What is the translation for 以后还得了?

Question

So I came across seeing this post and I find that I can't translate "以后还得了" to English.

But based on my knowledge, this post is saying that her daughter would be very clever if she knows how to program in Python right?

Answer 1

不 = not

得 = able to

了 = end --> be contained

不得了 (can't be contained): desperately serious; disastrous; extremely; exceedingly

Example:

乱堆的木材一着火就不得了 = Once the messily piled up timber caught fire, it (can't be contained) will be disastrous

他的快球这么强，再学会曲线球 就不得了 = His fastball is so strong if he learned curveball he will be (can't be contained) unstoppable

以后还得了? (in the future, how can he still be contained?) is a rhetorical question. It actually means 以后会不得了 (he can't be contained in the future). In other words, 'he will be extremely (outstanding/ extraordinary/ unstoppable) in the future'

Rhetorical question: "How can he still be stoppable (containable) in the future?"

Actual statement: "He will be unstoppable (uncontainable) in the future"

I would translate '以后还得了?' as "How extraordinary will he be in the future?". Meaning: "he will be great in the future"

Answer 2

L Paker is correct on there is "the sarcasm in the response".

Translating the full response into English:

Too late now. She shall be taught to program Python before even start learning words, then her mother-language would be Programming, and there should have no limit to her potential to be the greatest in the future!

Hidden message: How ridiculous it is to push such a young kid to learn such a difficult task.

Answer 3

Most of time, the phrase 以后还得了 is often used for negative connotations. It's along the line of (我们不应该放任不管，不然)以后还得了.

It implies that we should do something/take some measures to stop it developing or it would grow to the degree of being big/serious later.

But in some specific context, it can imply positive, so we need to look into the specific context to translate.

P. S. I can't see the image OP attached, so I don't know the context.