# sedate



## HallePuppy

Hi,

I'm having trouble catching the feeling of the English word "sedate" in Spanish. For definitions I found "tranquilo", which always seems to have a positive connotation, and "sobrio", which does not provoke the feeling of the wink and little smirk you can all but see when someone says something is too sedate. I give you an example:

"From that witty, often mischievous book, someone has produced a very sedate translation."

"De ese libro gracioso, frecuentemente travieso, alguien ha producido una traduccion muy sobria." (My apologies: no accents usable at the moment.)

I'm sorry, but that just doesn't do it for me! It's almost right, but it lacks sparkle. All you bright, witty native speakers, et al, any suggestions?


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## Cubanboy

Suggestions:

...seria//formal//sentada.

Good luck!


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## albertovidal

Concuerdo con *Cubanboy
*También*: *_"moderada"_Hi, friend!. Long time we didn't meet at the forum*
*


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## HallePuppy

Maybe I just don't have the feel for the Spanish words, but I don't get the slight feeling of "desprecio" that "sedate" has in the text. Am I missing something?  It needs to be almost like "remilgado"...


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## albertovidal

HallePuppy said:


> Maybe I just don't have the feel for the Spanish words, but I don't get the slight feeling of "desprecio" that "sedate" has in the text. Am I missing something?  It needs to be almost like "remilgado"...



Would you say that "sedate", in your context, stands for "fussy"?


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## maidinbedlam

Some more ideas:

"Soporífera", which would be more on the lines of "boring", as opposite to "witty".
"Parca" in the sense of sober, moderate.
"Tiesa" (this is maybe too informal), for stiff, unnatural.


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## Quiviscumque

Nuestro magnífico diccionario de sinónimos aporta para "tranquilo" los siguientes:

*pacífico, reposado, sosegado, plácido, apacible, calmo, manso, sereno, amable, moderado;
imperturbable, impertérrito, flemático, indiferente, frío, parsimonioso, indolente, apático, perezoso.*

De ellos, "flemático" y "frío" quizás pudieran emplearse para describir una traducción y aportar la connotación negativa que busca el estimado HallePuppy.


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## HallePuppy

The picture that comes to mind is a lady in the 1800's. She wears a long, dark dress, with long sleeves and a collar up to her ears. Her hair is dressed in a tight bun at the back of her head. The hair is never allowed to curl. This lady may smile, but never laughs aloud. She is courteous to a fault, never shows any excess of emotion, never raises her voice. She would never tell a joke. Get the picture?

Now, since I am not a native speaker of Spanish, I can look at all those synonyms in our wonderful dictionary, and some of them I recognize as having too positive a connotation. I don't know how to choose one that would describe this lady I have just described. In my own language I know those fine shades of meaning, but even after all these years of speaking Spanish, I don't have the feeling or the discernment to choose the right word for this, and I am humble enough to admit it.

As Hudson Taylor said about learning Chinese: It's like going toward a range of mountains; when you get there, you see that there is another range of mountains behind that one.  With Spanish, I have crossed the first range of mountains, but there is range after range of mountains still ahead of me. It would be very foolish of me to think that outside of a true miracle I will ever be absolutely perfect in somebody else's language!

Thank you for the suggestions.


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## k-in-sc

I'm wondering about "apagada" here. Dull, listless, no spark.
The problem is that "sedate" is being used as a euphemism.


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## HallePuppy

Could be.


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## Quiviscumque

HallePuppy said:


> ...a lady in the 1800's. She wears a long, dark dress, with long sleeves and a collar up to her ears. Her hair is dressed in a tight bun at the back of her head. The hair is never allowed to curl. This lady may smile, but never laughs aloud. She is courteous to a fault, never shows any excess of emotion, never raises her voice. She would never tell a joke.



¡Esa tía es más sosa que un huevo sin sal!




HallePuppy said:


> From that witty, often mischievous book, someone has produced a very sedate translation.



_Partiendo de ese libro, lleno de ingenio y a menudo malicioso, alguien ha producido una traducción muy sosa/anodina._


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## k-in-sc

"Sosa" (insipid) sounds good to me.


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## HallePuppy

Could be, could be. Hadn't thought of "sosa".  Had thought of "sinsabor", but wasn't satisfied with that.


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## albertovidal

mijoch said:


> I feel that "sedate" is not a correct adjective for the person you describe. Perhaps "severe"-----"persona severa" does google.
> 
> M.



*HallePuppy *is not referring to a person but to a translation


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## mijoch

I took my input from post #8. Looking for a word to describe a type of lady.

I'm probably wrong so I delete my comments.

M.


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## mijoch

Come off it Alberto----does post #8 refer to a "sedate" person or a "sedate" translation.

Now is your chance to contribute to my education-----better late than never.

M.


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## albertovidal

mijoch said:


> Come off it Alberto----does post #8 refer to a "sedate" person or a "sedate" translation.
> 
> Now is your chance to contribute to my education-----better late than never.
> 
> M.



Well, I don't think I'm talking nonsenses. The thread (post no.1) stands for (and quote) ""From that witty, often mischievous book, someone has produced a very *sedate translation*." 
By the way, I don't feel myself capable to contributing to anybody's education. You have your own!
Regards


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## mijoch

Hi

I, like Halle, being a teacher did my bit for a few.

"sedate translations" are way above me-----enjoy it up there.

Best regards 

M.


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## HallePuppy

Whether a sedate lady or a sedate translation, the idea is the same.

