Como dizer "O que ela tem de bela, tem de burra" em inglês

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Oi pessoal,

- O que ela tem de bela, ela tem de burra.
- O que lhe sobra em beleza, falta-lhe em inteligência.

O idiom Long on sth and short on sth / Short on sth and long on sth, pode ser usado para dizer as frases acima em inglês?

Se possível, com exemplo, por favor.

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O que ela tem de bela, ela tem de burra.
She is as beautiful as she is stupid.
  • Maria is as beautiful as she is stupid. [Keith Preble - Books Google]
Bons estudos.
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6 49 1.3k
In general the following would convey that:
What she has in looks, she lacks in substance.
What he has in looks, he lacks in substance.


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As for the second question, the answer is, not really.
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/diction ... hort-of-it

Hence, the long and short (of something). I think they have made a corruption (corruptela) of the word/expression. So they can say, "the long and short ON something''.

The preposition ON here (instead of the preposition OF), meaning that it is related to some more serious subjects (for example, studies, academical works or even finance, for example.)
That´s why you see lots of books with titles like "Treaty on the European Union", "Case Studie on Transport Policy, etc" [ON instead of ABOUT, for example.]

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I must let the problable passing reader aware that I don´t mean to help in way the learner to find offensive words to use against others, let alone to make use of generalisations/stereotypes, or reinforce them in any way.
So, some the given answers are just on informational basis, even if they don´t represent my views. The above answer is a case in point.
That doesn´t mean that I am strictly a politically correct guy, or that I always jump on the bandwagon. I have my case-by-case filter.
Oi Donay,

Por que você considera "She is as beautiful as she is stupid" uma tradução mais adequada que "What she has in looks, she lacks in substance"?

Se fosse para uma tradução literária, por exemplo, não estaríamos assim distorcendo o estilo da escrita original?
6 49 1.3k
Hi there, Jub.
To me, isn´t about being more proper or not, both could be used. There´s more than a way to skin a cat (I meant, an expression here), more than a way to solve an equation, etc.
There´s one slight difference in the reasoning, tough. The pair "as..as" would mean a comparison when things are equal in some way, sort of. Whereas, the former is a bit of a schadenfreude comment, if you get my drift.

To illustrate the point you are a fan of an actress and you know that she is not that beautiful but you somehow like her anyway, so you unconciously would "deffend" her in the following way:
What she doesn´t have in looks she makes up for in talent.

But then, there are a friend of yours, he/she just can´t stand that actress, she/he maybe unconciously will pick her faults, her problems, her negative points, but has to acknowledge that actress has fans. So, in an attempt to bring others to his/her side, to have the same opinion. In schadenfreude, she/he could say.
What she has in talent, she lacks in looks.


It´s just one illustration, could be with other characteristics/attributes/aspects. But the idea is, it´s a commentary of one that perhaps that is trying to see the negative way of someone else. More often than not.
Okay, the person could be right, in some events wouldn´t be out of schadenfreude or jealousy but would be a highlighting of the negative side of a question just the same.
And it may be much less used, statistically than the other way. But it is, and to be honest, in practice there´s no glitch in understanding if one use one or the other.
My thinking here, though.
Hi PPaulo,

Thank you for your comments.

I understand your point, but I believe that the beauty of the language is in its subtleties, and once we acknowlegde a general meaning for an expression, depriving it from its nuances, which is exactly what enrich it, we impoverish it.
I personally wouldn't use statistics when translating.

Anyway, by your previous post I suppose you kind of agree with me.

I still need to improve my English a lot, and am not a translator.. ;)
Thanks again.
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Neither do I, buddy. I regard myself just a basica learner, and I really am.
And yes, I agree with you to a degree, to me both ways could convey that message, by different reasonings perhaps. Whereas I can see that you favor one. Fine by me too.
I, for one, don´t use statistics when translating as well, perhaps I haven´t expressed myself well, he hee.
By statistics I meant, the average usage as it is at a given time, not that I am a stickler to them and that I am a "jumper" on the bandwagon. A proof of that, is that I have brought some words and usages that are a bit of "proscribed" words and usages, in both languages -English and Portuguese.

As it happened with the topic in wich "banhar" showed up
como-dizem-i-m-going-to-take-a-shower-t34758-20.html

And no guy or girl from Piauí came to substantiate my information, even if they do use the language as it is. But, as I said I don´t always go with the statistics, sometimes rather the opposite, even if I burn my fingers (I and the local G1 news site). :lol:

In other words, I don´t have (in average) any biased view towards any language aspect or use. Although, I have my style and preferences, for example, one don´t see me using strong language words, even I know they can use it a lot in English (expressions with ''hell" or ''f*ing" for example). Not that I don´t know them.