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What would be the most natural way to say, "Everything worth doing requires self-discipline and effort?"

每個值得的事情都需要磨練和努力 feels like English crammed into Chinese.

Would 每件值得的事都需要磨練和努力 be better?

1) What's the most natural Mandarin translation?

2) What's the most natural Cantonese translation?

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  • how about 任何 instead of 每个? re 磨练 bkrs: to temper oneself to steel oneself self-discipline endurance, alternatively 自律? submit E to iciba get: 任何值得做的事都需要自律和努力
    – user6065
    Jun 15, 2018 at 4:31
  • @user6065 or just simply 「凡事」 for "everything worth doing", the word "worth" here seemed redundant to me so I just skip it.
    – KH.Lee
    Jun 15, 2018 at 4:53
  • It would be helpful if OP could clarify the context - the meaning of "everything worth doing".
    – KH.Lee
    Jun 15, 2018 at 8:39

4 Answers 4

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There is the phrase:

好事多磨

ABC Proverbs defines it as:

Lit [Accomplishing] great things [has] many hardships.

Fig In accomplishing anything worthwhile, one is bound to encounter setbacks.

Note: originally hǎoshì referred to a successful marriage or engagement, so “it takes many twists and turns to accomplish a good marriage” is sometimes equated with “The course of true love never did run smooth.” Cf. JW, chap. 28; DRC, chap. 1; Èr Kè Pāi'àn Jīngqí, chap. 9.

There was a headline from an hour ago on 速途网 that reads:

EOS主网的艰难启动是好事多磨,还是持币者的投机心理大于信仰?

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You may lookup an idiom (成語) from the dictionary that matches what you want to say. It would sound more natural. For example, 全力以赴, 孜孜不倦, 自強不息, (should not) 守株待兔, (should not) 半途而廢.

Most Chinese idioms are understood by both Cantonese and Mandarin speakers.

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You can use 凡事都需要自律和努力. "Self-discipline" is not reflected in the original translation.

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每個值得的事情都需要磨練和努力 is more accurate than 每件重要的事都需要磨練和努力。 Because of worth meaning(值得), not important(重要)

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  • Sorry, how about 每件值得的事都需要磨練和努力?
    – Crashalot
    Jun 15, 2018 at 7:21

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