There's nothing you can do that can't be done.

Japanese translation: できないことをやろうとしたって無理

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Japanese translation:	できないことをやろうとしたって無理
Entered by:	jsl (X)

11:41 Apr 2, 2003

English to Japanese translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary

English term or phrase: There's nothing you can do that can't be done.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.

1)もともと出来ないことについては、為すすべがない。

2)君に出来ることでなし遂げられ得ないことなどない。

Please tell me which translation is correct.

Moocow KudoZ activity Questions: 9 (none open) Answers: 0 Japan
Local time: 15:45

できないことをやろうとしたって無理

Explanation:
This is the VERY BASIC sentence construction that every 受験生 has to learn for the exam. This is so-called 二重修飾 using two relative clauses. Hasn't anybody here learn this in school?

As many of you know, this is the famous phrase from Beatles' "All You Need Is Love", whose lyrics were written by John and Paul. The song goes:

There's nothing you can do that can't be done
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung
Nothing you can say
But you can learn how to play the game
It's easy

With the first interpretation, you cannot get the exact meaning of this song.

Going back to the sentence above, "Theres'" can be simply omitted here, and the sentence can be paraphrased as "You can do nothing that can't be done". This can be further paraphrased as "You cannot do anything that can't be done", and this would make it easier for you to interpret the sentence.

I will give you two links that have translations of this song. Although I am not satisfied with these translations, you can get some sense.

Selected response from:

jsl (X)
Local time: 15:45

Grading comment

Thank you very much.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +1

君にできることで成し遂げられないことはない

Nobuo Kawamura

できないことをやろうとしたって無理

jsl (X)

君に出来きることで、他の人に出来ないことはない

Hanashiro

3 +1

もともと出来ないことについては、為すすべがない。

jackamano

できもしないことをやろうなんて無駄なこと

hypolano

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

21 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

君にできることで成し遂げられないことはない

Explanation:
I believe in that also, if God allows.

Nobuo Kawamura
Japan
Local time: 15:45
Native speaker of:

Japanese
PRO pts in pair: 505

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

もともと出来ないことについては、為すすべがない。

Explanation:
I'd divide the sentence into two parts.
The first half "There is nothing you can do," literally means you can do nothing.
Then the latter half "that can't be done" means "things you cannot do."
So altogether, it means "As for things you cannot do, you can do nothing."

jackamano
Japan
Local time: 15:45
PRO pts in pair: 20

8 hrs confidence:

できないことをやろうとしたって無理

jsl (X)
Local time: 15:45
PRO pts in pair: 1002

Grading comment

Thank you very much.

15 hrs confidence:

できもしないことをやろうなんて無駄なこと

Explanation:
I made a literal translation as "成し遂げられないことにやれることなど何もない" for finding more fitting Japanese.Then I feel the phrase"there is nothing"is with some emphasis meaning "無駄だ".I think this sentence intend to say to live not meaningless but meaningful life.

hypolano
Local time: 15:45
Native speaker of:

Japanese
PRO pts in pair: 19

5 days confidence:

君に出来きることで、他の人に出来ないことはない

Explanation:
I once heard an interview where Paul was asked "Some of your lyrics are hard to understand. What do they mean?"
His answer was "Whatever the listener hears". So, in essence, any interpretation would be correct. Here's mine.

I think the theme of this song is the oppression imposed by industiralized nations on the so-called developing nations ,which would apply right this minute.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done (by others).
I've added what I think is the unwritten words of the phase. It is directed towards rich countries and its inhabitants who think that they are better than the people of poorer nations. It means that given the same opportunities, they(governments and individuals) would eventually accomplish as much as the west.

The Beatles, having become "icons of the times" with followers clinging to every word they utter (myself included at the time), must have pondered the effect they have on the masses by what they say. Sometimes, it must have been a huge burden.

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung

In the phrase above, John and Paul seems to be telling themselves not to let success go to their heads and at the same time, telling listeners of the song that the message of love and peace is not their original idea, but a ideal expressed by many people.

Thus, you can "easily learn to get in the game" by putting you feet into other peoples shoes and looking at the world through their prospective. And to do, that all you need is...Well,you know the rest of the story.

Hanashiro
Local time: 15:45
Native speaker of:

English,

Japanese

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There's nothing you can do that can't be done.

Japanese translation: できないことをやろうとしたって無理

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Japanese translation: できないことをやろうとしたって無理

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