Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Swedish term or phrase:
Spela Lek och Lär
English translation:
Play Football and Learn the Ropes by Playing; Play the game, learn by playing
Added to glossary by
Charlesp
Dec 29, 2013 10:06
10 yrs ago
Swedish term
Spela Lek och Lär
Swedish to English
Social Sciences
Sports / Fitness / Recreation
"Fotbollens Spela Lek och Lär" is a phrase in Swedish football.
It is of course clear what it means, but the problem is that a direct translation into English doesn't work too well.
One certainly can't say "Play Play and Learn" - well one could, but is results in a very different meaning - so I am looking for suggestions of how to translate Spela and Lek, so that they aren't translated to the same word in English, "Play."
"(FSLL) beskriver vad all barn- och ungdomsverksamhet ska stå för och leda till och ska ses som inriktning för barn- och ungdomsfotbollen."
It is of course clear what it means, but the problem is that a direct translation into English doesn't work too well.
One certainly can't say "Play Play and Learn" - well one could, but is results in a very different meaning - so I am looking for suggestions of how to translate Spela and Lek, so that they aren't translated to the same word in English, "Play."
"(FSLL) beskriver vad all barn- och ungdomsverksamhet ska stå för och leda till och ska ses som inriktning för barn- och ungdomsfotbollen."
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 | (AE & BE) Play the Ball and Learn the Ropes |
Adrian MM. (X)
|
| 3 | Play the game, learn by playing |
Deane Goltermann
|
| 3 | Play the game and learn |
rajagopalan sampatkumar
|
| 3 | Practice, play and learn |
Leif Ohman
|
Proposed translations
1 hr
Selected
(AE & BE) Play the Ball and Learn the Ropes
Preferably not the negative connotations of gamesmanship, one-upmanship or grandstanding for the first part.
Learn the ropes assuredly works in AmE/CanE.
Learn the ropes assuredly works in AmE/CanE.
Example sentence:
www.thefreedictionary.com/gamesmanship
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
26 mins
Deane Goltermann
Sweden
Sweden
Native in Swedish
&
English
Sweden
Easy reading - Good writing
Native in: English 
, Swedish
Works in: Swedish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
32
Play the game, learn by playing
Here's an idea!
This could go with either clause first, or there are other combinations.
And, for some reading...
This could go with either clause first, or there are other combinations.
And, for some reading...
39 mins
rajagopalan sampatkumar
Switzerland
Switzerland
Native in English
Switzerland
30 years in legal, commercial and social
Native in: English
Works in: Danish to English, Norwegian to English, Swedish to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
2
Play the game and learn
Lek can be translated into play and/or game.
I presume the context is 'Fotbollens Spela Lek och Lär'(FSLL) - pdf file and DVD published by Svenska Footballförlaget.
I think 'Play the game and learn' will be a suitable translation.
I presume the context is 'Fotbollens Spela Lek och Lär'(FSLL) - pdf file and DVD published by Svenska Footballförlaget.
I think 'Play the game and learn' will be a suitable translation.
7 hrs
Leif Ohman
United States
United States
Native in Swedish
United States
Technically speaking
Native in: Swedish (Variants: Rikssvenska, Stockholm) 
Works in: English to Swedish, German to Swedish, Danish to Swedish, and 1 more.
Practice, play and learn
The examples show how you can go the other way, starting with a phrase in English that someone translated into the Swedish phrase.
Example sentence:
Spela, lek och lär med Robert Wells
Practice, Play, Collect Trophies, Diplomas and win exclusive Prices.
Reference:
http://www.litteraturmagazinet.se/robert-wells/spela-lek-och-lar-med-robert-wells-vardebevis
Discussion