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Madrina de anillos (boda)

Glossary entry

español term or phrase:

candil de la calle y oscuridad de la casa

inglés translation:

It\'s one thing... and quite another... (see below)

Added to glossary by Justin Peterson
May 6, 2017 19:17
7 yrs ago
4 viewers *
español term

candil de la calle y oscuridad de la casa

español al inglés Ciencias sociales Modismos / Máximas / Dichos Cuban sayings
From an anti-Castro article, about the situation in Cuba. Specifically, condemning those who have defended the regime in Venezuela, an ally of the Cuban government.

Quienes sumen —con plena conciencia o por no buscarse problemas, porque toca— su firma a iniciativa como la carta de marras, están reforzando la narrativa irresponsable y mentirosa del Gobierno de Nicolás Maduro, máximo responsable de la crisis venezolana. Porque hay grandes diferencias entre practicar la iniciativa autónoma de los intelectuales públicos y ejecutar obedientes una operación de estado. *** O, como explicaba mi abuelita, entre ser candil de la calle y oscuridad de la casa. ***
Proposed translations (inglés)
3 +1 It's one thing... and quite another... (see below)
3 +5 a hero in the streets and a coward at home
4 +2 Angel in the street, devil in the house
4 +1 to be a light in the street but darkness at home to be polite with strangers but rude with your fa
3 +1 Considerate/Good with others and inconsiderate/bad at home
3 see full version below
2 a real Jekyll and Hyde Character
3 -1 Familiarity breeds contempt

Discussion

12316323 (X) May 7, 2017:
Hi Michael,

Appreciate your wife's insights. It's obviously not talking about these intellectuals' private residences and how they behave with their spouses, kids, pets, etc.--the phrase has been expanded beyond its usual meaning to refer to their home country. I agree that it's not so much about the public/private divide.

Also, not that it matters much, nor was it your mistake originally, but it's actually not a Cuban saying. It's used in other countries as well (often with "luz" instead of "candil," but the same meaning).

:)
Michael Powers (PhD) May 7, 2017:
My Cuban wife's opinion I shared with my Cuban wife this expression that she uses with me all the time She does not like any of the translations including mine.

This is what she claims it means: "Good/Considerate with people outside the home, bad/inconsiderate with people at home."

The use of good/considerate or something else like "hero" or "saint", etc., is flexible. However, according to her, what is not flexible is it is not a dichotomy of " public" versus "private", but rather "outside the home" and "inside the home."

Her English is quite fluent. She has lived in the US for 48 years and has some university degrees. I would vote for her answer before mine or anyone else's.

Mike :)

Proposed translations

+1
2 horas
Selected

It's one thing... and quite another... (see below)

The particular way that this phrase is used here is a bit non-standard, but in this context I'd translate it as some variation of the following.

-It's one thing to stick your neck out and criticize/condemn/denounce/call out another country's problems, and quite another to do so at home.

(Can be phrased with "There's a big difference between... There's a world of a difference between...")

From what I understood of the editorial, these intellectuals are all too eager to be firebrands when it comes to criticizing Venezuela, but they fall in line/toe the party line in Cuba. Meaning their political activism is more posture (or more conformity) than really laying anything on the line, nor is their activism coherent with their silence in their own country. Anyone can criticize another country's problems. It's when you have the integrity to engage in political activism at home that people start listening. Thus, their letter-writing activism falls flat. People often behave one way on the world/international stage and another way entirely in their home country.
Peer comment(s):
agree Muriel Vasconcellos : Good examples
20 minutos
Thank you, Muriel.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I think Kathryn nailed it here"
9 minutos

see full version below

Here's my best attempt. I hope you will appreciate it.

Or as my grandmother used to say: "You have to make a choice between being a light in the streets or living in the dark at home."



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Note added at 10 mins (2017-05-06 19:28:07 GMT)
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I just realized. It should be "and" instead of "or" where it says "streets or living....". Sorry about that.

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Note added at 11 mins (2017-05-06 19:29:03 GMT)
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And also "darkness" instead of "dark".
Peer comment(s):
neutral 12316323 (X) : A rather natural translation of the words, but the sentence as a whole wouldn't have any meaning to an English speaker. The two choices aren't clear, though I don't think the sentence is talking about a choice at all.
2 horas
neutral AllegroTrans : I am afraid the impact of this in English is almost nil
18 horas
Something went wrong...
+1
41 minutos

Considerate/Good with others and inconsiderate/bad at home

The way my wife uses this phrase is to criticize when she believes there is a double standard: a more lenient one outside the house with "others" and a more stringent one at home.

