What the expression "Bien mal acquis ne profite jamais" means is that : a good (=bien) that's been obtained (=acquis) in an unfair way (=mal) never (=ne...jamais) profits (=profite).
"One should not profit from the sale of stolen goods" would be "Il ne faut pas profiter de la vente de biens volés" whereas "It's unfair to profit from selling items that have been stolen" would be "Il est mal de profiter de la vente d'objets qui ont été volés". It's in the other way, in fact.
The object that is unfairly obtained never profits. I am sure of the meaning but not of the english syntax.
Oww.. I understand what you find strange, it's the fact that the object "profits" !
In French, we can say that ; and that means that the object brings "more" to its owner.
If I say "Mes cours d'anglais m'ont profité", that means that my english lessons have brought more (english knowledge) to me.
I don't know how to express it naturally in english.
2Jio15
I wonder if you're trying to say something like "Ill-gotten goods never prosper".
The traduction of sharptoothed means exactly what it means in French ! I'll correct with "ill-gotten gains never benefit anyone".
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This sentence was initially added as a translation of sentence #649214
added by Jio15, February 7, 2011
linked by Jio15, February 7, 2011
linked by Esperantostern, February 13, 2011
linked by al_ex_an_der, September 22, 2012
linked by al_ex_an_der, September 22, 2012
linked by al_ex_an_der, September 22, 2012
edited by Jio15, June 28, 2013
edited by Jio15, June 29, 2013
linked by duran, May 16, 2016