KudoZ home » Italian to English » Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

muri di gomma

English translation: indifferent

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs
(or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

04:14 Nov 21, 2010

Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

Italian term or phrase: muri di gomma

describing soldiers - is this an idiomatic expression?

Full sentence: "Sono muri di gomma allenati a non provar sentimenti."

danette KudoZ activity Questions: 23 (none open) (3 closed without grading) Answers: 81 United States
Local time: 13:57

English translation:indifferent

Explanation:
Raffaella's answer gives the correct sense: passive resistance.

The full phrase could be:
"Passively indifferent and trained to be unfeeling"
"Trained to lack feeling and offer passive resistance"
see
http://www.dizionario-italiano.org/Muro
where it says: muro di gomma, in riferimento a chi oppone indifferenza passiva nella difesa di decisioni prese o intralcia colposamente la ricerca della verità, il corso della giustizia

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 hrs (2010-11-21 15:51:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I hope someone does come up with an apt idiom, but in the meantime, here are some more alternatives to describe this type of attitude:

(wall of) apathy
don't give a damn
couldn't care less
what-the-hell attitude
don't give a hang

Selected response from:

Shera Lyn Parpia
Italy
Local time: 19:57

Grading comment

Thank you! I ended up just using "indifferent" because I could not come up with an equivalent idiomatic expression in English.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided
4	(a) wall/s of indifference (against??)	xxxR.C.
3	indifferent	Shera Lyn Parpia
3	as cold as ice	potra

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

1 hr confidence:

(a) wall/s of indifference (against??)

Explanation:
as found in the Internet, a free dictionary. It gives the idea of the Italian meaning, though.

xxxR.C.
Local time: 19:57
Native speaker of: Italian
PRO pts in category: 4

11 hrs confidence:

as cold as ice

Explanation:
This is a pretty standard idiomatic expression (US) to indicate someone who has no feelings. The flavor of the original Italian is a bit lost, as the figurative portion of the expression 'rubber walls' as a repellent towards everything bouncing over it (hence human empathy), replaced by the coldness of the ice. Maybe 'icebergs' could also work.

potra
United States
Local time: 13:57
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Italian,

English
PRO pts in category: 13

4 hrs confidence:

indifferent

Shera Lyn Parpia
Italy
Local time: 19:57
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

Grading comment

Thank you! I ended up just using "indifferent" because I could not come up with an equivalent idiomatic expression in English.

Voters for reclassification
as
PRO / non-PRO

PRO (3): Emanuela Galdelli, Shera Lyn Parpia, luskie

Return to KudoZ list

Changes made by editors

Nov 21, 2010 - Changes made by luskie:
Level	Non-PRO => PRO

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

Overview

Latest translation questions

Ask a translation question

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

muri di gomma

English translation: indifferent

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

Answers

Sign in to your ProZ.com account...

Or create a new account

ProZ.com ideas

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

muri di gomma

English translation: indifferent

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

Answers

Sign in to your ProZ.com account...

Or create a new account

ProZ.com ideas

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.

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