Jun 15, 2015 21:28
8 yrs ago
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Spanish term

...de antemano andada la mitad del camino hacia lo correcto

Spanish to English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Algunos nacen con una vocación de prudencia natural, una inclinación a la sabiduría, por lo que tienen de antemano andada la mitad del camino hacia lo correcto. Con los años y la experiencia, se perfecciona el pensar y se templa el buen juicio. Entonces abandona el hombre todo capricho, considerándolo una tentación contra su cordura, y más en la vida pública, que se requiere gran seguridad en las decisiones. El que gobierna o está en el consejo, debe buscar hombres de vocación o de experiencia que le ayuden a decidir.

Baltasar Gracián, El arte de la prudencia, 1647
Change log

Jun 15, 2015 21:29: Darius Saczuk changed "Language pair" from "English to Polish" to "Spanish to English"

Discussion

lorenab23 Jun 15, 2015:
This is how it has been translated lx A Sound Judgment.


Some are born wise, and with this natural advantage enter upon their studies, with a moiety already mastered. With age and experience their reason ripens, and thus they attain a sound judgment. They abhor everything whimsical as leading prudence astray, especially in matters of state, where certainty is so necessary, owing to the importance of the affairs involved., Such men deserve to stand by the helm of state either as pilots or as men at the wheel.
http://www.online-literature.com/gracian/art-worldly-wisdom/...

Proposed translations

1 hr
Selected

which means that half their journey is already traveled.

I much prefer the translation that Lorena posted, but with so many generations of distance from the original, you might want to stay closer to the Spanish--if that's what your client wants.

The other alternative would be to present your client with the existing translation, thereby earning "credit" for more work in the future.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, Muriel. I followed your advice. Thanks to everyone for their contribution."
13 mins

...and have therefore already completed half the journey down the pathway to goodness and virtue

I think that "correcto" here (especially given the 17th century provenance of the text) clearly has a moral connotation.
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16 mins

so they are already halfway there

Or they are already on the right road, or they have a head start.
I think Robert is on the right lines, but it can be expressed much more concisely.
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+1
20 mins

(so) they are well on their way to righteousness

This could be one way of saying it. I think "righteousness" would be the right word to use, as I have found a couple of references to the word in relation to Baltasar Gracián. See below:

http://www.rodneyohebsion.com/baltasar-gracian.htm

https://books.google.ie/books?id=EWM3UbdDFxsC&pg=PA165&lpg=P...
Peer comment(s):

agree Jennifer Forbes
1 day 12 hrs
Thank you, Jenny.
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31 mins

for which reason they are already halfway to where they should be in life

Halfway to the fitting, appropriate goal.
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