Hi! This is a really interesting question and I’m glad it has fallen to my lot to answer it.
First
off, let’s just say that sometimes, when nothing immediately suggests
itself as a natural translation for a phrase, it’s better not to
translate it. This doesn’t mean you’re admitting defeat, or that Irish
is an inferior language to English. It just means that languages do
things differently. If you don’t believe me, take a look on Amazon France and see how they translate the titles of the big blockbuster movies from America.
They don’t change the title because French isn’t capable of saying
those things. They change them because a direct translation just
doesn’t sound as good in French.
Having
said that, you may have a very good reason for wanting to translate
this specific phrase and that’s fine.. We will certainly be able to
find a good equivalent. But first we need to establish what the phrase
is really saying. I take it that it is a bit tongue in cheek – it is
using a kind of Biblical language but what it is really doing is to
invite people to offer an opinion so that they can either be supported
or criticized. Am I right?
If
this is the case, the version “Labhair agus tabharfar breithiúnas ort”
isn’t a bad translation. It is grammatically correct and covers the
meaning fairly well. However, I wouldn’t use it myself for the simple
reason that the word “judge” in English covers a wide range of
meanings, some of which are covered by “breithiúnas” in Irish and some
of which aren’t. For example, to judge a competition is “moltóireacht a
dhéanamh”. And to judge in the general sense of assess a situation,
reckon, evaluate (which I think is the real meaning intended here) is
“rud éigin a mheas”. Breithiúnas is a pretty strong term, which
suggests a legal or religious context: a judge about to condemn a
prisoner, or lurid visions of crimson skies and quaking sinners wailing
and gnashing their teeth! Again, this might be what you mean, so feel
free to use it, but remember that the other uses of judge aren’t really
covered by this term breithiúnas in Irish.
So, what would I write? Assuming
that my guess about the context is correct and that you are simply
asking someone to express an opinion on an issue so that it can be
agreed with or shot down, then there are several options. In order to
keep it interesting, attractive and natural, I would make use of Irish
proverbs and traditional sayings as a template. For example, there is a
well-known proverb in Irish: “Más maith leat do mholadh, faigh bás; más
maith leat do cháineadh, pós!” (If you like being praised, die; if you
like being criticized, get married!) So what about paraphrasing this –
Más maith leat do cháineadh, labhair! (If you like being criticized,
speak!) In other words, give an opinion and we’ll be ready to criticize
it. If you think that’s a bit negative and that you would like
something which emphasizes your willingness to rate and assess
something rather than just criticize it, how about this, which is also
based on the pattern of a traditional proverb: “An tuairim nach
nochtar, ní féidir í a mheas!” (The opinion which is not expressed
cannot be assessed.)
Or
something similar but a little shorter: Labhair, agus déanfar do
thuairim a mheas! (Speak, and your opinion will be judged!) In any of
these cases, the word barúil is just as good as tuairim.
Let us know what you think of these suggestions. After all, An tuairim nach nochtar, ní féidir í a mheas!