# In un futuro non troppo lontano



## fabry2811

I'm trying to translate this plot of a movie.

In un futuro non troppo lontano, l'umanità rischia l'estinzione perchè il sole, la stella che ha permesso la nascita di ogni forma di vita sulla terra, sta esaurendo la sua energia. 

_In the immediate future, the mankind risks the extinction because the Sun, the star which has enabled/allowed the birth of every living being, is using up its power. 

_Does it work?


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## AlabamaBoy

I think that it is not the immediate future, I would say it more literally:

In the not-too-distant future, _the mankind is at risk of __risks __the__ extinction because the sun, the star which has __enabled/allowed__made the birth of every living being possible, is using up its power energy. 
_


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## fabry2811

Thanks, and what about the rest?


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## brian

_In the not-too-distant future_  (it's a fixed phrase)

[The rest sounds fine except _mankind_, not _the mankind_, and _extinction_, not _the extinction_.]


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## mkan

I wouldn't capitalize the word "sun".


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## fabry2811

Ok, it seems I haven't done mistakes!! mmmmm


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## joe86

fabry2811 said:


> Ok, it seems I haven't done mistakes!! mmmmm


 
Fabry, remember that you *make mistakes* not do mistakes 

As for the thread...Brian, would you deem it acceptable to say _*in a not-so-far-away future*_?

Cheers

_Joe_


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## brian

Nope, I would definitely only say _In the not-too-distant-future_ because it's a fixed phrase.


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## joe86

Right. I think I made a typo ..._in a not-so-far-away future_ definitely does not work. But I've found 1,670 hits on Google Italia for _in the not-so-far-away future_...is there any chance that AE and BE differ on that -or- is it definitely wrong as well?


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## fabry2811

Non capisco. Facendo una ricerca su google ho scoperto che si può anche dire Do Mistake. 

E poi, il resto della traduzione va bene?

Grazie mille


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## AlabamaBoy

Joe, it is not wrong, just very uncommon. It has a fairy-tale kind of quality to my ears.

Fabry, there are a lot of Asian websites with totally incorrect English grammar (example "has came") so be careful! See my post #2 above, edited.


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## brian

Non credo che Google sia di madrelingua inglese, anche se è nato in California. Ma chissà.


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## joe86

Fabry...if you don't trust me you can ask the natives...I'm pretty sure their answer will be the same. 
I remember making the same mistake while writing an e-mail to a British professor of mine a couple of years ago...she hurried to point out the glitch.
I don't actually know whether things are changing and the expression _to do mistakes_ has kinda become acceptable or is in the process of becoming acceptable (perhaps in International English, which most of the times is simplified and sometimes incorrect)...but I'm pretty sure an English native (at least a BE native) wouldn't really like it. If I were you I would just avoid it.

_Joe_


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## AlabamaBoy

joe86 said:


> but I'm pretty sure an English native (at least a BE native) wouldn't really like it.



Same in AE, Joe!


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## fabry2811

ok thanks so much!! I hope I won't make mistakes anymore!!!


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## You little ripper!

In *a* not-*so*-distant-future and in *a* not-*too*-distant-future are both acceptable in my opinion.


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## brian

I knew you'd say that. (And I knew Google would be behind you.) 

Edit: Ok, so _a_ vs. _the_ is arguable, and upon reconsideration, _so_ instead of _too_ sounds okay as well; but I still consider _far away_ to be discouraged, in favor of _distant._


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## You little ripper!

brian8733 said:


> I knew you'd say that. (And I knew Google would be behind you.)


Does that mean I'm predictable, Brian?  

I have used all of them. I don't think in this case it matters much which one is used.


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## brian

It means I was waiting for you. 

P.S. See my edit, if you haven't yet. The versions with _distant_ are fine, or at least arguable, even though I obviously have my preference (_in the not-too-distant future_); but I don't like the versions with _far away_, so I'd still discourge Joe from using those.


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## You little ripper!

brian8733 said:


> but I still consider _far away_ to be discouraged, in favor of _distant._


But why should it be discouraged, Brian? It may not sound as pleasant to your ear (nor mine), but it's perfectly acceptable.


