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rice07
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 385
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 Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:19 am Post subject: No good deed goes unpunished. |
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Hi
1.Could you do me a favor verifying the correct meaning of the sentence below?
No good deed goes unpunished.
I hazard a guess it might mean ' Someone did something bad with impunity'.
2. I laced up my sneaks and headed outside for a run.
Don't you think there's something wrong with using sneaks in the sentence 2(perhaps my patchy knowledge of English)? Should it be sneakers?
Those two sentences in dark type above are from a novel i'm reading entitled 'FOUR BLIND MICE' written by JAMES PATTERSON. Thank YOU for your kind help. 
Sincerely
rice |
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dragn
Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
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| Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:09 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
No good deed goes unpunished.
I hazard a guess it might mean ' Someone did something bad with impunity'. |
No. It is normally meant in a sarcastic manner, typically after someone has tried to help another person and then has somehow ended up getting abused or mistreated in some way as a result of their attempt to help them.
For example:
There's a new guy named Joey at your company who is really struggling to do well and seems to need help. You feel sorry for him, and go out of your way to help him and teach him how to do things better. He appreciates your help, and his performance steadily improves. You feel good that you were able to help Joey, and are glad that he's improving.
Then, months later, a position opens up in your department; a position you have always wanted. It's your dream job, and you are well qualified for it. You can hardly contain your excitement, as you feel confident that your years of hard work and loyal service are finally about to be rewarded. The boss calls a special meeting to announce who has been promoted to the position, and...
...it's Joey.
No good deed goes unpunished. 
| Quote: |
2. I laced up my sneaks and headed outside for a run.
Don't you think there's something wrong with using sneaks in the sentence 2(perhaps my patchy knowledge of English)? Should it be sneakers? |
The writer is simply being playful with the language. He means sneakers. Native speakers do stuff like this constantly...get used to it. 
Hope this helps.
Greg |
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rice07
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 385
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:05 am Post subject: |
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Hi Greg
That really is an explicit elaboration over my questions. 
You might not know that I have been enjoying reading your responses for those learners of English in this forum very much. ' YOU are OF GREAT ASSISTANCE all the time', I have to say.
I grasp your points there, however, the original ' No good deed goes unpunished ' is still confusing, in particular its literal meaning. Enlightened by your example, the feeling of making sense of the literal meaning of the original is getting stronger, but I concede I can't fathom it out yet. Or rather, for instance, ' A good deed goes unpunished ' makes sense to me; ' No good deed goes unpunished ' doesn't. What does 'no' mean in the context? ' not necessarily ', ' not one(a)/not any ', or ' none of'? My understanding of your example, ' not necessarily ' might match, because of, if there's no misunderstanding, a similar meaning ' One good turn doesn't necessarily deserve another ' for the line(' No good deed goes unpunished'). Thank YOU, anyway.
Sincerely
rice
BTW, I gather I'm suddenly enlightened by a passing thought that ' not any' might be the best replacement of 'no' to match the context-- 'Not any good deed goes unpunished'.
Last edited by rice07 on Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:04 am; edited 1 time in total |
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dragn
Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 7:59 am Post subject: |
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| 'Not any good deed goes unpunished'. |
I'm glad this sort of makes sense to you, because that is an acceptably correct way to rephrase it.
Here are a few possible rewordings of the sentence:
Not a good deed goes unpunished.
Not one good deed goes unpunished.
Not a single good deed goes unpunished.
There is no good deed that goes unpunished / is not ultimately punished.
Every good deed is ultimately punished.
All good deeds are ultimately punished.
Each and every good deed is ultimately punished.
Hope this helps.
Greg |
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rice07
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 385
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:55 am Post subject: |
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Hi Greg
If you DON'T mind, I am interested in knowing whether you could show your students of learning English in Taiwan those sentences(No good deed goes unpunished, or those similar ones in meaning you offered) to see what their reactions would be to that, especially when coming to translating the literal meaning(s) of those sentences into Chinese. Although the meaning, in general, for those sentences, is ' how sin may how bow(好心沒好報)', which is the combined sounds for Mandarin. Thank YOU Greg for your time for that, indeed.
Sincerely
rice |
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