Need help with a tattoo

[Natalie_d]

Hii guys , i need your help to translate a sentence for a deep meaningfull tattoo im about to make , the sentence: “ the things you said but didnt mean , and things i meant but never said “ . 

Thanks in advance 

[Shelley]

Welcome to the forum.

 

In a word - don't. The meaning you want will be lost in translation.

 

If it is meaningful for you, pick a nice font in your own language and have a skilled tattooist write it beautifully for you. This will mean all the people who speak your language and presumably these are the people you want to share this thought with will understand it, rather than a random number of Chinese people you might meet.

 

If the tattooist you choose is not skilled in writing Chinese characters it could end up a terrible mess. 

 

Writing it in Chinese characters doesn't impart any "special power or magic" 

 

So please before you ink, think and think again and again.

[Natalie_d]

Hii shelly , thanks i really understand what you say and totally agree , but i didnt choose chinese randomly , it is dedicated to my late father who has memories of china , and plus i dont want anybody i meet to understand what is written it is only between me and him , do you think it can still be done without loosing its meaning ?

[arrow]

言非所欲，欲言而止

[abcdefg]

It doesn't even sound good in English. Needs revising. The statement is unbalanced. Lacks rhetorical symmetry. 

[Lu]

10 hours ago, Natalie_d said:

and plus i dont want anybody i meet to understand what is written it is only between me and him

There are at least one and a half billion people who can read Chinese. If you don't want anyone else to see it, consider getting it on a body part that is usually covered by clothes.

 

Please listen to Shelley. Get this in a language you and your father would actually understand. That is much more meaningful.

[Pandarow]

欲言又止？  But it is not exactly the meaning as your English sentences. And it is not that positive.

[Natalie_d]

I appreciate all your advice , but im really just seeking translation . There is a reason i want it in chinese 

[tomovhell]

I think people are basically saying it won't really translate well - different languages have very different ways of saying things, and I guess like most Western names come out sounding out when changed to Chinese phrases like this won't work. 

Approximations can be made but they won't be exact and therefore I think people are wondering why you'd get something that doesn't mean/say exactly what you want it to?