Only officials are allowed to set fires; commoners are not permitted to light lamps
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How should this proverb be translated? While the magistrates are free to set fire, the common people are forbidden to light lamps. Also, is it better to use while at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle?
““ Point” should be expressed as light up, not light; light is an intransitive verb. “\"Only the officials are allowed to set fires; common people are not permitted to light lamps.\" Its original meaning is that of an imperative sentence. When translated in this way, it loses its original flavor.
Only the officials are allowed to set fires; ordinary people are not even permitted to light lamps. Those in power can do whatever they want, while the weak are not allowed to do anything at all
The closest equivalent in English is: One man may steal a horse while another may not look over a hedge.
An official may steal a horse, while the common people may not look over a hedge.
While can also be used at the beginning of a sentence to express “although...but...”, it is more commonly used within a sentence, where it serves to contrast elements together, similar to “and”, emphasizing that contrast: handshake