Please help with meaning

[letslearn]

Hi guys,
I'm having some trouble with a phrase from a text book. This how it is written.

忙しくて忙しくて, だれでもいいから一人でも多くの人に手伝ってもらいたい。

I see..

busy busy, from anybody would be good even one person many people I request help?

obviously that is a literal translation but i really don't understand its meaning.

is 一人でも hitoridemo or hitoride mo or hitori demo?? it seems to have many readings like... alone, one person etc etc.

is this a set phrase?

not sure. welcome any help.

よろしくお願いします

 

[Toritoribe]

"1 counter + でも + quantitative adjective" (e.g. 一つでも少なく, １グラムでも軽く, １ミリでも高く, １円でも安く, １秒でも早く,,,) means "~ as possible".

から doesn't mean "from" there, by the way.

 

[letslearn]

just to see I have it right.... if using 1円でも安く, means as cheap as possible １円でも高く would mean as expensive as possible?
so 一人でも多くの人 is as many people as possible?

so the main sentence. 忙しくて忙しくて, だれでもいいから一人でも多くの人に手伝ってもらいたい。

I think that だれでもいい means anybody.


has the nuance of..
because I am so busy, I want to get help from any and as many people as possible.

is that correct?

 

[Mike Cash]

Even just one xxxx more/less/etc

It is sort of an idiomatic phrasing, but "as xxxx as possible" is a perfectly fine functional translation. A direct translation of "as xxxx as possible" would use 出来るだけor 出来る限り

 

[Toritoribe]

から doesn't mean "from", as I wrote.

だれでもいいから
whoever the person is (lit. since everybody is OK)

 

[letslearn]

I know you shouldn't try to do direct translations but it seems to say.
I'm really busy I want help,whoever they are, and as many as possible.

 

[Mike Cash]

That's a habit best not indulged in. It's just my opinion, but that's a fantastic way to hamstring your progress.