# Being born in a stable does not make one a horse.



## seitt

Greetings,

Please see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/17/amiahorse

I'm trying to translate the above into elegant Turkish, but haven't had much luck so far!

All the best, and many thanks,

Simon


----------



## ortak

seitt said:


> Greetings,
> 
> Please see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/17/amiahorse
> 
> I'm trying to translate the above into elegant Turkish, but haven't had much luck so far!
> 
> All the best, and many thanks,
> 
> Simon



It sounds interesting. Is it a proverb?


----------



## Eline0909

The following sentences (proverbs) are the closest I can imagine but there might be some other alternatives:

1. Insan doğduğu yerde değil, doyduğu yerde

or

2. Nerede doğduğun değil, nerede doyduğun önemli

The translation of your sentence would be: Ahırda doğmakla at olunmaz.

I can imagine that there is an even more appropriate proverb in Turkish as well. The above mentioned ones are closest I can suggest.


----------



## shafaq

Eline0909 translation "Ahırda doğmakla at olunmaz." is very prosperous to comply with the meaning of this say. But two proverbs that given as examples -in my mind- are so far than it. 
I can't imagine any proper one for the time being but can suggest a differently worded translation as "Ahırda doğmuş olmak/doğmak at olmaya yetmez."


----------



## Eline0909

Shafaq

A better  translation than what you are suggesting would be, in my opinion:

Ahırda doğmuş olmak/doğmak kişiyi at yapmaz!

In your translation you have used the word _yetmez_ which would be "not enough" and not enough is not used in the English proverb.


----------



## seitt

Many many thanks - there is much wonderful food for thought here.


----------



## Eline0909

The reason why I was suggesting the two Turkish proverbs (even if there might be some other closer ones in Turkish) in the beginning was, I read the story behind the proverb, which was indicating that the person who had uttered the English proverb, was born in Ireland but he was considering himself British.


----------



## macrotis

Eline0909 said:


> Ahırda doğmuş olmak/doğmak kişiyi at yapmaz.



In may opinion, this is better. The former "ahırda doğmakla at olunmaz," may also suggest the opposite of what is meant in the original, depending on whether being a horse is considered good or bad.

I, however, concede that we have some proverbs that may be interpreted in two ways opposite to each other, like "yuvarlanan taş yosun tutmaz," or "ava giden avlanır."


----------



## gigarange

bed-asla necabet mi verir hiç üniforma
zerduz palan vursan eşşek yine eşşektir.

But, it's not elegant.


----------



## seitt

Many thanks - what does zerduz mean, please?


----------



## gigarange

inlaid with golden


----------



## seitt

Many thanks! Perfect!


----------



## gigarange

Did you understand the meaning of the idiom ? Because, it's a little vulgar.


----------

