Nauka bez cnoty jako miecz u szalonego: i sobie i ludziom szkodzi
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What it means
“Learning without virtue is like a sword in the hands of a madman: it harms both oneself and others.” Knowledge or skill divorced from moral character is dangerous. Education must be paired with ethics.
English equivalent
A little learning is a dangerous thing.
Vocabulary
- nauka — learning, science, education
- cnota — virtue
- miecz — sword
- szalony — madman, lunatic
- szkodzić — to harm, to damage
Grammar note
'Bez cnoty' uses the genitive after 'bez'. 'U szalonego' uses the genitive after 'u'. 'Szkodzi' takes the dative: 'sobie' (to oneself) and 'ludziom' (to people).
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