all about gaining critical knowledge to support well-considered, fact-based decision making.
I have therefore finally chosen for a more literal translation: "To measure is to know (cf. Lord Kelvin's famous saying), to guess is to miss the facts"

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  xxxjarry: Nice one
8 hrs
  -> thanks -- I have to maintain a bit of reputation here ;-)
agree  Suzan Hamer: and with Jarry.
10 hrs
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