# Media player



## DanyD

How would you translate this into Italian?

"One of the biggest media players on the planet has been our prime minister for the past 18 months"

Thank you!


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## Jana337

Ciao Dany,

essendo un madrelingua italiano dovresti provarci prima di chiedere. Gli altri lo correggeranno se sarà necessario. 

Jana


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## DanyD

I had not many ideas since "Media player" should be "riproduttore di file multimediali" which doesn't make sense very much in that context...

Could "diffusore mediatico" do? I'm not sure I've fully understood the meaning...


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## Jana337

DanyD said:
			
		

> I had not many ideas since "Media player" should be "riproduttore di file multimediali" which doesn't make sense very much in that context...
> 
> Could "diffusore mediatico" do? I'm not sure I've fully understood the meaning...


 I am afraid diffusore mediato won't work. Your sentence is a play on word. Normally, media player means an application that plays music. In this context, however, player stands for a person/organization that is very involved in an activity (e.g. Company XY is a major player in the Italian retail market). I guess I don't need to explain what the sentence alludes to. 

I guess it will be very hard to translate it without losing the pun...

Jana


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## ElaineG

> Media player


 
Una delle figure più grandi nel mondo della media. 

In this context "player" vuol dire (in inglese) "giocatore", i.e. uno dei giocatori importanti nel campo da media.  Ma penso che non si usi "giocatore" nel questo senso in italiano...


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## Juri

Basterebbe "*un mostro mediatico*"  in  linguaggio giornalistico.


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## DanyD

Thank you a lot to you all, I didn't know "player" could also have this meaning!



			
				ElaineG said:
			
		

> Una delle figure più grandi nel mondo della  dei media.
> 
> In this context "player" vuol dire (in inglese) "giocatore", i.e. uno dei giocatori importanti nel campo da dei media. Ma penso che non si usi "giocatore" nel in questo senso in italiano...


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## ElaineG

Grazie per le correzioni, *dida*, (puoi vedere che non sono molto sveglia stamattina). 

Il dizionario WRF dice che "media" è femminile (plurale), ma ora vedo che il mio dizionario (Harpers) dice che è maschile.  Boh!


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## DanyD

Mass Media is "mezzi di comunicazione di massa" so it's masculine...

I'll be happy for any correction of my English!


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## Tommaso Gastaldi

Sometimes, we use the term "cantante" for this kind of persons.

Example: "Berlusconi is one of the best media players on the planet"
-> "Berlusconi è uno dei più grandi cantanti del pianeta"

which would be a real nice play in words, as he was actually 
a singer. However if someone says Berlusconi is a "cantante", anybody
would immediately get the right meaning since there is the perception
he is much better to sketch impossible pursuits than to sing.



			
				DanyD said:
			
		

> How would you translate this into Italian?
> 
> "One of the biggest media players on the planet has been our prime minister for the past 18 months"
> 
> 
> Thank you!


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## ElaineG

> However if someone says Berlusconi is a "cantante", anybody
> would immediately get the right meaning since there is the perception
> he is much better to sketch impossible pursuits than to sing.


 
Vorrei essere chiara: "player" (in questo contesto) non ha nessun significato negativo. "Bill Gates is the single biggest player in the technology field"; "Barilla is one of the biggest players in the international pasta market."

Dal tuo posto, mi sembra che "cantante" sia un po' negativo. O non?


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## Tommaso Gastaldi

yes, very negative (but weren't we talking about *media* player?)

>Dal tuo posto, mi sembra che "cantante" sia un po' negativo. O non?
>Dal tuo punto di vista, mi sembra che "cantante" sia un po' negativo. O no?



			
				ElaineG said:
			
		

> Per essere chiara, "player" (in questo contesto) non ha nessun significato negativo. "Bill Gates is the single biggest player in the technology field"; "Barilla is one of the biggest players in the international pasta market."
> 
> Dal tuo posto, mi sembra che "cantante" sia un po' negativo. O non?


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## ElaineG

Volevo dire "dal tuo post", ho fatto un typo, non volevo dire "dal tuo punto di vista" o qualcosa di genere.  

Però ora capisco che, dato il significato negativo di "cantante", non si può tradurre "player" come "cantante."


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## Tommaso Gastaldi

Ah scusa, ho frainteso.
Attenzione "cantante" e' un attributo negativo solo in questa accezione di "fanfarone", e ovviamente non in generale.



			
				ElaineG said:
			
		

> Volevo dire "dal tuo post", ho fatto un typo, non volevo dire "dal tuo punto di vista" o qualcosa di genere.
> 
> Però ora capisco che, dato il significato negativo di "cantante", non si può tradurre "player" come "cantante."


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## ElaineG

"Player" does have negative connotations when you talk about a man (usually) who "plays around" with a lot of women (un donnaiolo?). But that's not what was meant in the original phrase .


