Без труда не выловишь и рыбку из пруда
Translation: you can't pull a fish out of a pond without some effort
Analog: no pain, no gain
Through a charming impression of angling life, this expression provides a brutal reminder that nothing in this world is an easy treat if it’s truly valuable – and yet all of our hard work always pays off. That’s something you should remember when you spend days paging through your class notes or struggle over any other daunting task.
За двумя зайцами погонишься, ни одного не поймаешь
Translation: if you run after two hares, you will catch neither
Analog: a jack of all trades is a master of none
While doing multiple things at once may make you feel as though you were a superhero, it can also take a serious toll on your productivity and achievements. Folk wisdom has it that when choosing to pursue too many tasks at the same time, you’re destined to fail or simply be equally mediocre at each. What you can do is solve problems as they arise and focus on achieving one thing at a time instead of exhausting yourself by having too much on your plate.
Работа не волк, в лес не убежит
Translation: work is no wolf, it won't go anywhere
Analog: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today / all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
While fish remind us about the value of hard work and hares say that we shouldn’t spread ourselves too thin, wolves are here to bring some good or bad news – you decide. Though firmly endured in our culture, this phrase has somehow grown to have two meanings but, funnily enough, completely opposite ones. While some believe that it means that the work isn’t going anywhere and you’ll have to do it anyway, others prefer to think of it as an excellent excuse to put it off as long as they can – but we’re talking good advice here, right?
Повторение – мать учения
Translation: repetition is the mother of learning
Analog: practice makes perfect
While our brain is chock-full of random things like the theme song from that popular ‘00s show, it may not work just as smoothly with dates, numbers, and formulae. If you struggle to memorize some information, keep in mind that повторение – мать учения, which means that you have to repeat what you want to learn and repeat it again to make it finally stick. In case that doesn't help, there are even better ways to revise here.
Век живи – век учись
Translation: live for a century, learn for a century
Once a student, always a student – that’s what this saying is about. Once you’ve embarked on this lifelong endeavor, you should stay open and keep learning and growing throughout your whole life.
And lastly, лучше поздно, чем никогда (better late than never): it’s never too late to submit that paper, pick up a new skill, or find a new job – not to mention, check what else our team has in store for you.
