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  2. Dutch to English

Geen kwestie van niet kunnen, maar van willen

English translation: not a question of can't, but won't

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:geen kwestie van niet kunnen, maar van willen
English translation:not a question of can't, but won't
Entered by: Anne Lee

22:04 May 26, 2003
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
Dutch term or phrase: Geen kwestie van niet kunnen, maar van willen
Titel van een tekst over gelijke verloning voor mannen en vrouwen. Zeer moeilijk te vertalen! Ik dacht aan: In abeyance, but not impossible - maar dan negeer je het gebrek aan motivatie.
Anne Lee
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:43
Not a question of "can't", but "won't"
Explanation:
This is used quite commonly in the UK. Kids hear it everyday.

NARMADA DAM: People vs. Development - NI 336 - Resettled by ...
... You wonder: is this resettlement failure a question of ‘can’t’ or ‘won’t’?
Is the task beyond the bureaucracy or are they indifferent or corrupt? ...
www.newint.org/issue336/resettled.htm - 27k - Cached - Similar pages

Book Review: August 2001
... his family at eighteen thousand. She was still asking herself whether
it was a question of "can't" or "won't". On the issue of corporal ...
www.ont-autism.uoguelph.ca/revnov03.html - 23k - Cached - Similar pages

[PDF]WHY VOLUNTEER?
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
... She was still asking herself whether it was a question of "can't" or "won't". On
the issue of corporal punishment, Rankin expresses Neil's and her view that ...
www.ont-autism.uoguelph.ca/pdf/aaiwwnov2001.PDF - Similar pages




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-05-27 06:03:05 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ontourforacure.com
... I want to come face to face with that barrier or veneer that we refer to
reverentially in terms of \"can\'t\" or \"won\'t\". It\'s called the wall. ...
www.ontourforacure.com/welcome2.asp - 31k - Cached - Similar pages

[PDF]Presentations
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
... issues will be discussed. Whether the problem is an issue of \"can\'t\"
or \"won\'t\", plans will be discussed. Intensive Behavior Treatment ...
www.albany.edu/psy/autism/nysaba_flyer.pdf - Similar pages

Washingtonpost.com: Live Online
... wake. Maryland: Why can\'t Arafat stop the suicide bombings? Or, more
directly -- is it a case of \"can\'t\" or \"won\'t?\". Scott Lasensky ...
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/ world/world_lasensky060702.htm


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-05-27 06:05:19 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As this is a title, why not:

\"A question of \"can\'t\" or \"won\'t\"?
Selected response from:

Dave Greatrix
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:43
Grading comment
Thanks, everyone. It did not need to be a literal translation, but I now remember this expression, which is indeed quite common and best suited to my purpose. I sincerely appreciate everyone's help. Am reading up again on dualism, too.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4Not a question of "can't", but "won't"
Dave Greatrix
5 +1Where there's a will, there's a way
Kate Hudson (X)
3 +2(a question of) "mind over matter"
writeaway
4 +1"Skirting the Issue"
Chris Hopley
3You can if you want to
Serge L
3question of being willing, instead of being able
Henk Peelen


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
You can if you want to


Explanation:
geen gemakkelijke, inderdaad, maar misschien heb je iets aan deze suggestie (of, afhankelijk van je context, "they can...")

Succes,

Serge L.

Serge L
Local time: 04:43
PRO pts in pair: 261
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Where there's a will, there's a way


Explanation:
Perhaps a fitting title on equal pay

Kate Hudson (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 04:43
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 2017

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
4 hrs
neutral  writeaway: here there is a way not a will
8 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
(a question of) "mind over matter"


Explanation:
dualism in the sense that they can actually come up with the money, but in their minds the desire is not really existent.they can see the possibility to give equal pay, but in their minds the desire is not (yet) present. (ie we can, but do we want to). once they reconcile the two, things will start to move forward.
assuming you are trying to avoid the literal translation altogether.

writeaway
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1352

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lucinda Hollenberg
4 hrs
agree  AllisonK (X)
7 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
"Skirting the Issue"


Explanation:
The interesting thing about this title is that, although not immediately catchy, it does contain an important point: the word 'kunnen' refers not only to the ability of employers to make equitable rewards to female employees, but also of the abilities of the female employees. The point being that they are no less *able* than their male colleagues.

You could go for an equally "catchy" (ahem!) title in English with a fairly literal translation, which would work at exactly the same level as the Dutch.

Anything else is 'opleuken'. And then your possibilities are only limited by your imagination and the 'kunnen' and 'willen' of your editor!

Chris Hopley
Netherlands
Local time: 04:43
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 2117

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  AllisonK (X): why does that expression with the word 'aanrecht' keep popping into my head??? :)
6 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
question of being willing, instead of being able


Explanation:
the way I should translate this

question of being ready, instead of being able
question of being inclined, instead of being able

Henk Peelen
Netherlands
Local time: 04:43
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in pair: 756
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Not a question of "can't", but "won't"


Explanation:
This is used quite commonly in the UK. Kids hear it everyday.

NARMADA DAM: People vs. Development - NI 336 - Resettled by ...
... You wonder: is this resettlement failure a question of ‘can’t’ or ‘won’t’?
Is the task beyond the bureaucracy or are they indifferent or corrupt? ...
www.newint.org/issue336/resettled.htm - 27k - Cached - Similar pages

Book Review: August 2001
... his family at eighteen thousand. She was still asking herself whether
it was a question of "can't" or "won't". On the issue of corporal ...
www.ont-autism.uoguelph.ca/revnov03.html - 23k - Cached - Similar pages

[PDF]WHY VOLUNTEER?
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
... She was still asking herself whether it was a question of "can't" or "won't". On
the issue of corporal punishment, Rankin expresses Neil's and her view that ...
www.ont-autism.uoguelph.ca/pdf/aaiwwnov2001.PDF - Similar pages




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-05-27 06:03:05 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ontourforacure.com
... I want to come face to face with that barrier or veneer that we refer to
reverentially in terms of \"can\'t\" or \"won\'t\". It\'s called the wall. ...
www.ontourforacure.com/welcome2.asp - 31k - Cached - Similar pages

[PDF]Presentations
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
... issues will be discussed. Whether the problem is an issue of \"can\'t\"
or \"won\'t\", plans will be discussed. Intensive Behavior Treatment ...
www.albany.edu/psy/autism/nysaba_flyer.pdf - Similar pages

Washingtonpost.com: Live Online
... wake. Maryland: Why can\'t Arafat stop the suicide bombings? Or, more
directly -- is it a case of \"can\'t\" or \"won\'t?\". Scott Lasensky ...
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/ world/world_lasensky060702.htm


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-05-27 06:05:19 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As this is a title, why not:

\"A question of \"can\'t\" or \"won\'t\"?

Dave Greatrix
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:43
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 1747
Grading comment
Thanks, everyone. It did not need to be a literal translation, but I now remember this expression, which is indeed quite common and best suited to my purpose. I sincerely appreciate everyone's help. Am reading up again on dualism, too.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Chris Hopley
1 hr
agree  J. Leo (X)
1 hr
agree  Meturgan
1 hr
agree  hirselina
7 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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