She is Cuban (left Cuba for Mexico City when she was 13), and then to New Jersey at 14.

We have been speaking Spanish to each other for 22 years.

This is what this expression means when she uses it.
Peer comment(s):
agree Carol Gullidge : This is how I see it but I think I'd simplify it to "a saint in public and a monster in private"
18 horas
Thank you, Carol - Mike :)
neutral AllegroTrans : right idea but it needs a more "punchy" rendering
1 día 16 horas
Something went wrong...
+1
2 horas

to be a light in the street but darkness at home to be polite with strangers but rude with your fa

that´s how I found this proverb translate into English
(or more figuratively: to be friendly with strangers but rude with your Family)
Peer comment(s):
agree Michael Powers (PhD) : The second answer, yes: "be polite with strangers but rude at home ("with your family")
18 horas
Something went wrong...
+2
3 horas

Angel in the street, devil in the house

Spanish
Candil de la calle, oscuridad de su casa

English
Angel in the street, devil in the house
http://www.speakshop.org/spanish-culture/proverbs-refrains
Peer comment(s):
agree Michael Powers (PhD) : Yes, although better to say "at home" so it is completely clear.
17 horas
Sí, aunque me parece que como se ha traducido al inglés tiene un efecto rítmico: "angeL in the...devilL in the..."
agree AllegroTrans : "at home"
1 día 13 horas
Something went wrong...
+5
5 horas

a hero in the streets and a coward at home

To be honest, I've tinkered with this one a lot and I'm still not sure what nouns I prefer. At one point, I thought about "a gentleman at home" but then couldn't settle on what the inverse of "gentleman" should be - scoundrel, lowlife, brute? Plus "gentleman" does introduce a gendered element into the mix that isn't present in the original. So I went this way instead.
Peer comment(s):
agree Charles Davis : I like this. It fits the context but manages to sound like a proverbial phrase (which it should). Maybe something like this: "As my grandmother used to say, some people are heroes in the streets and cowards at home."
7 horas
Thank you, Charles!
agree 12316323 (X) : Another suggestion that's been thoughtfully adapted to the very specific context. "A hero in public..." or "A hero when in the spotlight..." could also work.
9 horas
Thank you, Kathryn! I like your alternatives as well.
agree Michael Powers (PhD) : Yes, also.
15 horas
Thank you, Michael!
agree JohnMcDove : Interesting option. In Spain we say, "Donde hay confianza da asco".
16 horas
Thank you, John!
agree AllegroTrans
1 día 11 horas
Thank you!
Something went wrong...
15 horas

a real Jekyll and Hyde Character

as sweet as pie one minute, and the very devil the next

This conveys the idea of a person with two very conflicting personalities/behaviour types; however it doesn't account for the specific contrast between "calle" and "casa", but if this is merely a metaphor, then this might not matter, as "Jekyll and Hyde" is a very strong and well-understood metaphor in its own right. In literary translation, this is called "compensation". However, this might well not be suitable for the context of Social Sciences", hence the low CR

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Note added at 15 hrs (2017-05-07 10:31:26 GMT)
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OR ... whose good-natured public persona is totally at odds with his behaviour at home
Something went wrong...
-1
22 horas

Familiarity breeds contempt

Donde hay confianza, da asco.

Remain a hero in public's eyes and be despised at home...

http://cvc.cervantes.es/lengua/refranero/Ficha.aspx?Par=5854...

Saludos cordiales y a quien Dios se la dé, San Pedro se la bendiga... ;-)

¡Buen domingo!

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Note added at 22 hrs (2017-05-07 18:12:13 GMT)
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Sin quererme ir por las ramas, lo de "en casa del herrero, cuchillo de palo", conceptualmente hablando tendría que ver con esto.

The blacksmith's horse and the shoemaker's family always go unshod.

http://cvc.cervantes.es/lengua/refranero/Ficha.aspx?Par=5870...

Also: "Dime de qué presumes y te dirá de lo que careces".

http://cvc.cervantes.es/lengua/refranero/ficha.aspx?Par=5852...

Lo dicho, saludos.

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Note added at 22 hrs (2017-05-07 18:12:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"te diré"... no "dirá"...
Peer comment(s):
disagree AllegroTrans : No, this completely changes the meaning// OK compare your answer with the others and you should see how out of the tree it is
18 horas
Are you serious? C-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y sounds very emphatic indeed. Have a great week! :-)
Something went wrong...
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