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## Phil9

For me, 'in the not-too-distant future' is the correct phrase. As Brian says, it's a fixed phrase. I wouldn't rule out the use of 'in a not-too-distant future' but only in very limited circimstances, perhaps when considering some imaginary world as it might be 'in a not-too-distant future'. I say, play safe and use the standard expression unless you're a native speaker and know exactly how to use more subtle expressions.

Phil.


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## You little ripper!

Phil9 said:


> For me, 'in the not-too-distant future' is the correct phrase. As Brian says, it's a fixed phrase. I wouldn't rule out the use of 'in a not-too-distant future' but only in very limited circimstances, perhaps when considering some imaginary world as it might be 'in a not-too-distant future'. I say, play safe and use the standard expression unless you're a native speaker and know exactly how to use more subtle expressions.
> 
> Phil.


Phil, I don't agree. "Not-too-distant-future" is what I consider to be the fixed phrase. Whether you put an "a" or a "the" in front of that phrase is a matter of choice in this instance.


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## Phil9

Charles,

I've re-read the original post and I see that it's about a science fiction film, in which case '*a *not-too-distant future' sounds fine, because it's not real. However, I find it hard to accept that the fixed phrase is only _'not-too-distant future'_ without _'the'_. 

e.g. _I'm going to buy a car 'in a not-too-distant future'_ sounds very odd to me. 

or:
_I can see that the country will be in severe difficulties 'in a not-too-distant future'_ also sounds just as strange. 

The imaginary 'not-too-distant future' is about the only situation I can think of when 'a' would be appropriate. Real situations need 'in *the* not-too-distant future' in my view. Just my opinion. What do other native speakers think?

Phil.


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## You little ripper!

Phil9 said:


> Charles,
> 
> I've re-read the original post and I see that it's about a science fiction film, in which case '*a *not-too-distant future' sounds fine, because it's not real. However, I find it hard to accept that the fixed phrase is only _'not-too-distant future'_ without _'the'_.
> 
> e.g. _I'm going to buy a car 'in a not-too-distant future'_ sounds very odd to me.
> 
> or:
> _I can see that the country will be in severe difficulties 'in a not-too-distant future'_ also sounds just as strange.
> 
> The imaginary 'not-too-distant future' is about the only situation I can think of when 'a' would be appropriate. Real situations need 'in *the* not-too-distant future' in my view. Just my opinion. What do other native speakers think?
> 
> Phil.


I think where there is no doubt about something happening using "the" might be the best choice. Where there is doubt I think using "a" might be preferable. In most cases I don't think it matters. I suppose it all comes down to context.

Do you consider "the-not-*so*-distant-future" a fixed phrase?


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## brian

I do.

The future is the future is the future. Unless we're talking about alternate universes.


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## Phil9

Charles Costante said:


> I think where there is no doubt about something happening using "the" might be the best choice. Where there is doubt I think using "a" might be preferable. In most cases I don't think it matters.


 
Not sure I agree that in most cases it doesn't matter. 



Charles Costante said:


> Do you consider "the-not-*so*-distant-future" a fixed phrase?


 
That's a perfectly acceptable alternative. 

Phil.


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## You little ripper!

Phil9 said:


> The imaginary 'not-too-distant future' is about the only situation I can think of when 'a' would be appropriate. Real situations need 'in *the* not-too-distant future' in my view. Just my opinion.
> 
> Phil.


 I quickly checked through a few Google websites that use the "a", and some of them were real situations. I must admit I wouldn't use it in some of those sentences, but would be quite happy to in others.

_In a not too distant future, there will be a weekly preview release of ....., with codename .......
_ Link

_Fidel Castro 'takes a turn for the worse'. "In a not too distant future, he will cease to exist."_
Link

_We respect Johannes decision to leave the group and thank      him for his years with the band. We will announce our new line up in a not      too distant future. _
Link

_In a not too distant future_ the Gabinetto drawings at the Uffizi Gallery will be available for viewing online.
Link

_This means that in a not too distant future, when large parts of all information is accessible in RDF-format, we can present and extend this information in a multitude of different ways._
Link

_A second      private radio broadcasting licence will be issued in a not too distant future._
Link



> However, I find it hard to accept that the fixed phrase is only _'not-too-distant future'_ without _'the'_.
> 
> e.g. _I'm going to buy a car 'in a not-too-distant future'_ sounds very odd to me.
> 
> or:
> _I can see that the country will be in severe difficulties 'in a not-too-distant future'_ also sounds just as strange.


