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English translation: Not very "magicky"

22:40 Jan 18, 2010
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / magic words
French term or phrase: poussi poussa, tu grandiras
Dans un jeu pour les enfants de 3 à 5 ans:
Ce qu'il faut pour faire grandir une plante:
1 - eau
2 - soleil
3 - air
4 - terrre
5 - mot magique! = murmure la phrase suivante "poussi poussa, tu grandiras".

Merci d'avance pour vos variantes de traduction de ces mots magiques.
Elena Robert
France
Local time: 11:36
English translation:Not very "magicky"
Explanation:
but "Stretch up high, you'll reach the sky".

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Note added at 54 mins (2010-01-18 23:34:14 GMT)
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Push and shove, you'll rise above.
Pushy-shovey, rise abovey (???).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 54 mins (2010-01-18 23:34:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Not sure of the spelling: shovy, shovey; abovy, abovey?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 57 mins (2010-01-18 23:37:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I suppose really there's no reason why it should be as concise as in the French.

Stretch and strain,
Then comes the rain, (even if it's tapwater out of a jug!),
You will not know
But "Hey presto",
You'll grow and grow.
Selected response from:

Bourth (X)
Local time: 11:36
Grading comment
Many thanks to all!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +9hey presto, you will grow
Sarah Bessioud
2 +1Not very "magicky"
Bourth (X)
3hoe, sow, (flow), grow!
AgriTech
2huff and puff and you will grow up
Verginia Ophof
2as you sow, soon you'll grow!
Travelin Ann
1 +1abracadabra
Hermien Desaivre


  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
huff and puff and you will grow up


Explanation:
suggestion

as they are magic words, maybe I would not translate "possi poussa" for fear they loose their magic powers :)

Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 03:36
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: I love the idea, except for the fact that I can't really see a plant doing much ''huffing and puffing" (unlike big, bad wolves, who are past masters at it, of course!)
21 mins
  -> sure they do !! That's why we get soooo much oxygen from them :)
neutral  B D Finch: I thought huffing and puffing was about destroying, not growing! At least when done by the big bad wolf.
14 hrs
  -> you make a good point B D Finch!
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42 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
as you sow, soon you'll grow!


Explanation:
-

Travelin Ann
Local time: 05:36
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Not very "magicky"


Explanation:
but "Stretch up high, you'll reach the sky".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 54 mins (2010-01-18 23:34:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Push and shove, you'll rise above.
Pushy-shovey, rise abovey (???).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 54 mins (2010-01-18 23:34:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Not sure of the spelling: shovy, shovey; abovy, abovey?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 57 mins (2010-01-18 23:37:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I suppose really there's no reason why it should be as concise as in the French.

Stretch and strain,
Then comes the rain, (even if it's tapwater out of a jug!),
You will not know
But "Hey presto",
You'll grow and grow.

Bourth (X)
Local time: 11:36
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 76
Grading comment
Many thanks to all!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway: hey ho up you'll grow.
2 hrs
neutral  B D Finch: Much as I like "shovey abovey", I think writeaway should post her suggestion.
14 hrs
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34 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +9
hey presto, you will grow


Explanation:
Hey presto - used by magicians to express the idea of a change of state, often rapid.

http://www.englishonline.org.cn/en/taxonomy/term/424#
Other incantations used by theatre magicians are “Hey presto” or “Hocus pocus”. Of course you can use these expressions yourself; for example around the house:

I am preparing some instant mashed potatoes. All I do is take the powder out of the packet, add hot water, stir and hey presto: hot mashed potatoes!



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-01-19 00:34:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Alternatively, "hey presto, you'll grow and grow!"


    Reference: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hey_presto
Sarah Bessioud
Germany
Local time: 11:36
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Verginia Ophof
22 mins
  -> Thank you Verginia
agree  John Detre: presto, chango, you will grow -- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/presto chango
47 mins
  -> Thank you John
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): w/ John
1 hr
  -> Thanks Ingeborg.
agree  writeaway: being a native speaker of the target language does have its advantages
2 hrs
  -> Thank you writeaway.
agree  Emma Paulay
8 hrs
  -> Thank you Emma
agree  Carol Gullidge
9 hrs
  -> Thank you Carol
agree  Evans (X)
9 hrs
  -> Thank you Gilla
agree  Nora Mahony: ...and with John's version...
11 hrs
  -> Thank you Nora
agree  Lorna Coing: This sounds like a fun translation!
11 hrs
  -> Thanks Lorna
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
hoe, sow, (flow), grow!


Explanation:
just some other possible rhyming words....

AgriTech
Germany
Local time: 11:36
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +1
abracadabra


Explanation:
This is the magic word I grew up with.

Abracadabra all in a row
Abracadabra up you grow


Just some thoughts :-)



Hermien Desaivre
South Africa
Local time: 11:36
Native speaker of: Native in AfrikaansAfrikaans, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Philippa Smith: I like this best, it works well and has the right kiddy-magic tone.
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Philippa :-)
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