"Na miru i smert' krasna"

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Robert A. Rothstein wrote:

> Sophia Lubensky, in her Russian-English Dictionary of Idioms, explains 
> the proverb as follows: "misfortunes are easier to bear when a person 
> has his friends around him, or when he is with people who share a 
> similar fate (formerly referred specifically to death)."
> 
> In addition to the translations already suggested (by Alina and Alfia) 
> there's also "Troubles shared are troubles halved" and two French 
> versions: "Chagrin partagé, chagrin diminué" (Shared trouble/sorrow is 
> diminished trouble/sorrow) and "Malheur partagé, n'est malheur qu'à 
> demi" (Shared misfortune is only half a misfortune).
> 
> These remind me (by rather free association) of the very different 
> sentiment expressed in one of the late historian Kamil Dziewanowski's 
> favorite quotations, François de la Rouchefoucault's Maxim 19: "Nous 
> avons tous assez de force pour supporter les maux d'autrui/" /(We all 
> have strength enough to endure the misfortunes of others).

The "right answer" used to be "misery loves company," but lately it 
seems that the phrase has been reinterpreted to mean that if you're 
miserable, you want others to be miserable as well.

As for Lubensky's dictionary, I agree wholeheartedly wiht the views 
expressed here and elsewhere in the thread -- it's a real gem. I could 
spend hours just thumbing through it, and not many dictionaries meet 
that high standard.

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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