CHOMPING AT THE BIT AND SNAPPING AT THE HAND THAT

16:13 Mar 27, 2000
English to Spanish translations [PRO]
English term or phrase: CHOMPING AT THE BIT AND SNAPPING AT THE HAND THAT
Certainly, in an industry that rarely demands more of its acts than of trained seals, AHA instead came across as an elegant, if skittish, racehorse- CHOMPING AT THE BIT AND SNAPPING AT THE HAND THAT FED IT. "I don´t think we ever found out what we could do, GIVEN FREE REIN ON A WIDE-OPEN FIELD" says Harket wistfully, confirming even the most casual observer´s impression of AHA as something much more than what first met the eye.

NOTE: I know what the second term means, I´m just confused. Were they or weren´t they given free rein.
Rafael Romero


Summary of answers provided
naDar la mano y que tomen el pie for chomping at the bit etc.
Alexandro Padres Jimenez
naSee below.
Leonardo Lamarche (X)
naconsumidos por la impaciencia y bien desagradecidos
Michele Minsuk
nacomiendo el freno/mordiendo la mano que le da de comer
Toña Morales-Calkins
naThey never were given free rein
Marijke Singer
na"Dando reinda libre en el campo al descubierto.."
Worklog
naMordiendo la mano que te da de comer
Raúl Valenzuela (X)
naMasticando el freno y dando mordidas a la mano que le alimentaba
comosa


  

Answers


11 mins
Dar la mano y que tomen el pie for chomping at the bit etc.


Explanation:
Quiere decir, literalmente, "Darle rienda suelta en un campo abierto", como una propuesta de solución al problema del caballo ingrato!

Buena suerte!

Alexandro Padres Jimenez
Local time: 02:23
PRO pts in pair: 208
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35 mins
See below.


Explanation:
Mordiendo el bocado y regañando la mano que lo alimenta
Mordiendo el bocado y criticando a quien se lo da
Or a combination of both
Given free rein: It is conditional! "we would probably never find out IF we were given free rein..."

Leonardo Lamarche (X)
Local time: 02:23
PRO pts in pair: 591
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1 hr
consumidos por la impaciencia y bien desagradecidos


Explanation:
I like these translations for the terms you gave. Of course the grammatical form may change depending on how you translate the first sentence.

As far as I can tell they were not given free reign. He describes a situation in which AHA was never able to demonstrate its full potential.
Espero que te sirva.

Michele Minsuk
Local time: 23:23
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 14
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5 hrs
comiendo el freno/mordiendo la mano que le da de comer


Explanation:
Sticking with the racehorse analogy, the above would be the translations. You could also use bocado for bit, but the idea here is that the racehorse wants to go faster than the rider will allow, so freno seems the more appropriate translation. As the text you submitted reads, the leadership of AHA was not given the opportunity to do what they thought best for the company - they were not given free rein. Given free rein on a wide-open field = dado rienda suelta en campo abierto


Toña Morales-Calkins
United States
Local time: 23:23
PRO pts in pair: 27
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8 hrs
They never were given free rein


Explanation:
I don´t think we ever found out what we could do, GIVEN FREE REIN ON A WIDE-OPEN FIELD

Because they were not given free rein on a wide-open field they never could find out what they were capable of.

The emotion portrayed here is wistfulness.

Marijke Singer
Spain
Local time: 07:23
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in pair: 574
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8 hrs
"Dando reinda libre en el campo al descubierto.."


Explanation:
I agree with what most say... but I think it really doesn't answer your question... It confirms ... that the horses are in a wild open prairy... Espero que te haya servido de ayuda..

Worklog
Spain
Local time: 07:23
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 47
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15 hrs
Mordiendo la mano que te da de comer


Explanation:
I guess that's the correct expression in Spanish. Hope it helps.

Raúl Valenzuela (X)
PRO pts in pair: 104
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15 hrs
Masticando el freno y dando mordidas a la mano que le alimentaba


Explanation:
Chomping at the bit: significa que un caballo mastica el freno, resistiéndose a seguir las órdenes del jinete.
Snapping at the hand that FED it: significa morder la mano que le alimentaba.
Ahora, enfocándolo a tu traducción, yo entiendo que AHA, siendo una buena (elegante) compañía, dentro de una industria poco reglamentada que le ofreció un amplio campo de acción, no supo que hacer (en tiempo pasado ya que FED es pasado de FEED) a pesar de las facilidades presentes, y que además se resistía a seguir las reglas (chomping on the bit) sin agradecer la benevolencia dentro de la cual se encontraba, dándole de mordidas a la industria que le ofrecía dichas facilidades de operación.

Por lo anterior yo lo traduciría:
Ciertamente, en una industria cuyas demandas son equivalentes a las que se les pediría a unas focas amaestradas, las acciones de AHA fueron las de un elegante, aunque algo caprichoso, caballo pura sangre; masticando el freno y dando mordidas a la mano que lo alimentaba. "Pienso que nunca supimos qué hacer, teniendo rienda suelta en un campo libre", comenta Harket con añoranza.....


Espero que te sea de ayuda.
SAludos,
Ronaldo Moya /COMOSA Traducciones


comosa
Mexico
Local time: 00:23
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