about icon-addNote android4 Answer apple4 icon-appStoreEN icon-appStoreES icon-appStorePT icon-appStoreRU Imported Layers Copy 7 icon-arrow-spined icon-ask icon-attention icon-bubble-blue icon-bubble-red ButtonError ButtonLoader ButtonOk icon-cake icon-camera icon-card-add icon-card-calendar icon-card-remove icon-card-sort chrome-extension-ru chrome-extension-es-mx chrome-extension-pt-br chrome-extension-ru comment comment icon-cop-cut icon-cop-star Cross Dislike icon-editPen icon-entrance icon-errorBig facebook flag flag_vector icon-globe icon-googlePlayEN icon-googlePlayRU icon-greyLoader icon-cake Heart 4EB021E9-B441-4209-A542-9E882D3252DE Created with sketchtool. Info Kebab icon-lamp icon-lampBig icon-learnHat icon-learning-hat Dislike Loup Loup icon-more icon-note icon-notifications icon-pen Pencil icon-play icon-plus-light icon-plus icon-rosie-cut Rune scrollUp Share-icon Shevron-Down Shevron Left Shevron Right sound sound1 sound2 sound3 sound4 sound2 icon-star Swap icon-translate Trash icon-tutor-ellipsis icon-tutor-flip Tutor folder icon icon-tutor-learned icon-twoWayArrow Mezhdunarodny_logotip_VK vk icon-word pen_icon Logo Logo Logo
Go to Questions & Answers
Camille Nasked for translation 8 years ago
How to translate? (en-ru)

unknown quantity (it's idiom, but I can't translate it

User translations (1)

  1. 1.

    unknown quantity

    Edited

    Тёмная лошадка (about a person) ; Тёмный лес (about something unstudied)

    example

    Turner may do well in the election, though he is an unknown quantity as a campaigner. ;

    The new computer system is still an unknown quantity for our department.

    Example translation

    Для Тёрнера выборы могут пройти хорошо, однако этот кандидат - тёмная лошадка.

    Новая компьютерная система всё еще тёмный лес для нашего отдела.

    Translator's comment

    First example, as i assume, comes from the horse racing, where there's a new competitor with unknown perks.

    The second means that something is as dark as dense forest, where one can't see very far and has no idea of what's lay further.

    translation added by Sol Romani
    1

Discussion (1)

Camille Nadded a comment 8 years ago

THANK YOU!

Share with friends