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Sentence #3394140

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Comments

 patgfisher patgfisher July 24, 2014 July 24, 2014 at 7:56:04 AM UTC link Permalink

Annotation:

"one step forward and two steps back" (idiom) means when progress is made something bad happens which causes you to be in a worse position than you were to begin with.

al_ex_an_der al_ex_an_der July 24, 2014 July 24, 2014 at 8:00:09 AM UTC link Permalink

I'd like to ask: Should I imagine "one step forward and two steps back" just one time or repeatedly?

patgfisher patgfisher July 24, 2014 July 24, 2014 at 8:18:33 AM UTC link Permalink

It can be either one time or more than once.

When I wrote the sentence, I was thinking of a series of setbacks to Tom's health.

The sentence is, however, open to interpretation and my sentence could also mean Tom has had one setback. In a conversation, the context would make it clear.

al_ex_an_der al_ex_an_der July 24, 2014 July 24, 2014 at 8:47:51 AM UTC link Permalink

Thank you for your explanation. I'm going to add a second translation. ☺

al_ex_an_der al_ex_an_der July 24, 2014 July 24, 2014 at 8:50:35 AM UTC link Permalink

And now we have
[#3394140] — a series of setbacks to Tom's health
[#3394212] — one setback

patgfisher patgfisher July 25, 2014 July 25, 2014 at 7:08:33 AM UTC link Permalink

Thanks, Alexander!
☺

odexed odexed July 25, 2014 July 25, 2014 at 7:47:47 AM UTC link Permalink

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTHCwU9rUdY
:)

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This sentence is original and was not derived from translation.

It's been one step forward and two steps back with Tom's health lately.

added by patgfisher, July 24, 2014
➜ #3394144Mit Toms Gesundheit ging es in der letzten Zeit immer einen Schritt voran und zwei Schritte zurück.

linked by al_ex_an_der, July 24, 2014
➜ #3394212Toms Genesung hat in der letzten Zeit einen Rückschlag erlitten.

linked by al_ex_an_der, July 24, 2014