I agree it sounds strange in the first example, but would be quite happy to use it in the second.


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## Phil9

Charles Costante said:


> I quickly checked through a few Google websites that use the "a", and some of them were real situations. I must admit I wouldn't use it in some of those sentences, but would be quite happy to in others.
> 
> _In a not too distant future, there will be a weekly preview release of ....., with codename ......._
> Link
> 
> _We will announce our new line up in a not too distant future. _
> _Link_
> 
> _Fidel Castro 'takes a turn for the worse'. "In a not too distant future, he will cease to exist."_
> Link
> 
> _We respect Johannes decision to leave the group and thank him for his years with the band. We will announce our new line up in a not too distant future. _
> Link
> 
> _In a not too distant future_ the Gabinetto drawings at the Uffizi Gallery will be available for viewing online.
> Link
> 
> _This means that in a not too distant future, when large parts of all information is accessible in RDF-format, we can present and extend this information in a multitude of different ways._
> Link
> 
> _A second private radio broadcasting licence will be issued in a not too distant future._
> Link
> 
> I agree it sounds strange in the first example, but would be quite happy to use it in the second.


 
Charles, once you start selecting random examples of dubious provenance from Google where do we end up? We have no idea who wrote those examples and in all of them I would use 'the' instead of 'a'. Those sentences just sound wrong to me.

Were the writers of those sentences native English speakers? 

You also admit that at least some of them sound strange, so why cite bad examples in support of your view? 

Why confuse our Italian-speaking friends by using examples of uncertain origin from Google? 

If you must use Google, search for both phrases and you will see that "in the not too distant future" has about 729,000 instances as against 27,000 odd instances of "in a not too distant future"; a ratio of approximately 30 to 1. That would be consistent with one out of thirty non-English speakers getting it wrong.

Google can be useful sometimes, but I would be more persuaded by opinions from others whom we know are native speakers. 

Phil.


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## You little ripper!

> Were the writers of those sentences native English speakers?


That was one of the first things I checked, Phil. Most of them are native speakers from what I can gather. There are a few I can't be certain about. Even with English, American and Australian websites you can't be 100% certain that they are native speakers.




> You also admit that at least some of them sound strange, so why cite bad examples in support of your view?


I only said that it sounded strange in the first example *you* gave. With the Google examples I cited, I said that "I wouldn't use it" with some of them. I didn't say that I found them strange or that they were wrong.




> Why confuse our Italian-speaking friends by using examples of uncertain origin from Google?


I think our Italian friends are entitled to know about all usage of words or expressions, not just the ones that happen to be used more frequently.



> Google can be useful sometimes, but I would be more persuaded by opinions from others whom we know are native speakers.


I am one of those native speakers and I think my opinion counts just as much as anyone else's.


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## Phil9

Charles Costante said:


> I am one of those native speakers and I think my opinion counts just as much as anyone else's.


 
Of course it does. 

You and I can't agree which is more correct so other native speakers should give their view. That's all I meant.



Charles Costante said:


> I only said that it sounded strange in the first example *you* gave. With the Google examples I cited, I said that "I wouldn't use it" with some of them. I didn't say that I found them strange or that they were wrong.


 
If you don't think they were wrong why wouldn't you use them? If you wouldn't use them, isn't that the same as saying you find that usage non-standard?

Phil


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## You little ripper!

Phil9 said:


> If you don't think they were wrong why wouldn't you use them? If you wouldn't use them, isn't that the same as saying you find that usage non-standard?
> 
> Phil


Euphony, I suppose. Some words, even when they have exactly the same meaning (I know that's not the case here) just sound better next to each other or in a particular context.


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