руки выше головы растут да еще и голову эту держат

English translation: см. ниже

15:54 Nov 14, 2018

Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

Russian term or phrase: руки выше головы растут да еще и голову эту держат

Все же трудновато ориентироваться, когда руки выше головы растут да еще и голову эту держат.

(Контекст: герой держит собственную голову в руках на уровне живота и пытается таким образом передвигаться)

Основное затруднение в том, что "руки", которые "растут" - это arms, а "руки", которые "держат" - это hands.
Не знаю, как это все вместе увязать. Please advise!

Andrew Vdovin KudoZ activity Questions: 3908 (none open) (2 closed without grading) Answers: 3922
Local time: 05:20

English translation:см. ниже

Explanation:
Obviously you won't be able to express this as concisely and spot-on as in Russian, particularly because of the "arms" and "hands".
I've thought about it for a while, and this is what I came up with as a further suggestion which to me sounds all right and "native":

"Orientation is rather difficult if your arms are sticking out /above/higher than/ your head and in addition to that, the hands at the end of those arms are carrying that head."

Hope that helps you...

Selected response from:

beermatt
Local time: 00:20

Grading comment

Thank you very much for your help! Thanks everybody!!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +1

your arms are higher than your head, and that very same head is being held in those very same arms

Chris Jarrett

см. ниже

beermatt

the arms grow higher than your head and still even hold that head

Vladyslav Golovaty

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

25 mins confidence:

the arms grow higher than your head and still even hold that head

Explanation:
an attempt

Vladyslav Golovaty
Ukraine
Local time: 01:20
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

18 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

your arms are higher than your head, and that very same head is being held in those very same arms

Explanation:
"Nonetheless it is rather difficult to get your bearings, when your arms are higher than your head, and that very same head is being held in those very same arms." This is the most prosaic rendering I could come up with that reflects the absurdity of the situation, as seems to be implied by the original. I don't think translating растут here in any literal sense quite works. Hope that helps!

Chris Jarrett
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:20
Native speaker of:

English

3 days 23 hrs confidence:

см. ниже

beermatt
Local time: 00:20
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

German,

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thank you very much for your help! Thanks everybody!!!

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