Thanks to all.


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## k-in-sc

I don't think any of these suggestions fit what you're looking for, which is a term that sounds positive or at least neutral but actually is negative. What are you thinking of using?


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## HallePuppy

Haven't come up with anything satisfying yet. No deadline, so no worries.


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## mijoch

Hi Halle.

All we each and all can do, when reading something, is bring to it our individual knowledge and experience. Reading has an element of two-way communication.

For me, a translation should reflect  meaning and mood. Thanks to this thread I'm learning something (I did ask for help-----got nay). Translating something "sedate" should result in a "sedate translation". A "sedate translation" of something which is not "sedate" would be false.

I think I agree with kinsc. There's good stuff in this thread, but your thread starter remains unresolved.

M.


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## Quiviscumque

k-in-sc said:


> ... what you're looking for, which is a term that sounds positive or at least neutral but actually is negative...



"Manso" is then a good option.


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## Lavernock

Sedate =  con parsimonia, 
Sedately =  parsimoniamente

¿Que te parece?


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## SydLexia

".....se ha conseguido una traducción que luce gravedad."

syd


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## k-in-sc

I like "manso" a lot.


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## SydLexia

"reposada"  ??


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## k-in-sc

The sun's not over the yardarm, so why am I thinking about tequila?


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## HallePuppy

Gravedad, manso, reposada: they all sound positive, which this is NOT! It's a strong criticism.  And is 'parsimonio' a false cognate? "Parsimonious" in English means "stingy."


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## Quiviscumque

HallePuppy said:


> Gravedad, manso, reposada: they all sound positive,...



Not really. "Manso" has a complex bundle of connotations. 

For instance, "agua mansa" is positive.

"Manso de corazón" is often used in a Christian register:
"aprended de mí, que soy humilde y manso de corazón" is the usual translation for Mt. 11,29. So... it is positive, unless  you are a little Nietzschean.

"Toro manso" is definitely negative, and even more "marido manso"; it is the worst thing a bull -or a husband- can be 

And "traducción mansa"? Since this is not a cliché (in fact, I have never heard that expression), the reader must "fill the gaps". I guess the prevailing connotation would be that of "toro manso".



HallePuppy said:


> And is 'parsimonioso' a false cognate? "Parsimonious" in English means "stingy."



Yes, it can be. "Parsimonioso" usually means "cachazudo, lento, flemático". It  is seldom used in its other sense ("escaso, cicatero, ahorrativo") and then usually without any negative connotation.


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## vimu

Para una señora podrías decir "rígida", "autocontrolada", "tiesa" o mejor "estirada" (coloquial pero es exactmente el significado= una dama muy estirada).
Para una traducción podrías decir "rígida", "sin frescura", "artificiosa"...
También puedes usar para la señora y quizá para la traducción la palabra "victoriana" que define exáctamente a ese tipo de persona: una dama victoriana (de la época de la reina Victoria supongo).


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## HallePuppy

"Sinsabor" comes about as close I have been able to get to what we're looking for.


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## k-in-sc

Don't you mean "sin sabor," two words?


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## HallePuppy

There is also a one-word form: sinsabor.  Just looked it up to be sure.

And none of the suggested synonyms seems to have the precise feeling of the English word "sedate".  I give up.


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## k-in-sc

"Sedate" sounds like it means "dignified" but actually means "boring." The double meaning is why I like "mansa," although it doesn't exactly mean "sedate." Or you could call a spade a spade and use any one of these other suggestions.
The only "sinsabor" I see is a noun meaning "woe," as in "disgusto."


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## HallePuppy

Could be regional. Here we say something is "muy sinsabor."


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## Quiviscumque

HallePuppy said:


> Could be regional. Here we say something is "muy sinsabor."



It's not standard.
DRAE:
*sinsabor.*
1. m. Desabrimiento del paladar.
2. m. Insipidez de lo que se come.
3. m. Pesar, desazón moral, pesadumbre.


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## HallePuppy

Haven't decided.


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## vimu

Sinsabor in Spain is the same that sosa or insípida.


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## Moritzchen

Quiviscumque said:


> ... _Partiendo de ese libro, lleno de ingenio y a menudo malicioso, alguien ha producido una traducción muy sosa/anodina._


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## albertovidal

Por si sirve:_ (traducción) vacua, insustancial_


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## cbrena

Una _cándida_ traducción.
Parece una calificación muy digna, pero en una traducción de un libro divertido, tiene una connotación negativa. En mi opinión se asemeja al doble significado que puede tener 'sedate'.


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## k-in-sc

Well, that's interesting, but how is it that "cándida" can suggest "boring"? Not doubting, just wondering!


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## albertovidal

Para mí no. "Cándida" stands for "naive" or "simplistic".
Nada que ver con "boring"


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## HallePuppy

Here too it would be a synonym for those.


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## HallePuppy

Mercy on us! I had no idea I was stirring up such a whoopty-do with my little question.

BTW, "sinsabor" is the same as "sosa" or "insípida" here too.


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## HallePuppy

After all this time, I think maybe the word I am looking for may be "decoroso."


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## albertovidal

HallePuppy said:


> After all this time, I think maybe the word I am looking for may be "decoroso."



Es muy posible que hayas dado en el clavo.
*Decoro* *8.     * m._ Ret._ Adecuación del lenguaje de una obra literaria al género, al tema y a la condición de los personajes.


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