Translation of "one can not direct the wind, but adjust the sails" to Italian correctly.?
Thursday, August 26th, 2010 at
3:47 am
I need the quote "One can not direct the wind, but adjust the sails" properly translated to Italian. It has to be correct though i have tried many translation site but the change words around and every site has a different answer, a college professor was supposed to do it but left for Italy before finishing it. Its for a tattoo so clarity and correctness is important. Thanks!
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Filed under: Italian - Written and Spoken
![Roma et Vaticano Rome and the Vatican] Italian Language French Edition](http://www.talkitalian.org/images/e/200759592682_0.jpg)
Hi, I’m Italian.
"Non si può direzionare il vento, ma si possono regolare le vele".
The impersonal pronoun "one" in Italian becomes the impersonal "si".
You may translate "to direct" using "orientare", "direzionare", "scegliere la direzione" (literally: "to choose the direction").
The verb "to adjust" may be translated using: "regolare", "orientare", "aggiustare".
Non si può dirigere il vento, ma regolare le vele
There actually are different possible translations.
Personally, I think the more correct would be: "Non si può comandare il vento, ma si possono orientare le vele"; literally means "Ona can not command/control the wind, but can orient/angle the sails".