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Jun 22, 2010 12:40
14 yrs ago
4 viewers *
Italiano term

l'uso del condizionale è d'obbligo

Da Italiano a Inglese Altro Generale/Conversazioni/Auguri/Lettere
come lo tradurreste senza fare riferimento a "conditional phrases", ma traducendo l'espressione?
Thanks in advance!
Proposed translations (Inglese)
4 +4 one should always leave room for doubt
5 +2 leaving room for doubt
3 +3 to be taken with a pinch of salt
4 +1 Of course that is what they say
4 At least, that's what we hope
3 everything to check/verify
3 trust, but verify
3 it's far from certain
3 take it for what it's worth

Discussion

chomps (asker) Jun 23, 2010:
(no) context sorry to say there was little context indeed. This was a discussion held on the question of taxes in the rarified context of an English class where a student popped the inevitable annoying question on the expression he had just used in Italian. Roughly the sentence reported above.
Giuseppe Bellone Jun 23, 2010:
I see Jim... thanks for pointing this out. But we haven't much context actually, so it's not easy to choose. Anyway the Italian sentence is used very often by journalists (papers and TV/radio news) in a variety of contexts, politics or accidents as well.
James (Jim) Davis Jun 23, 2010:
@Mr Beppe The phrase in question is generally used in serious conversations. While "pinch of salt" is more the language used in a bar and, depending on the tone of voice is often used ironically to mean "I wouldn't believe a word of it if I were you", which is not the same thing.
James (Jim) Davis Jun 23, 2010:
Six lines please I know the meaning and the phrase very well Chomps, but need full context to see which of the dozens of translations I can imagine would fit best. For example is the writer using the first person singular, the plural or the impersonal. It looks much more of a journalistic style than the converstational/letters context you have given.
chomps (asker) Jun 22, 2010:
Jim,
this is a fairly common expression in spoken Italian where the speaker has actually used a conditional in the previous sentence and wants to make clear he/she's unsure as to the result. As for example in
"La nuova legge produrrebbe dei vantaggi economici per il contribuente. Il condizionale è d'obbligo."
Thanks everyone .
James (Jim) Davis Jun 22, 2010:
More context I can think of dozens of different ways to translate this, depending on the precise context. Could you copy and paste in five or six lines of the surrounding Italian text please.
Giuseppe Bellone Jun 22, 2010:
Thanks Filippo! So I was not wrong nor was Simona! Peace!! :))
filippoc Jun 22, 2010:
British vs American take something with a pinch of salt (British & Australian) also take something with a grain of salt (American & Australian)

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/take with a pinch of sal...
Giuseppe Bellone Jun 22, 2010:
Si può cliccando a fondo della tua frase ... sul simbolino giallino e si torna dove eri. Ma non preoccuparti.... si dirà anche come dici tu, ma io ho trovato molto spesso come ho detto io! :)
Simona Vairo Jun 22, 2010:
sì, ok, Mister B! alla grande! ho sempre sentito 'grain'... non si può cambiare da 'nuetral' a 'agree'???
filippoc Jun 22, 2010:
credi quello che senti ma poi verifica se e' vero.
Simona Vairo Jun 22, 2010:
che vuol dire in italiano questa frase???

Proposed translations

+4
1 ora
Selected

one should always leave room for doubt

the "conditional mood" is often used to express doubt. See for example:

"The CONDITIONAL mood ("condizionale"):
is used to express a doubt, a wish, or a possibility."

http://www.mmdtkw.org/ItalGram.html#The CONDITIONAL mood ("c...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-06-22 14:14:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Means the same thing as "to be taken with a grain/pinch of salt" (ciao, Mister Beppe!),

but "one should always leave room for doubt" is formal whereas "to be taken with a grain/pinch of salt" is a colloquialism".

Which of the two would be most appropriate depends on the larger context. :-)
Example sentence:

What is important is that one utilizes one's intellect and not to be 100 percent sure about one's convictions. <b>One should always leave room for doubt</b>. (Shirin Ebadi)

Reference:

http://www.nobelwomensinitiative.org/about-us/laureates/shirin-ebadi

Peer comment(s):
agree Panagiotis Andrias (X)
34 min
Thank you, Panagiotis! Would you also agree with my new answer, "leaving room for doubt" which I have given in response to new information about the context?
agree Claudia Cherici
1 ora
Thank you Claudia. Would you also agree with my new answer, "leaving room for doubt" which I have given in response to new information about the context?
agree Giuseppe Bellone : Ciao Sarah, yes I agree. :)
18 ore
grazie Mister Beppe!
agree Mr Murray (X)
10 giorni
Thank you Mr Murray!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+3
2 min

to be taken with a pinch of salt

Idea.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 min (2010-06-22 12:44:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Nel senso di considerare la cosa con la dovute precauzioni.
Peer comment(s):
agree carlabice47
12 min
Grazie Carla :)
agree Valentina Frattini
21 min
Grazie :)
agree Simona Vairo : mmm, in inglese sarebbe 'with a grain of salt'... se è questo il vero significato della frase
57 min
Sorry, Oxford! " take something with a pinch of salt" :)) to be careful about believing that something is completely true // Grazie Simona, buona serata :)
agree Chiara D'Andrea
1 ora
Grazie Chiara :)
disagree James (Jim) Davis : When I say to somebody that they should take something with a "pinch of salt", what I usually mean is that, it sounds like a "fishy story" or an "old wives tale". Something not to be taken seriously, which is not the same as "con le dovute precauzioni"
3 ore
I see James, but mine was an explanation, I meant to say that what was said might or might not be true, "precauzioni" in that sense, as journalists often say. :)
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32 min

everything to check/verify

nothing is certain

solo un'alternativa
Something went wrong...
44 min

trust, but verify

"I believe the quote is generally attributed to the late President Reagan. He used it extensively in reference to his dealings with the former Soviet Union. It's a clever statement that basically means that I don't trust you but I'm going to pretend that I do so you don't get offended. I will follow up by verifying what you said. If it turns out that you lied, then I will discover it during my verification. If you told the truth, then I can say that I always trusted you."
Reference:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090820134433AAZyrMk

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5 ore

it's far from certain

Another option.
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7 ore

At least, that's what we hope

I've been trying to think what I'd say in normal, everyday speech and this is what came to me.

I'd say, using your example "The new law should give the taxpayer financial benefits. At least that 's what we hope". OR " ... At least, that what it ought to do" OR "... At least, that's what they say." or simply "But who knows if that will actually happen/turn out that way" or something like that.
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12 ore

take it for what it's worth

Just another offer. As Jim said, it could be translated in many different ways. Hopefully we will come up with enough ideas for you to chose the more suitable.
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+2
19 ore

leaving room for doubt

Given the context you have now given, this is one phrase used very commonly to express what you have indicated. It's a variation on the answer I gave yesterday, when I thought you were looking for something more like a "saying". Sorry for the double post, but the context is much more clear now.
Peer comment(s):
agree Giuseppe Bellone : Yes, this one is less idiomatic perhaps but "leaves no doubts" about the meaning!!! :))
30 min
Grazie mille Mister Beppe -- scusami le due risposte -- lo so che non si deve farlo.
agree BdiL : 1. MAu
5 ore
Thank you, BdiL, for your vote of number 1! (er, right?)
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+1
19 ore

Of course that is what they say

"They say that the new law will... ... Of course that is what they say, but there's no certainty about it." You might like to add the last bit
"La nuova legge produrrebbe dei vantaggi economici per il contribuente. Il condizionale è d'obbligo."
Peer comment(s):
agree BdiL : 2. MAu
4 ore
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