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Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

aparece el rey desnudo

English translation:

it is clearly evident that the Emperor is wearing no clothes.

Added to glossary by Robert Forstag
Oct 23, 2009 16:03
14 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Spanish term

aparece el rey desnudo

Spanish to English Bus/Financial Journalism Newspaper report on IMF predictions
I am translating an article on the IMF's gloomy assessment of the Spanish economy. The full sentence, and the following one are:

Y añade: "La crisis ha ido arrancando capas a la economía española, como si se tratara de una cebolla, y ahora que lo peor ha pasado y que algunos empiezan a salir del pozo aparece el rey desnudo. En España persisten en carne viva los excesos iniciales: enorme burbuja inmobiliaria, enorme endeudamiento, enorme déficit exterior, enormes problemas en el mercado laboral".
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 it is clearly evident that the Emperor is wearing no clothes.
4 +9 the Emperor is seen to have no clothes on
4 the king, who is obviously unclothed
3 and the king without clothes is seen/appears
Change log

Oct 26, 2009 13:39: Robert Forstag Created KOG entry

Discussion

Richard Boulter Oct 24, 2009:
Wording for the target text: For actual wording in Louise's target text, the only colloquial options are '...has no clothes', as Bosantos said it automatically in her Discussion, or '...is wearing no clothes'. In the context, since it arises in a throw-away metaphore, the '...has no clothes' option seems best.
Lesley Clarke Oct 24, 2009:
Must clarify, when I say "I wouldn't say so" I am answering Louise's question.
Lesley Clarke Oct 24, 2009:
I wouldn't say so. I means that the whole economy has been built on sand, there is nothing real underneath to hold it up. Global economics run purely on belief, without belief there is nothing.
bcsantos Oct 23, 2009:
the Emperor's new clothes Colloquial use as metaphor
The story has given rise to its common reference as a metaphor in numerous situations. Most commonly, the statement "the emperor has no clothes" is used to refer to a situation in which (at least in the opinion of those using the phrase) the majority of people are unwilling to state an obvious truth, out of fear of appearing stupid, unenlightened, sacrilegious, or unpatriotic, or perhaps out of "political correctness". In such cases it is often implied that the motive and rationale for not seeing the obvious truth has become so ingrained that the majority do not even realize that they are perpetuating a falsehood.
Louise Souter (X) (asker) Oct 23, 2009:
does this simply mean "...further problems arise"?

Proposed translations

+2
2 hrs
Selected

it is clearly evident that the Emperor is wearing no clothes.

The construction "is seen to have no clothes on" is awkward and unnatural in English.

Suerte.
Peer comment(s):
agree Hayley Armstrong : I like your answer Robert - it gives a stronger allusion to the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes" and it also reads naturally.
10 hrs
Thank you, Hayley. These were precisely my thoughts as well. :)
agree coolbrowne : Agreed with "the Emperor is wearing no clothes" but, if I may, "clearly" is redundant.
4 days
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I agree with Richard Boulter "...Emperor has no clothes.""
5 mins

and the king without clothes is seen/appears

I think this refers to the famous fairty tale.

A King Without Clothes .Nobody's around with guts or Inclination to tell the king that he Is wearing no clothes. The President Imagined the mili tary budget was neglected in the ...
news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat...id...sjid...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2009-10-23 16:10:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The tale is "The Emperor's New Clothes". Here it would refer to the fact that nobody is willing to admit that the problems that caused the crisis still exist.

U.S. Economy - King Without Clothes: by John S. 0. votes. vote. This week, the Dow Average Posted the Best Two-Week Rally Since 2000 as Energy Producers Gain ...
www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1804596

The King Has No Clothes: But Saying So Might Land You In PrisonAny government that is allowed to roam freely without checks and balances becomes ... The King Has No Clothes: But Saying So Might Land You In Prison ...
www.prisonplanet.com/analysis_watson_011303_king.html
Something went wrong...
+9
11 mins

the Emperor is seen to have no clothes on

The system is still deeply flawed
Peer comment(s):
agree Christine Walsh : http://nc-bluedog.blogspot.com/2009/02/king-has-no-clothes.h...
1 min
Thank-you!
agree Evans (X) : yes, or "it turns out to be the Emperor with no clothes". To answer Roberto, the Emperor comes from the English version of the Hans Anderson story.
13 mins
Thank-you!
neutral Roberto Rey : I don't "get it" why "emperor" if its a king?
27 mins
The story is familiar in the English-speaking world as The Emperor's New Clothes.
agree bcsantos
47 mins
Thanks!
agree Joss Heywood : to answer Roberto Satto's question - the traditional story is of an Emperor. In Italy, it's of a king: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor's_New_Clothes
50 mins
Thanks!
agree Jenni Lukac (X) : Agree, prefering Gilla's phrasing a bit more.
2 hrs
agree Jenny Westwell
5 hrs
agree Christian [email protected]
10 hrs
agree Lesley Clarke
22 hrs
agree GMac
1 day 23 hrs
Something went wrong...
22 hrs

the king, who is obviously unclothed

HTH
Something went wrong...
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