Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

The basement is much crowded, but there is plenty of room up-stairs

Spanish translation:

Abajo no cabe nadie, pero sobra sitio arriba

Added to glossary by Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Oct 8, 2023 17:35
8 mos ago
43 viewers *
English term

"The basement is much crowded, but there is plenty of room up-stairs"

English to Spanish Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
(Context from Art of Money Getting)
"In England, the business makes the man." If a man in that country is a mechanic or working-man , he is not recognized as a gentleman. On the occasion of my first appearance before Queen Victoria, the Duke of Wellington asked me what sphere in life General Tom Thumb's parents were in.

"His father is a carpenter," I replied.


"Oh! I had heard he was a gentleman," was the response of His Grace.


In this Republican country, the man makes the business. No matter whether he is a blacksmith, a shoemaker, a farmer, banker or lawyer, so long as his business is legitimate, he may be a gentleman. So any "legitimate" business is a double blessing it helps the man engaged in it, and also helps others. The Farmer supports his own family, but he also benefits the merchant or mechanic who needs the products of his farm. The tailor not only makes a living by his trade, but he also benefits the farmer, the clergyman and others who cannot make their own clothing. But all these classes often may be gentlemen.


The great ambition should be to excel all others engaged in the same occupation.

The college-student who was about graduating, said to an old lawyer:


"I have not yet decided which profession I will fol­ low. Is your profession full?"

"The basement is much crowded, but there is plenty of room up-stairs," was the witty and truth­ful reply.

No profession, trade, or calling, is overcrowded in the upper story. Wherever you find the most honest and intelligent merchant or banker, or the best lawyer, the best doctor, the best clergyman, the best shoemaker, carpenter, or anything else, that man is most sought for, and has always enough to do. As a nation, Americans are too superficial-they are striving to get rich quickly, and do not generally do their business as substantially and thoroughly as they should, but whoever excels all others in his own line, if his habits are good and his integrity undoubted, cannot fail to secure abundant patron­ age, and the wealth that naturally follows. Let your motto then always be "Excelsior," for by living up to it there is no such word as fail.
Change log

Oct 22, 2023 13:36: Beatriz Ramírez de Haro Created KOG entry

Discussion

Wilsonn Perez Reyes Oct 9, 2023:
Rascón: No se deben usar signos de interrogación, comillas, mayúsculas o cualquier signo que no figuraría en un diccionario.
https://www2.proz.com/siterules/kudoz_general/1.4#1.4
Richard Velazquez Oct 9, 2023:
Es evidente que es una frase metafórica. El dilema es si se traduce o no literalmente, (respetando el resto de las opiniones).
Pienso que no y sobre todo que puede ajustarse al texto, por eso mi sugerencia.
Juan Antonio Martínez Oct 8, 2023:
Or any profession. @andrew, it’s probably appropriate for most professions. :-)
Tomasso Oct 8, 2023:
climb the ladder Hay metafora, comun en los dos idiomas. Subir la escalera.....referecias al alcanzar el exito , pongase en fila y subir la escalera, no trata de comandar el ascensor. Tiempos pasados, los en el sotano eran sirvos (downstairs) los de arriba, el Lord (upstairs). Talves Proverbios 22 ;29 ¿Has visto hombre solícito en su trabajo? Delante de los reyes estará;

No estará delante de los de baja condición.
Jennifer Levey Oct 8, 2023:
@Andrew I mentioned 'witty' only because that how the reply is described in the ST. As you have correctly observed, 'witty', in this historical and social context is better rendered as 'ingenious' rather than 'humorous', 'catchy' or similar.
Jennifer Levey Oct 8, 2023:
@Asker it sounds not like a literal type of phrase
It may not sound very 'literal' to 21st century ears, but your ST is set in Victorian times, and much of the language of the 'upper classes' of that era might today be tagged as 'idiomatic or something like that'. There are several other expressions in the ST extract that would most likely not appear if the dialogue were set in the present century.
Andrew Bramhall Oct 8, 2023:
@Asker It's not an idiom, merely a metaphor Jorge!
Jorge Rascón (asker) Oct 8, 2023:
I don't know why it sounds not like a literal type of phrase, that's why I asked its meaning; to me it sounded more like an idiom or something like that
Andrew Bramhall Oct 8, 2023:
A " witty phrase" ?? Not sure that a witty phrase would work here; it's just about a metaphor of the legal profession.
Jennifer Levey Oct 8, 2023:
@Asker What is your question? Are you asking for a straightforward translation of the entire sentence? - Or a 'witty' phrase in Spanish that conveys the same idea?

Proposed translations

+3
5 hrs
Selected

Abajo no cabe nadie, pero hay mucho sitio arriba / El sótano está lleno, pero hay sitio en el ático

Preferiría mantener la imagen del original porque es lo que mejor encaja en el contexto y se entiende perfectamente en español.

Conviene que la traducción sea natural y lo más breve posible.


Peer comment(s):

agree Aitor Salaberria : De acuerdo. Me decantaría por seguir la misma forma que el texto de origen. Si se traduce explicando la metáfora, la frase pierde el ingenio que tiene. Saludos, Bea.
10 hrs
Coincido exactamente. Saludos, Aitor.
agree Jennifer Levey : Agree with Aitor - especially considering that the metaphor continues into the following sentence: No profession, trade, or calling, is overcrowded in the upper story(sic - storEy)).
12 hrs
Good point. Thanks very much, Jennifer.
agree Anna Padrès : Sí, también creo que tiene más gracia mantener la metáfora; además de que ya se explicita en la línea siguiente.
4 days
Coincidimos. Gracias Anna
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+3
1 hr

El sótano ya está muy aborratado, pero hay sitio de sobra arriba

La gran ambición debe ser superar a todos los demás que se dediquean a la misma ocupación.

El estudiante universitario que estaba a punto de graduarse, le dijo a un viejo abogado:


"Aún no he decidido qué profesión ejerceré. ¿Está llena tu profesión?"

"El sótano está muy aborratado, pero arriba hay sitio de sobra", fue la respuesta ingeniosa y veraz.

Meaning: a large house occupied by many people is used as a metaphor for describing the legal profession i.e, junior clerks, scribes etc, is over-populated with people on the lower rungs; however, top lawyers, attorneys, barristers, etc, are in short supply.
Peer comment(s):

agree Jennifer Levey : Or, as we say in our profession, the place is full of bottom-feeders, but there's still room for those who can prove their true worth.
1 hr
Exactly, thanks!
neutral Toni Castano : ¿AbOrrAtado?
11 hrs
agree Ricardo Robina : En lugar de explicar la metáfora, yo la dejaría así, que se entiende perfecto.
4 days
agree Anna Padrès
4 days
Something went wrong...
+3
2 hrs

Del montón hay muchos, lo que falta son verdaderos profesionales.

Or something to that effect. “Está abarrotada (la profesión) de gente mediocre, pero escasa de gente de primer nivel”.

I.e:
If you are shooting to be average, the profession is full. If you are shooting for excellence, there’s plenty of room.
Peer comment(s):

agree Toni Castano : Yes, I believe it is better to suggest something in a figurative way to avoid literalness.
3 hrs
agree abe(L)solano
18 hrs
agree Alan Otero
1 day 1 min
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

si eres sobresaliente en tu profesión u oficio siempre habrá espacio o empleo para ti

Sugerencia.
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17 hrs
English term (edited): The basement is much crowded, but there is plenty of room up-stairs

Van quedando pocos a medida que subes

Hola, yo lo diría así, con pocas sílabas.
O, mejor dicho, así lo diría mi padre.

Abrazos desde España.
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