Feb 18, 2019 06:54
5 yrs ago
Spanish term
United Kingdom
Translator/Interpreter Spanish > English
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish
...algo no limpio
Spanish to English
Other
Sports / Fitness / Recreation
Sports
This is from an interview with football player, talking about a previous manager. I'm struggling to work out what the "algo no limpio" means in this context. Would be great to hear your thoughts:
"Para mí, es uno de los mejores entrenadores del mundo. Por como entrena, por cómo ve los videos, por como lo hace. Pero en el grupo se había generado algo... estaban todos con la duda de si jugaban, yo también, que sí, que no. Y ya el jugador pierde la confianza. Cada jugador había perdido la confianza. Después se formó algo no limpio. A veces estaba jugando bien, hacía un gol y me sacaban. Y yo amo el fútbol, desde los cinco años que juego al fútbol, y si a mí me dejan sin el balón es como que pierdo mi alegría".
Thanks,
Ciarán
"Para mí, es uno de los mejores entrenadores del mundo. Por como entrena, por cómo ve los videos, por como lo hace. Pero en el grupo se había generado algo... estaban todos con la duda de si jugaban, yo también, que sí, que no. Y ya el jugador pierde la confianza. Cada jugador había perdido la confianza. Después se formó algo no limpio. A veces estaba jugando bien, hacía un gol y me sacaban. Y yo amo el fútbol, desde los cinco años que juego al fútbol, y si a mí me dejan sin el balón es como que pierdo mi alegría".
Thanks,
Ciarán
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +2 | ... things became less straightforward |
Carol Gullidge
|
| 4 +2 | it turned sour |
Charles Davis
|
References
| English translation found online |
James A. Walsh
|
Proposed translations
+2
3 hrs
Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
poetically precise prose with... panache
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
22
Selected
... things became less straightforward
I'd prefer if possible to retain the element of murkiness, but there are several other possibilities that I feel could also work here:
... an element of uncertainty crept in
... then the waters were muddied
... then things began to go downhill
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Note added at 10 hrs (2019-02-18 17:15:29 GMT)
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Hi Ciaran: I'm thinking more murky/nasty, although I'm not discounting the "clear" theme'..
Even proposing st along the lines of:
THEN THINGS STARTED TO GET SOMEWHAT DIRTY/GRUBBY
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Note added at 10 hrs (2019-02-18 17:19:45 GMT)
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... but, having seen the Reference note, I feel less sure about my interpretations!
HOWEVER, not am I sure I'd with "healthy" either! Seems a slightly odd choice...
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Note added at 10 hrs (2019-02-18 17:32:34 GMT)
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... although "unclear/uncertain/confusing" idea is perhaps not such a bad one in retrospect.
Since they never knew where they were standing (figuratively!) :- you never knew whether or not you'd be picked (literally!) to play, regardless of your current form. You couldn't depend on anything any more...
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Note added at 2 days 16 hrs (2019-02-20 23:12:06 GMT)
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OR (but possibly a bit too harsh?): THE ROT SET IN ...[as in something something rotten in the state of Denmark...,
... an element of uncertainty crept in
... then the waters were muddied
... then things began to go downhill
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2019-02-18 17:15:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Hi Ciaran: I'm thinking more murky/nasty, although I'm not discounting the "clear" theme'..
Even proposing st along the lines of:
THEN THINGS STARTED TO GET SOMEWHAT DIRTY/GRUBBY
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2019-02-18 17:19:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
... but, having seen the Reference note, I feel less sure about my interpretations!
HOWEVER, not am I sure I'd with "healthy" either! Seems a slightly odd choice...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2019-02-18 17:32:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
... although "unclear/uncertain/confusing" idea is perhaps not such a bad one in retrospect.
Since they never knew where they were standing (figuratively!) :- you never knew whether or not you'd be picked (literally!) to play, regardless of your current form. You couldn't depend on anything any more...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 16 hrs (2019-02-20 23:12:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
OR (but possibly a bit too harsh?): THE ROT SET IN ...[as in something something rotten in the state of Denmark...,
Note from asker:
| Thanks for your input, Carol. Are you thinking clean as in clear here? |
| Thanks, Carol. |
| Thanks, Charles |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Robert Carter
: I prefer "murky" though, it conveys more of the "unfair/dirty" angle.
16 hrs
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thanks Robert!
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| agree |
James A. Walsh
: I like your "began to go downhill" option ;-)
2 days 11 hrs
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thanks James!
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+2
1 hr
it turned sour
One suggestion; I hope there will be others.
I agree that it's not easy to pin down exactly what he means by this. I feel that at least part of what "no limpio" means is "not fair", but I'm not sure it's only that. I think he's describing the relationship going wrong because of resentments and lack of confidence (and that feeling of unfairness). So there's an element of "unhealthy" in "no limpio", I feel. All in all, I think "turned sour" is something he might have said in this context in English.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2019-02-18 09:21:03 GMT)
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As I say, I'm attracted to this because I find it natural in the context. However, on reflection, if you think the essential idea is unfairness (and I agree with that up to a point), you might say "there was something unfair about it", for example.
