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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

We gave the light to the world... and were left with the candle!

Indonesian translation: kami memberikan pelita bagi dunia... namun hanya lilinnya yang tersisa bagi kami!

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:We gave the light to the world... and were left with the candle!
Indonesian translation:kami memberikan pelita bagi dunia... namun hanya lilinnya yang tersisa bagi kami!
Entered by: SeiTT

09:42 Apr 26, 2021
English to Indonesian translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Sayings
English term or phrase: We gave the light to the world... and were left with the candle!
Hi
This is something Greeks will sometimes say to foreign visitors.
The idea is that they gave the light of civilisation to the world, so the world became enlightened with Greek inventions, literature etc., but that they themselves lost the light and their own candle was extinguished, so they mean that they were left with an extinguished candle with no light at all.
The Greeks often blame this on their being an Ottoman colony for hundreds of years.
Please feel free to add words as needed to make the meaning crystal clear to an ordinary Indonesian person as this seems to be very much a phenomenon of western culture.
Many thanks
Simon
SeiTT
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:13
kami memberikan pelita bagi dunia... namun hanya lilinnya yang tersisa bagi kami!
Explanation:
Hope that helps!
Selected response from:

Regi2006
Indonesia
Local time: 07:13
Grading comment
Terima kasih banyak, luar biasa.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2kami memberikan terang cahaya kepada dunia... tapi (apa daya) hanya pelita padam yang tersisa
fird_77
5kami memberikan pelita bagi dunia... namun hanya lilinnya yang tersisa bagi kami!
Regi2006


  

Answers


52 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
we gave the light to the world... and were left with the candle!
kami memberikan pelita bagi dunia... namun hanya lilinnya yang tersisa bagi kami!


Explanation:
Hope that helps!

Regi2006
Indonesia
Local time: 07:13
Native speaker of: Native in IndonesianIndonesian
PRO pts in category: 17
Grading comment
Terima kasih banyak, luar biasa.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
we gave the light to the world... and were left with the candle!
kami memberikan terang cahaya kepada dunia... tapi (apa daya) hanya pelita padam yang tersisa


Explanation:
I got the inspiration from Bung Regi's answer!

fird_77
Indonesia
Local time: 07:13
Native speaker of: Native in IndonesianIndonesian, Native in JavaneseJavanese
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Terima kasih banyak atas jawaban Anda juga; itu juga sangat berguna.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  frz
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, frz!
agree  Kaharuddin
23 hrs
  -> Thanks, Bung Kaharuddin
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