Wanting to go too far, too quickly

[jahrastafaray]

Hi! I would like to know what does "wanting to go too far, too quickly" means? I think it has nothing to do with going too far but i can't figure out what that may mean. The sentence it's used in is this:" I trigger the jealousy of people who are incompetent and who then reproach me for wanting to go too far, too quickly." Thank you.

[Tdol]

The people are jealous because the speaker wants to progress faster than they can manage.

[jahrastafaray]

So it doesn't mean anything other than it's basic meaning. Thank you for reply.

[BobK]

The people are jealous because the speaker wants to progress faster than they can manage.

Idiiomatically, they might say 'he's trying to run before he can walk'. (http://www.usingenglish.com/referenc...+can+walk.html )

b

[jahrastafaray]

Idiiomatically, they might say 'he's trying to run before he can walk'.
b

Hi! This suggestion suits better to the nature of the literature i'm reading. I guess this is what i was looking for. Thank you.

[BobK]

Hi! This suggestion suits better to the nature of the literature i'm reading. I guess this is what i was looking for. Thank you.

Thanks. I'm beginning to have my doubts though. 'Running before you can walk' is trying to something advanced before you've learnt the basics. In the case you describe - going too far too fast - they're just 'over-reaching themselves' (which is different).

b

[jahrastafaray]

Thanks. I'm beginning to have my doubts though. 'Running before you can walk' is trying to something advanced before you've learnt the basics. In the case you describe - going too far too fast - they're just 'over-reaching themselves' (which is different).

b

Hi. Maybe I should give you the whole paragraph. It goes like:
" Unwittingly I trigger the jealousy of people who cannot do anything or are incompetent and who then reproach me for wanting to go too far, too quickly. I never had any protection from slandering tongues. I am like a trout alive into a pan. But i was so happy to be far away from Paris already!...." I hope this excerpt helps you understand what i'm looking for. Thank you again for your replies.

[BobK]

Hi. Maybe I should give you the whole paragraph. It goes like:
" Unwittingly I trigger the jealousy of people who cannot do anything or are incompetent and who then reproach me for wanting to go too far, too quickly. I never had any protection from slandering tongues. I am like a trout alive into a pan. But I was so happy to be far away from Paris already!...." I hope this excerpt helps you understand what i'm looking for. Thank you again for your replies.

Yes - they think he wants to run before he can walk.

Incidentally, there are several things wrong with this passage. I don't understand the trout image at all, even allowing for a missing participle. What exactly does the behaviour of someone with 'no protection from slandering tongues' (itself a strangely biblical/archaic expression) have to do with 'a trout [thrown] live into a pan'? This sounds like a literal translation of an idiom taken from another language.


b

[jahrastafaray]

Hi! I think you got the right idea when saying that this is a literal translation from another language. This paragraph is from Christian Jacq's Champollion the Egyptian which is written in french and then translated to english by a Geraldine Le Roy. I thought it was me who was nitpicking but as you've pointed out there are some parts where i think the translator has taken the liberty to translate as he saw fit. Thank you for your replies.