# po nocach



## guniang

Hello!
Can I translate 'po nocach' as 'for many nights' in a phrase: 'obradują po nocach nad pakietami ratunkowymi'?

My try: 
They deliberate for many nights over rescue / bailout plans.

Thanks!


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## paulie-nka

What about _during (long) nights_?


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## LilianaB

They have been working at night on a bailout package. Maybe. More context would be great. _For the last two weeks_, for example, _they have been working late at night on a bailout package_, or something like that.


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## guniang

More context:
Gdy nagle okazuje się, że sytuacja jest krytyczna, [liderzy europejscy] zbierają się na nadzwyczajnych szczytach i obradują po nocach nad pakietami ratunkowymi, by odsunąć groźbę niewypłacalności Grecji i innych członków. 

My try: 
When it suddenly turns out that situation is critical they gather at extraordinary summits and deliberate for many nights / late at night over rescue / bailout packages  in order to ward off the threat of insolvency of Greece and other EU members. 


I can't say 'for the last two weeks' for no definition of time is mentioned in Polish version.


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## LilianaB

When it suddenly turned out, or became obvious, that the situation is critical, the leaders of the European Union have started gathering at special summits and working at night on a bailout or rescue package to prevent the threat of insolvency of Greece and other EU members.


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## majlo

You could also use the idiom "to burn the midnight oil".


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## dreamlike

Liliana, I think that _"it turned out that_" might sound a bit awkward to native's ears. I was taught that one can say "turns out to be, as it turns out, he/she/it turned out to..." but rarely "turned out that". It might be considered a loan-translation, but I can be wrong. 

*My take on this:
*When the situation suddenly turned out to be critical, the European leaders started gathering at emergency summits debating over bailout packages day and night, all that in order to prevent the threat of insolvency of Greece and other EU members.


It's certainly not perfect and might call for some corrections, but I think that "day and night" underlines the continuous character of those debates, and the effort that needs to be put in to find some solution.


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## LilianaB

How do you know what sounds awkward to native ears? Just a joke. OT. I like your version.


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## dreamlike

I made it a point that I might be wrong, in case you didn't notice.


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## majlo

Lame joke. These days non-native speakers can check what sounds awkward to native ears in the blink of an eye.


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## LilianaB

It depends what you mean by native ears. There are various localities of native ears, especially as far as English is concerned, but not only.


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## guniang

dreamlike said:


> Liliana, I think that _"it turned out that_" might sound a bit awkward to native's ears. I was taught that one can say "turns out to be, as it turns out, he/she/it turned out to..." but rarely "turned out that". It might be considered a loan-translation, but I can be wrong.



My Cambridge dictionary gives such a definition and one of examples: turn out = to happen in a particular way or to have a particular result, especially an unexpected one 2) to be known or discovered finally and surprisingly_
 It turns out that she had known him when they were children

_So, apparently, 'turn out that' is acceptable.


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## guniang

majlo said:


> You could also use the idiom "to burn the midnight oil".



nice and useful idiom


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## Thomas1

I also like Majlo's suggestion very much. I think you might also say 'debate late into the night'.

I would also add that in the original we have the present (used for a routine occurence), so your version of translating it with the present looks OK.


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## dreamlike

guniang said:
			
		

> _It turns out that she had known him when they were children
> 
> _So, apparently, 'turn out that' is acceptable.



It might be permissible but frowned upon by native speakers, which is often the case with some expressions. I remember some native speaker pointing out that "It turns out that" sounds awkward to him. I'd have to flick through my posts but it might not be worth it as it seems to be just some individual peculiarity - having looked it up, it seems to be perfectly fine. But if I were to choose from these two versions:

- When the situation suddenly turned out to be critical,
- When it suddenly turned out, or became obvious, that the situation is critical

I'd certainly go for the former.


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## guniang

I provided two versions as well. I'd like to point out that Cambridge dictionary is a good reference source - made by native speakers for English learners. You may find this useful : http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/turn-out_1?q=turn+out#turn-out_1__2

Have a good day (All of you)  !


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## dreamlike

Thanks, I'm familiar with Cambridge Dictionary (as almost every single serious learner of English language) and have been using for quite some time but Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary is equally good, or even better in some instances


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## LilianaB

You also have to think which native you ask for advise: if you ask my plummer he may not even understand you or think you speak the same language, although he is a great man and speaks a nice version of English.  He may not even think you are from the same Planet, to be more precise.  On the other hand if you find some kind of purist who loves convoluted semi-academic language, he may say that people do not even speak English if they do not speak the version he loves.OT


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## majlo

Not to mention the fact that English is spoken by so many people as their first language that it's mission impossible to determine which version of "turn out" one _should _​use.


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## LilianaB

It is not only which version. Some people may speak slang most of the time. You have to realize that people do not speak a book version of any language, but this is even more evident in case of  English, maybe some other languages which have a lot of varieties or dialects. It is not so obvious if you think about Polish and Russian. These languages have less of a difference. Although I am not sure any more; many people speak slang or regional varieties of Polish these days probably too.


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## dreamlike

I don't know what is it that this native speaker didn't like about "it turns out that", and whether he/she is alone in the loathe for this construction - I assume he/she is, since it's recognized by every dictionary I looked it up in. However, I often find some expressions or constructions in dictionary (not labelled as "outdated" or "old-fashioned") that turn out to be deemed "awkward" by natives for no apparent reason, not because they are wrong, excessively fancy or don't fit in the context. 

I don't expect natives to speak a bookish English, but some of them could cut down on using slang, and attach more importance to the way they speak.


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## LilianaB

It just might be somebody's personal taste: there are a lot of constructions and phrases I do not like, and there is nothing wrong with them from the grammatical point of view.


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## francisgranada

A possible alternative for _po nocach_: night after night


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