# thoroughfare



## egitto78

hi.
what _thoroughfare _means?
here the context:
"I go out walking after midnight
Along the lonely *thoroughfare*"
(Maybe you'll be there - Diana Krall)
thanks in advance....


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## TimLA

egitto78 said:


> Hi.
> What _thoroughfare _means?
> Here the context:
> "I go out walking after midnight
> Along the lonely *thoroughfare*"
> (Maybe you'll be there - Diana Krall)
> Thanks in advance....


 
Road
Street
Highway

The best synonym here is "street" because she is walking...
"Thoroughfare" is not as common as the others, but is used because of the rhythm of the music or the words in the song.


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## furs

Thoroughfare e' (piu' o meno) una strada di scorrimento veloce.


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## raffavita

Carissimi!


I have this sentence:

"The alley outside, is a busy little* thoroughfare* of pedestrians and small shops."

It sounds weird because a "thoroughfare" is commonly described as a major street, while here it is defined as an alley and as a little, though busy, one.

How come??

And does "of pedestrians and small shops" imply that carriages are not allowed?

The setting is Montmartre in the XIX century, so no cars.
Aiutooooooooooooooo!
Grazie mille.


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## TimLA

It implies a "busy" street with lots of traffic, not necessarily a large size.

Just think of "Via Condotti" - not too wide, but a very busy "thoroughfare".


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## raffavita

Ciao Tims!


So "thoroughfare" doesn't necessarily imply "width", does it?

In my dictionaries it is translated as "arteria principale", "strada principale", while this is an alley.

Isn't an "alley" un vicolo???

So, I assume it's much smaller than Via Condotti, o no?

Grazie super Tims!


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## TimLA

I think in this case, it's relative, it's a major "way" to get from point A to point B.
I think also the author is being a bit figurative.

The thoroughfare from Rome to Florence is the A1.
A thoroughfare from Corso to Spagna is Condotti.

Answers gives "heavily traveled".


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## raffavita

Grazie Super Tim.

Il vicolo che si incontra appena usciti dall’edificio è una stradina gremita di pedoni e negozietti.


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## You little ripper!

According to the Encarta dictionary a* thoroughfare* can simply be *a way or passage from one place to the other* (no mention of size).

Link


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## Rosa7

Charles Costante said:


> According to the Encarta dictionary a* thoroughfare* can simply be *a way or passage from one place to the other* (no mention of size).
> 
> Link



I use it in this way too: the other day I was explaining to someone that "my boss's office is not a *thoroughfare*", meaning that although you can walk through his office to get to another room in the building, he would actually prefer it if you went the long way around rather than interrupting him!


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## raffina

Come si può tradurre la frase (riferita alla zona dove un hotel si trova) "with its theatres and night-life as well as the elegant thorough fares of Bond Street,  The Burlington Arcade and Jermyn Street."?

grazie

r


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## Paulfromitaly

Tu come la tradurresti?


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## raffina

Quell'elegant thorough fares non riesco proprio a capirlo. Posti dove si mangia bene? 

r


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## You little ripper!

raffina said:


> Quell'elegant thorough fares non riesco proprio a capirlo. Posti dove si mangia bene?
> 
> r


This (definition 1) might help, raffina.


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## King Crimson

In italiano si traduce con "arteria di grande traffico (o principale)".


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## You little ripper!

King Crimson said:


> In italiano si traduce con "arteria di grande traffico (o principale)".


KC, the link I gave to the WR dictionary was a bit misleading (I deleted it). I think in this particular case it refers to simply _a road, street, or the like, that leads at each end into another street._ 'Strada' might be a better translation.


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## JNewland

raffina said:


> Come si può tradurre la frase (riferita alla zona dove un hotel si trova) "with its theatres and night-life as well as the elegant thorough fares of Bond Street,  The Burlington Arcade and Jermyn Street."?
> 
> grazie
> 
> r



Ciao raffina,

By the way, "Thoroughfare" is spelt ( spelled) as one continuous word.Maybe you knew that.


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## furs

Premesso che come dice King Crimson thoroughfare e' appunto 'arteria di grande traffico', in questo contesto si potrebbe rendere con 'strade commerciali' o qualcosa del genere, visto che tratta di vie famose per i loro negozi di classe.


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## Einstein

JNewland said:


> "Thoroughfare" is spelt ( spelled) as one continuous word.Maybe you knew that.


Agreed!

Here the word "thoroughfare" is simply used as an "elegant" synonym for "street". Maybe we can find an equally elegant (or abstruse) synonym in Italian.

PS I know these streets and they cannot be classified as 'arterie di grande traffico'. A further proof that in this case it's just an elegant synonym.


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## You little ripper!

furs said:


> Premesso che come dice King Crimson thoroughfare e' appunto 'arteria di grande traffico', in questo contesto si potrebbe rendere con 'strade commerciali' o qualcosa del genere, visto che tratta di vie famose per i loro negozi di classe.