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Note added at 4 hrs (2019-02-18 11:48:45 GMT)
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On further reflection I would stick with my first suggestion, particularly considering which manager he is talking about (I won't say who it is but anyone interested can find out in a moment by googling this phrase). Suffice it to say that it is a highly successful manager notorious for high-handedness and vindictiveness towards players he regards as disloyal. The player plainly feels aggrieved at being dropped after scoring, he feels it's unfair, but more than that, I think, he is describing things turning nasty: "no limpio" is a discreet way of expressing dirty dealing, underhandedness, dishonesty or deceitfulness (as Chema suggested).
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Note added at 6 hrs (2019-02-18 13:08:02 GMT)
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(Not saying anything for or against the published English translation, but I'm glad I didn't see it before thinking about it, because once you've seen how somebody else did it you can't get it out of your head.)
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Note added at 6 hrs (2019-02-18 13:09:05 GMT)
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You could tone it down a touch by saying "turned a bit... sour", for example.
I agree that it's not easy to pin down exactly what he means by this. I feel that at least part of what "no limpio" means is "not fair", but I'm not sure it's only that. I think he's describing the relationship going wrong because of resentments and lack of confidence (and that feeling of unfairness). So there's an element of "unhealthy" in "no limpio", I feel. All in all, I think "turned sour" is something he might have said in this context in English.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2019-02-18 09:21:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
As I say, I'm attracted to this because I find it natural in the context. However, on reflection, if you think the essential idea is unfairness (and I agree with that up to a point), you might say "there was something unfair about it", for example.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2019-02-18 11:48:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
On further reflection I would stick with my first suggestion, particularly considering which manager he is talking about (I won't say who it is but anyone interested can find out in a moment by googling this phrase). Suffice it to say that it is a highly successful manager notorious for high-handedness and vindictiveness towards players he regards as disloyal. The player plainly feels aggrieved at being dropped after scoring, he feels it's unfair, but more than that, I think, he is describing things turning nasty: "no limpio" is a discreet way of expressing dirty dealing, underhandedness, dishonesty or deceitfulness (as Chema suggested).
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2019-02-18 13:08:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
(Not saying anything for or against the published English translation, but I'm glad I didn't see it before thinking about it, because once you've seen how somebody else did it you can't get it out of your head.)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2019-02-18 13:09:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
You could tone it down a touch by saying "turned a bit... sour", for example.
Note from asker:
| Thanks, Charles. The use of no limpio is definitely a little ambiguous in the source, but I like your suggestion. |
| Yes, I can totally understand that :) |
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Sergio Kot
: IMHO your second suggestion - "not fair" - or something along those lines ("an unfair attitude...") would be closer to the original intention.
34 mins
|
|
As I say, I do think the idea of unfairness is in there, but I prefer to put it like this because I think he's talking about the effect of the perceived unfairness, and also, frankly, because I think it's more idiomatic here than any synonym of "not fair"
|
|
| agree |
Robert Carter
: Agree, though I think you're closer to it with "underhandedness" here. "It all got a bit... underhand" maybe?
18 hrs
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Thanks, Robert. Maybe, yes. I do think "not straightforward", perhaps ulterior motives, is an element in the mix.
|
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| agree |
James A. Walsh
: Looking at this again, I like your "turned a bit... sour" option (the ellipsis evoking "shall we say" or similar). Works well.
2 days 13 hrs
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Thanks a lot, James ;-)
|
Reference comments
5 hrs
James A. Walsh
Spain
Spain
Native in Spanish
&
English
Spain
A cut above the rest in translation...
Native in: English (Variants: Irish, US, UK) 
, Spanish (Variants: Latin American, Standard-Spain)
Works in: Spanish to English, French to English, English to Spanish, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Reference:
English translation found online
Here's an English translation of the same interview, which you may find helpful:
"I say things as they are and in my opinion, Mourinho is one of the best coaches in the world in the way that he coaches, how he studies videos, the way he goes about things."
“But then, within the group there was that feeling that you were in the team then out. Sometimes I didn't play, then I did, then I didn't and as a player you lose confidence, each player lost their confidence, do you understand?"
"And then an atmosphere was created that wasn't... healthy. Sometimes I'm playing well and I score a goal and he took me off. And I'd say, "I love football, I love football."
https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/soccer-news/alexis-s...
"I say things as they are and in my opinion, Mourinho is one of the best coaches in the world in the way that he coaches, how he studies videos, the way he goes about things."
“But then, within the group there was that feeling that you were in the team then out. Sometimes I didn't play, then I did, then I didn't and as a player you lose confidence, each player lost their confidence, do you understand?"
"And then an atmosphere was created that wasn't... healthy. Sometimes I'm playing well and I score a goal and he took me off. And I'd say, "I love football, I love football."
https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/soccer-news/alexis-s...
Example sentence:
Después se formó algo no limpio.
And then an atmosphere was created that wasn't... healthy.
Reference:
https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/soccer-news/alexis-sanchez-bbc-interview-man-14008736
Note from asker:
| Thanks James, fully aware that this exists. Looking for a neutral view on what no limpio means here. |
Peer comments on this reference comment:
| agree |
Robert Carter
: I kind of imagined they were talking about him. Good sleuthing, James. Also, if that's what the asker wanted, he should have made that clear in the first place, instead of saying he was "struggling to work out" the meaning.
14 hrs
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Cheers, Robert!
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Discussion