# tancar-se



## DOB_BY

I can't find the meaning of this verb when reflexive in my dictionary - it just says 'to close' which doesn't make sense in this context:

com a vice-consol primer i com a consol després no arribà mai a tancar-se d'una manera equilibrada

My try:

first in the capacity of vice-consul and later as consul, he never managed to...?

It is in the context of talking about how generous he was with money so he never has any.


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## Lurrezko

More context is needed


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## Ssola

The unique meaning I understand here for "tancar-se" is to be more cautios about giving money, as opposite to "obrir-se" a la gent, which means to be tolerant and "acollidor".


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## merquiades

If you want to use "close"meaning "stop handing out money", you might try an expression like "close his wallet", "close the till", "close the vault" "close the state coffers".


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## Lurrezko

But we are inferring that *tancar-se* means to be a tightwad or very cautious with the money, but it's not clear at all in this context. More context is needed.


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## merquiades

Lurrezko oinak said:


> But we are inferring that *tancar-se* means to be a tightwad or very cautious with the money, but it's not clear at all in this context. More context is needed.



You're right. I'm inferring based on him being a generous politician, not having money and not being able to "close himself", refuse or be cautious .  Also in context with those other fils DOB has opened. Should wait


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## Lurrezko

merquiades said:


> You're right. I'm inferring based on him being a generous politician, not having money and not being able to "close himself", refuse or be cautious .  Also in context with those other fils DOB has opened. Should wait



Let's wait and be cautious, then.


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## DOB_BY

Hey everyone - sorry for the delay in replying! It would indeed make perfect sense for it to be to do with being unable to keep a hand on his purse/wallet - what comes before is actually quite important because I forgot to tell you what is the subject of tancar-se!!

Here is the whole sentence in catalan:

Ja cast, no tingué mai cap centim perquè el seu pressupost, com a vice-consol primer i com a consol després, no arribà mai a tancar-se d'una manera equilibrada

As Merquiades guessed, this also links to previous posts I made on my translation relating to the life of Josep Pla if that helps.

Thank you for all the suggestions so far! I guess it would be that he didn't mange to shut his purse on his earnings? Would that work. It still sounds a bit strange in Eng to me.


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## Lurrezko

His *budget*, as a consul, was never finalised in a well-balanced way.

Let's wait for Merquiades


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## merquiades

DOB_BY said:


> Here is the whole sentence in catalan:
> 
> Ja cast, no tingué mai cap centim perquè el seu pressupost, com a vice-consol primer i com a consol després, no arribà mai a tancar-se d'una manera equilibrada



Another try:
As vice-consul and later counsul he never managed to hold on to a single penny of his budget which remained permanently unbalanced.

Well, all the ideas are there, but I did some shuffling to keep it together. I took the "no arriba mai" made it positive, and turned the "tancar-se d'una manera equilibrada" into a negative.

I thought of the expression,  "every penny slipped through his fingers" but I couldn't find a way to fit it in.


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