He who excuses himself, accuses himself

Posted by RRC on May 04, 2006

In Reply to: He who excuses himself, accuses himself posted by Victoria S Dennis on May 04, 2006

: : : : : he who excuses himself, accuses himself.

: : : : : I want to know the meaning of this phrase.

: : : : It's an answer to the question "Who farted?"
: : : It's a translation of the rather snappier French proverb "Qui s'excuse s'accuse". RRC was joking, smruti: it means "if you feel you have to produce excuses and justifications for something you've done, that shows you really know you're in the wrong".

: : If I excuse myself, that means that I leave the room not that I make excuses and justifications. RRC.
: - True. But the translation would be even more laboured as "he who makes excuses for himself, accuses himself".

In that case, let's just translate it as "he did it" or "not me" - very "unlabored".
Is it better for the translation to look good than to make sense? I'm reminded of my friend who almost failed L*tin. He translated "Virii puellas in viam spectantne?" as "Are men girls in the way they look?" (word for word rather than looking at the endings) rather than "Are the men looking at the girls in the road?"