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## DAH

Tommaso Gastaldi said:
			
		

> Sometimes, we use the term "cantante" for this kind of persons .
> 
> Example: "Berlusconi is one of the best media players on the planet"
> -> "Berlusconi è uno dei più grandi cantanti del pianeta"
> 
> which would be a real nice play in words, as he was actually
> a singer. However if someone says Berlusconi is a "cantante", anybody
> would immediately get the right meaning since there is the perception
> he is much  better to sketch impossible pursuits than to sing.


 
just my opinion 
media player = manipulator
player = player
player = the "guy" or the "babe"
player = Bill Gates, Babe Ruth or Donald Trump


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## Juri

*ElaineG*
Isn't the "player" with a lot of woman, a "playboy"?


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## DanyD

Tommaso Gastaldi said:
			
		

> Sometimes, we use the term "cantante" for this kind of persons.
> 
> Example: "Berlusconi is one of the best media players on the planet"
> -> "Berlusconi è uno dei più grandi cantanti del pianeta"
> 
> which would be a real nice play in words, as he was actually
> a singer. However if someone says Berlusconi is a "cantante", anybody
> would immediately get the right meaning since there is the perception
> he is much better to sketch impossible pursuits than to sing.


 
...non è un uso di "cantante" un po' regionale? Personalmente io non l'ho mai sentito usare in questo senso, magari nel nord non si fa...


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## uinni

Salve


			
				DanyD said:
			
		

> ...non è un uso di "cantante" un po' regionale? Personalmente io non l'ho mai sentito usare in questo senso, magari nel nord non si fa...


Neanch'io ho mai sentito usare "cantante con quest'accezione".

Anyway, in the context provided by DanyD and resumed by ElaineG, "player" can also be translated by "attore":

"One of the biggest media players on the planet has been our prime minister for the past 18 months"
Uno degli *attori principali* sulla scena {dei media in ambito mondiale}/{mondiale dei media} è stato il nostro primo ministro negli scorsi 18 mesi.

Yet I find this sentence anfibological. Does it mean:
Il nostro primo ministro è stato ... *nel corso degli* scorsi 18 mesi?
or:
Il nostro primo ministro *degli* scorsi 18 mesi è stato...?

Uinni.


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## carrickp

Bingo with "attore." Heck, I don't know what anfibological means even in English!


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## uinni

carrickp said:
			
		

> Bingo with "attore." Heck, I don't know what anfibological means even in English!


 
Sorry: "amphibolic". I was too lazy to check the spelling

Uinni


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## carrickp

uinni said:
			
		

> Sorry: "amphibolic". I was too lazy to check the spelling
> 
> Uinni



I don't know what that means, either. I'll look it up.


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## uinni

carrickp said:
			
		

> I don't know what that means, either. I'll look it up.


I meant that the sentence can have two (or more) interpretations for its construction is not enough clear (at least to me  about the "past 18 months". I cannot tell for sure whether the English sentence says that "

"The prime minister of the past 18 months has been..."
or 
"During the past 18 months the prime ministere has been ... "

Although I guess it is more likely that the second meaning is the correct one (of course the sentences have the same actual meaning but they are per se different).

Uinni


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## carrickp

uinni said:
			
		

> I meant that the sentence can have two (or more) interpretations for its construction is not enough clear (at least to me  about the "past 18 months". I cannot tell for sure whether the English sentence says that "
> 
> "The prime minister of the past 18 months has been..."
> or
> "During the past 18 months the prime ministere has been ... "
> 
> Although I guess it is more likely that the second meaning is the correct one (of course the sentences have the same actual meaning but they are per se different).
> 
> Uinni



Thanks for the new word. I looked back at the original sentence and you're right: it could go either way in English. As you suggest, you'd have to fix this with clearer word order or auxiliaries.


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## ElaineG

"attore" works really well.

Maybe it's because I'm not fully awake, but I'm not seeing the ambiguity in the original that you're seeing:One of the biggest media players on the planet has been our prime minister for the past 18 months.

"for the past 18 months" is a prepositional phrase modifying "our prime minister" and answers the question:  "How long has this big media player been your prime minister?"  

One of the meanest dogs in the world has been my neighbor for the past 2 years.

One of the nicest people in the city has been my secretary for the past 6 months.

I still don't see it.


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## carrickp

ElaineG said:
			
		

> ... I'm not seeing the ambiguity in the original...:One of the biggest media players on the planet has been our prime minister for the past 18 months.
> 
> "for the past 18 months" is a prepositional phrase modifying "our prime minister" and answers the question:  "How long has this big media player been your prime minister?"


Depends on how it strikes you. To me it can be unclear as written. To be absolutely clear, _secondo me_, you'd have to say either:

"For the last 18 months, our prime minister has been one of the biggest media players on the planet,"

OR

"Our prime minister *of *the last 18 months *is* one of the biggest media players on the planet."


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## shenley

ElaineG said:
			
		

> Grazie per le correzioni, *dida*, (puoi vedere che non sono molto sveglia stamattina).
> 
> Il dizionario WRF dice che "media" è femminile (plurale), ma ora vedo che il mio dizionario (Harpers) dice che è maschile. Boh!




