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personaggio dai precedenti ambigui

English translation: an individual with an ambiguous past

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Italian term or phrase:	personaggio dai precedenti ambigui
English translation:	an individual with an ambiguous past
Entered by:	David Turnbull

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14:50 Feb 10, 2011

Italian to English translations [PRO]
Government / Politics

Italian term or phrase: personaggio dai precedenti ambigui

Another EP speech, uncertain as to the real meaning of this. The Members are debating the (non-) extradition of Cesare Battisti.

Any ideas?

Gianluca Susta, a nome del gruppo S&D. – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, Signor Commissario, capita troppo spesso che intellettuali o alte istituzioni di alcuni paesi rifiutino di comprendere il fenomeno del terrorismo italiano, manifestando dubbi sull'affidabilità del nostro sistema giudiziario.

Siccome è questo il presupposto giuridico del rifiuto all'estradizione di Battisti, non possiamo che respingerlo. Battisti, ***personag ingio dai precedenti ambigui***, è il prodotto di un tempo in cui migliaia di giovani, spesso disperatamente soli, scelsero la lotta armata come strumento di lotta politica e finirono per trasformare in crimine la folle utopia alienante in cui credevano. Altri paesi hanno vissuto tragedie simili, ma nessuno finora ha offerto ai protagonisti di esse opportunità di ravvedimento come ha fatto l'Italia, che proprio nella lotta al terrorismo cementò il senso della sua unità nazionale.

David Turnbull KudoZ activity Questions: 116 (9 open) (2 without valid answers) (6 closed without grading) Answers: 100 United Kingdom
Local time: 11:12

an individual with an ambiguous past

Explanation:
i.e. someone with some dubious aspects to his past and some non-dubious aspects, though you could probably say the same about any convicted of murder.

Selected response from:

Thomas Roberts

Grading comment

Thanks Thomas and all for contributions. Seems perfectly obvious in retrospect - must have been one of those days!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +4

an individual with an ambiguous past

Thomas Roberts

an individual/character with a dubious past

Michael Korovkin

character/man with a chequered/shadowy past

manducci

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

an individual with an ambiguous past

Explanation:
i.e. someone with some dubious aspects to his past and some non-dubious aspects, though you could probably say the same about any convicted of murder.

Thomas Roberts
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Italian
PRO pts in category: 42

Grading comment

Thanks Thomas and all for contributions. Seems perfectly obvious in retrospect - must have been one of those days!

2 hrs confidence:

character/man with a chequered/shadowy past

Explanation:

If the idea is 'good and bad', then 'chequered' could fit. If the idea is more 'suspect', then I'd go for 'shady' or 'shadowy past'

''The figurative idea behind chequered is of alternations of good and bad, like the colours of the squares on the [chess] board. As well as a chequered past, you can talk about a chequered history or a chequered career'' (from ''World Wide '')

Reference: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-che6.htm

manducci
Local time: 12:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

15 hrs confidence:

an individual/character with a dubious past

Explanation:
I think “dubious“ is the key here; all the rest is quite flexible

Michael Korovkin
Local time: 12:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Russian
PRO pts in category: 22

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personaggio dai precedenti ambigui

English translation: an individual with an ambiguous past

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personaggio dai precedenti ambigui

English translation: an individual with an ambiguous past

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KudoZ™ translation helpThe KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

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The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.