Inter-Tra Apr 10, 2009:

Troubles come in threes The Italian context usally is negative, here it seems to be positive. I liked Sele solution, it explaines.

Lirka Apr 9, 2009:

with polyglot45 absolutely

polyglot45 Apr 9, 2009:

depends on level of readership Frankly I don't agree with Virginia1. The average reader (in English) would be pulled up short, if he or she were to come across 'never two without three'. Henry James was probably writing for a more erudite audience

virginia1 Apr 9, 2009:

Idioms This idiomatic expression is common in all latin languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese..) and it's getting more and more known in the English speaking world, thanks to translation. In this particular context I think that it doesn't imply that the third time is the best nor the last - as the English equivalent seems to suggest. The event is likely to take place again in the future. Therefore - in this context - I think there's no harm to 'lend' this Italian idiom to the English l. (I have found various occurrences on the net). After all, even Henry James did that, when in his 'Golden Bowl' used the expression 'Another pair of sleeves'. So, in this case - where the rendering of the idiomatic expression in the TT is not a fundamental feature in the text - I am pro 'foreignization'.