"Media" is neuter plural (singular: medium) in Latin.


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## ElaineG

OK, at least I understand what you are saying.

You are saying:  One of the biggest media players on the planet has been our prime minister for the past 18 months _could mean "_For the last 18 months, our prime minister has been one of the biggest media players on the planet"

I don't think that's a natural reading of the word order, but at least I get where you are coming from.  Would you say the same of my other examples?


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## shenley

DanyD said:
			
		

> How would you translate this into Italian?
> 
> "One of the biggest media players on the planet has been our prime minister for the past 18 months"
> 
> Thank you!





Given the context, might one be justified in using the word "manipolatore" for player?


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## ElaineG

> might one be justified in using the word "manipolatore" for player?


 
That's not really a translation so much as a political interpretation.  A "big player" in an industry does not have to be a "manipulator."


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## carrickp

ElaineG said:
			
		

> Would you say the same of my other examples?



Well, *I *would, but now I'm sensitized to it, so I'm going to question everything -- another day I might read right over it. Probably not, though: You have to understand that I'm a former newspaper copy editor, so I get very ticky about this kind of thing. _Scusa_.


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## uinni

Beh, non avrei immaginato di scatenare polveroni! Sarà solo che son troppo poco ferrato in inglese...  
Scusate!

Uinni


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## ElaineG

> Well, *I *would, but now I'm sensitized to it, so I'm going to question everything -- another day I might read right over it. Probably not, though: You have to understand that I'm a former newspaper copy editor, so I get very ticky about this kind of thing. _Scusa_.


 
Don't get upset, *Carrick*, I was only confused and looking for an explanation.   I still don't really see it. But, having benefited enormously from the talents of many copy editors, I hold your breed in great respect and would defer to your long professional experience.


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## lsp

DAH, are you correcting "much better"?



			
				DAH said:
			
		

> Tommaso Gastaldi said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> he is much  better to sketch impossible pursuits than to sing.
Click to expand...

 I find nothing wrong with that. I would have made this correction instead: _He is much better at sketching impossible pursuits than singing._


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## shenley

ElaineG said:
			
		

> That's not really a translation so much as a political interpretation. A "big player" in an industry does not have to be a "manipulator."




True, of course. But as the person in  question is notorious as a media manipulator  (he owns most Italian media) I thought "manipulatore" might be the right translation in the context.


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## Tommaso Gastaldi

Thanks. Sounds much better.
My general problem is that I have not clear when one has to use the ING or TO (INFINITE)

Is that other way wrong or just unused?



			
				lsp said:
			
		

> DAH, are you correcting "much better"?
> 
> I find nothing wrong with that. I would have made this correction instead: _He is much better at sketching impossible pursuits than singing._


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## carrickp

ElaineG said:
			
		

> Una delle figure più grandi nel mondo della media.
> 
> In this context "player" vuol dire (in inglese) "giocatore", i.e. uno dei giocatori importanti nel campo da media.  Ma penso che non si usi "giocatore" nel questo senso in italiano...



Just to sum up here, the above is the best explanation you are going to get. As was mentioned earlier, you might substitute "attore" for "giocatore."


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## uinni

carrickp said:
			
		

> Just to sum up here, the above is the best explanation you are going to get. As was mentioned earlier, you might substitute "attore" for "giocatore."


 
Nope. It giocatore does not fit at all.  

Uinni


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## DAH

Tommaso Gastaldi said:
			
		

> Thanks. Sounds much better.
> My general problem is that I have not clear when one has to use the ING or TO (INFINITE)
> Is that other way wrong or just unused?


I meant  at the "much better to sketch impossible" because it was awkward. T was grappling with "My general problem is that I have not clear when one has to use the ING or TO (INFINITE)"


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## DAH

uinni said:
			
		

> Nope. It giocatore does not fit at all.  Uinni


sono d'accordo con Uinni riguardo giocatore.

qualche volte si dica "heavy-hitter" per quelli nel mondo del comercio, finanza, etc.


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## ElaineG

uinni said:
			
		

> Nope. It giocatore does not fit at all.
> 
> Uinni


 
If you go back and read my original post (#5), giocatore was offered as part of an _explanation_ not _translation_, to help Italian readers understand where the English usage comes from. As I noted in my original post on the subject, "giocatore" is not, to my knowledge, used in this way in Italian. 

The English does, however, literally mean, "giocatore" (o "attore"), and the idiom is understood through those associations.


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## uinni

ElaineG said:
			
		

> If you go back and read my original post (#5), giocatore was offered as part of an _explanation_ not _translation_, to help Italian readers understand where the English usage comes from. As I noted in my original post on the subject, "giocatore" is not, to my knowledge, used in this way in Italian.
> 
> The English does, however, literally mean, "giocatore" (o "attore"), and the idiom is understood through those associations.


 
ElaineG. You always misunderstand me . I simply intended to clarify that carrickp's comment:

As was mentioned earlier, you might substitute "attore" for "giocatore."

Should not be taken as "giocatore and attore are interchangeable in this context".

Uinni


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