Jacek Kloskowski Jan 10, 2015:

Margo, I see that we agree to disagree :)

I see your point, however IMO the proposed meaning of "much less higher" in this context sounds a bit unnatural. If this was the idea, we would most likely see "more, much lower (no comma) offers".

Anyway, thank you, it was a pleasure meeting you and have a nice weekend indeed :)

margo252 Jan 10, 2015:

JackMark, sometimes the simplest things are hardest to grasp because they're just simple! We over-analyze them and get this big jumble in our mind. First, our interpretation is the same when it comes to the prices here, but I see that your translation shifts away from the source. There is nothing about the prices getting higher. Second, "much less" is not the term in question here. The term in question is "much less higher", which means "mniejszy."
Look, I truly appreciate this discussion. We are here to help each other, to test our skills, and to hone them b/c of the nuances such this one. So let's take pleasure in the fact that there is more practice to come our way:) I'm taking off this weekend though. Enjoy yours :)

Jacek Kloskowski Jan 10, 2015:

Ogólna uwaga - portal proz pozwala nam podawać swoje interpretacje i sugestie, poprawne lub nie. Każdy z nas wstawiając swoją wersję uważa ze podaje poprawną odpowiedż. Osobiście, jeśli już decyduję się podać moją wersję staram się unikać oceny innych podanych odpowiedzi, nawet jeśli uważam inaczej, pozostawiając je jedynie osądowi innych i jak pytającego, "just because I have a stake in it":).

Chyba ze uznam iż inna propozycja jest lepsza niż moja, i lepiej oddaje podany kontekst, a wtedy z przyjemnością ocenię ją pozytywnie. Nie widzę nic złego w popełnianiu błedów, przecież, wszyscy się przecież tutaj uczymy, nieprawdaż?

Jacek Kloskowski Jan 10, 2015:

I jeszcze jedna ciekawy artykuł na temat różnic pomiędzy użyciem zwrotów "much less" a "or even":

"NEGATIVE X, much less Y" presupposes that X and Y can be placed on some scale of accessibility, such that X is easier/commoner and Y is harder/rarer. Normally, in fact, you need to pass through X in order to get to Y. A typical example from the NYT:

For all his achievements, Rex never got their attention, much less their rightful applause.

If X and Y are in the opposite order, with X being further out or less accessible, then the normal idiom is "NEGATIVE X or even Y":

Now over thirty years old, he had never dated or even associated with women.

Note that in such examples, X and Y can be inverted by switching idioms:

For all his achievements, Rex never got their rightful applause, or even their attention.
Now over thirty years old, he had never even associated with women, much less dated them.

http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2994

Jacek Kloskowski Jan 10, 2015:

Ze względu na dyskusję która się tu się wywiązała na temat interpretacji podanego zdania, chciałbym wyjaśnić że zwrot "much less" jest pewnego rodzaju kolokacją idiomatyczną:

much less

And certainly not, as in He rarely talks about his outside activities, much less his family. The earliest record of this idiom is in John Milton's Paradise Lost (1671): "The world thou hast not seen, much less her glory."

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/much less

Definition of MUCH LESS

: not to mention —used especially in negative contexts to add to one item another denoting something less likely <had trouble paying for a car, much less a high-definition TV>

Examples of MUCH LESS

<after spraining his ankle, the gymnast hadn't been expected to appear in today's event, much less win it>

Synonyms

let alone, never mind, still less

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/much less

Maciek Drobka Jan 9, 2015:

zgadza się

Jacek Kloskowski Jan 9, 2015:

Tak, z naciskiem że jest znacznie mniejsze prawdopodobieństwo pojawienia się, w tym wypadku, lepszych ofert :)

Agnieszka Zimniewicz (asker) Jan 9, 2015:

czyli "much less" to takie "let alone"?

Maciek Drobka Jan 9, 2015:

... nie należy zakładać, że będzie się pojawiać więcej ofert, a tym bardziej ofert wyższych (co do wartości)