Furs, the sentence to be translated refers to 'elegant thoroughfares'. I don't think it's referring to a main arterial road, busy with traffic. Can 'traffico' refer to people (it could be busy with people coming and going)?


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## furs

Not really, no, when you say 'strade trafficate' it usually refers to car traffic. But you could say 'strade commerciali eleganti' or perhaps 'vie con eleganti negozi', come Bond Street, ecc.


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## King Crimson

> PS I know these streets and they cannot be classified as 'arterie di grande traffico'. A further proof that in this case it's just an elegant synonym.


 
I found this translation in Garzanti; maybe 'thoroughfares' it's not used correctly in this context.


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## You little ripper!

King Crimson said:


> I found this translation in Garzanti; maybe 'thoroughfares' it's not used correctly in this context.


KC, in the link I provided in Post 4 it gives more than one definition for a 'thoroughfare' (as well as giving the correct spelling ):

1. *a road, street, or the like, that leads at each end into another street.*
2. a major road or highway. 
    3. a passage or way through: no thoroughfare.      
4. a strait, river, or the like, affording passage.

In this case, definition 1 fits best (as I stated in Posts 4 and 6).


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## JNewland

Charles Costante said:


> KC, in the link I provided in Post 4 it gives more than one definition for a 'thoroughfare' (as well as giving the correct spelling ):
> 
> 1. *a road, street, or the like, that leads at each end into another street.*
> 2. a major road or highway.
> 3. a passage or way through: no thoroughfare.
> 4. a strait, river, or the like, affording passage.
> 
> In this case, definition 1 fits best (as I stated in Posts 4 and 6).



I think I would agree with you, Charles,  in this instance.


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## miri

furs said:


> Not really, no, when you say 'strade trafficate' it usually refers to car traffic. But you could say 'strade commerciali eleganti' or perhaps 'vie con eleganti negozi', come Bond Street, ecc.



 Here


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## You little ripper!

furs said:


> Not really, no, when you say 'strade trafficate' it usually refers to car traffic. But you could say 'strade commerciali eleganti' or perhaps 'vie con eleganti negozi', come Bond Street, ecc.


Thanks, furs (I've only just seen your post ).


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## King Crimson

Charles Costante said:


> KC, in the link I provided in Post 4 it gives more than one definition for a 'thoroughfare' (as well as giving the correct spelling ):
> 
> 1. *a road, street, or the like, that leads at each end into another street.*
> 2. a major road or highway.
> 3. a passage or way through: no thoroughfare.
> 4. a strait, river, or the like, affording passage.
> 
> In this case, definition 1 fits best (as I stated in Posts 4 and 6).


 
Quite honestly, CC, I had missed definition #1 in your link and Garzanti only reported definition #2. I agree that #1 fits perfectly, however it seems to me that this word can take quite different meanings according to the context.


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## Einstein

> 1. *a road, street, or the like, that leads at each end into another street.*


 
The problem is that this is a legal definition and is applicable to most roads! In fact, at least in GB, the only time you encounter the word "thoroughfare" is at the entrance to a street that is for access only: "No thoroughfare", as quoted in definition number 3.

Looking at the original context I honestly don't think the point is to inform visitors that they can go from one end to the other of these streets or passages without having to turn back!

We have to translate: "... as well as the elegant thoroughfares of Bond Street, The Burlington Arcade and Jermyn Street."
I suggest: "come pure gli eleganti negozi di Bond Street, la Burlington Arcade e Jermyn Street" or "come pure Bond Street, la Burlington Arcade e Jermyn Street con i loro eleganti negozi".
(Burlington Arcade è una galleria).


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## You little ripper!

Einstein said:


> The problem is that this is a legal definition and is applicable to most roads! In fact, at least in GB, the only time you encounter the word "thoroughfare" is at the entrance to a street that is for access only: "No thoroughfare", as quoted in definition number 3.
> 
> Looking at the original context I honestly don't think the point is to inform visitors that they can go from one end to the other of these streets or passages without having to turn back!
> 
> We have to translate: "... as well as the elegant thoroughfares of Bond Street, The Burlington Arcade and Jermyn Street."
> I suggest: "come pure gli eleganti negozi di Bond Street, la Burlington Arcade e Jermyn Street" or "come pure Bond Street, la Burlington Arcade e Jermyn Street con i loro eleganti negozi".
> (Burlington Arcade è una galleria).


When I said that 'strada' was a good translation for 'thoroughfare', I meant as far as the meaning goes [in response to KC's suggestion, "arteria di grande traffico (o principale)"], which is not one of the four meanings of that word I thought applied here. I don't think street names or arcades (including the words 'street' or 'arcade' etc.) should be translated. I like both  your suggestions.


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## raffina

JNewland said:


> Ciao raffina,
> 
> By the way, "Thoroughfare" is spelt ( spelled) as one continuous word.Maybe you knew that.


 I didn't know. And on the leaflet it is spelt the way I wrote. 

r


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