Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

traer la sardina a mi sartén

English translation:

Perhaps I\'m biased

Added to glossary by mirta
Feb 13, 2017 21:49
7 yrs ago
Spanish term

traer la sardina a mi sartén

Spanish to English Other Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Eh, a mi juicio, y quizás es ***trayendo la sardina a mi sartén,**** la tecnología ha influido mucho. No estamos hablando solamente de personas que pueden tener un blog y publicar o una cuenta de Twitter o un diario digital, ¿no? Estamos hablando también de la capacidad de convocarnos a través de un sms, de una, teléfono móvil. En Cuba ahora mismo hay casi 4 millones de líneas telefónicas, eh, celulares.

Es una cubana la que está hablando.

Gracias por su ayuda.

Discussion

Charles Davis Feb 14, 2017:
@Helena I'm terribly sorry! Thanks for letting us know.
Helena Chavarria Feb 14, 2017:
Malware Yesterday I was going to answer this question and I discovered Charles' first link. I clicked on a another phrase that appears there and a virus entered my computer! Today my computer is at the doctor's!
Nedra Rivera Huntington Feb 14, 2017:
What's the speaker's relationship to tech? It might help to know if he is responsible in any way for the situation in Cuba. If so, something like "patting myself on the back" might be good.
Andy Watkinson Feb 13, 2017:
Might be totally off, but in Spain there's the expression arrimar el ascua a mi/su etc. sardina, meaning to use in s.o.'s benefit something that should be shared in this case the fire.
You can imagine a setting where food's being cooked and each person tries to make sure their portion is cooked before the fire goes out. It may be what he's describing.

Proposed translations

+5
1 hr
Selected

Perhaps I'm biased

I know there are a number of sayings related to sardines which express taking advantage of a situation to suit yourself, aprovechar. From the context this is what I would suggest.

In the first reference below, have a look in the comments section and you'll find (what I believe to be) a variation on this saying

In the second link I've added another which again conveys a similar meaning.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-02-13 23:26:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It would actually need to read: Perhaps I'm biased, but...
Peer comment(s):

agree Charles Davis : Good idea!
40 mins
Thanks, Charles. :)
agree Robert Carter : Yes, that makes sense, and nicely put.
42 mins
Much appreciated, Robert. :)
agree Marcelo González
4 hrs
agree neilmac
9 hrs
agree Carlos Segura
1 day 2 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you!"
+1
1 hr

it's only my personal experience

Just guessing, but from the context, this is what I think it means:
"perhaps this only stems from my own personal experience" or "perhaps this is only how I see it"
Peer comment(s):

agree AllegroTrans : this clearly works within context
1 min
Thanks, Chris, but it seems the other two have nailed it.
Something went wrong...
+3
2 hrs

(perhaps I'm) being self-serving here / twisting things to suit my own interests

Something along those lines. There are many versions of this expression. Among the most common are "halar la sardina para su sartén", "halar la sardina para su brasa" and "arrimar el ascua a su sardina":

"Cada uno arrima el ascua a su sardina
Afirma que las personas tienen la costumbre de intentar beneficiarse al máximo posible de lo que es común a todos. Arrimar el ascua uno a su sardina es una frase hecha que indica eso precisamente, que uno se aprovecha, para lo que le interesa, de la ocasión o coyuntura que se le ofrece, como si en una figurada parrillada uno intentara que las ascuas quedaran antes bajo su parte para que se hiciera antes o mejor, con el consiguiente perjuicio para los compañeros.
Muy similar es Cada uno hace llegar a la brasa la sardina que ha de asar."
http://hombrerefranero.blogspot.com.es/2009/03/cada-uno-arri...

"Así como hay silencios que dicen mucho, hay también palabras que mienten, por ejemplo lo vemos con frecuencia en las publicaciones de los medios de comunicación, como cada quien distorsiona la verdad para como dice otro refrán “halar la brasa para su sardina” es decir favorecer a los suyos."
http://gustavocariasmeditaciones.blogspot.com.es/2011/08/xii...

"ARRIMAR EL ASCUA A LA SARDINA
Expresión que se utiliza para exteriorizar el ansia (¿viva?) que denota una acción que uno mismo u otra persona, dependiendo de el tiempo y la persona verbal, acomete para beneficio propio."
http://dispersoydifuso.blogspot.com.es/2010_02_01_archive.ht...
Peer comment(s):

agree Robert Carter : Good to know.
19 mins
Thanks, Robert. More of a reference than an answer, really
agree Marcelo González
3 hrs
Thanks, Marcelo :)
agree Muriel Vasconcellos : I prefer the 'self-serving' version.
4 hrs
Thanks, Muriel!
Something went wrong...
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search