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Spanish: Al mejor cazador se lo lleva la corriente

English translation: Even the best of hunters misses the boat (non sequitur)



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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Al mejor cazador se lo lleva la corriente
English translation:Even the best of hunters misses the boat (non sequitur)
Entered by:teju
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6:29pm Feb 4, 2005Login or register (free) for more options.
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Spanish term or phrase: Al mejor cazador se lo lleva la corriente
The zinger is this is used in a short story about snake hunters, so any suggestions for an equivalent English expression that would fit into this context?
MSuderman
Mexico
Clarification request(s) and response
teju: 6:52pm Feb 4, 2005: ¿Un cazador en la corriente? Eso suena a dos refranes mezclados. Yo conozco "camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente", pero esa versión no. -
teju: 6:53pm Feb 4, 2005: Si es verdad que alguien mezcló dos refranes, necesitariamos saber cual es el significado que tiene este refrán, para encontrar algo parecido en inglés. -
George Rabel: 6:55pm Feb 4, 2005: El español es " Al mejor nadador se lo lleva el río" http://www.terra.es/personal/maropabe/refrana.htm
-
teju: 6:57pm Feb 4, 2005: Bravo George, misterio resuelto. -
Gerardo Garcia Ramis: 8:29pm Feb 4, 2005: ¿No será esto un “malapropism” (por una tal “Mrs. Malaprop”, personaje de una obra teatral inglesa del siglo 18, que hacía estas mezclas atroces), una tergiversación accidental por parte de una persona un poco tarada? -
Gerardo Garcia Ramis: 8:30pm Feb 4, 2005: Lo del cazador es claro que se trata de “Al mejor cazador se le va la liebre”, y ya Teju identificó al “camarón”. Ahora falta ver cómo “coser” algo similar. ¿Nos puedes dar más contexto? -
MSuderman (asker): 11:05pm Feb 4, 2005: El Contexto - No pensé que esta pregunta fuera a generar tanta polémica. Pero ahí les va el contexto: Es un cuento, con dos hombres que van a la montaña a cazar serpientes. A uno se le escapa una serpiente, y dice:
-¡Qué diablos! Se fue.
-Al mejor cazador... (responde el otro)
-Sí, sí ya sé, se lo lleva la corriente, ¿no?
Lo más cercano que se me ocurre es, It happens to the best of us. Pero esto no funciona en el contexto. ¿Alguna sugerencia?

Gerardo Garcia Ramis: 1:05am Feb 5, 2005: - What the hell! She's gone.
- The early bird ... (the other one answers)
- Yeah, yeah, I know, shouldn't swap horses in midstream / has a silver lining.
[semi-random non sequitur, does this work for you?] -
Juan Jacob: 2:13am Feb 5, 2005: teju: claro, es una mezcla de "Al mejor cazador se la va la liebre" y "Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente." A otros hacer la adaptación al inglés... yo, me rindo. Saludos. -

Even the best of hunters.... screws up once in a while/misses his target/blows it...
Explanation:
This is all that I can think of, to preserve the structure of the dialogue, and the meaning. Maybe it will point you in the right direction.

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Note added at 22 hrs 43 mins (2005-02-05 17:12:45 GMT)
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Even the best of hunters...

falls flat on his face...
misses the boat...

(non sequiturs)
Selected response from:

teju
United States
Note from asker to answerer
I like the Even the best of hunters misses the boat, though I may just play it safe and use some variation on "even to the best of us" "I know, I know, things happen" (or perhaps some less polite word than things). It is a short story after all.
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1no estara malRantes
3 +3Even the best of hunters.... screws up once in a while/misses his target/blows it...teju
3 +2Once bitten, twice shy
George Rabel
3even the best/fastest predator...misses the boat (and loses his prey)
Carolingua


  

Answers

15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
no estara mal

Explanation:
no sera al mejor cazador se le escapa la liebre, no conozco esa expresion ademas los cazadores no estan en la corriente.

Rantes
Canada
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree George Rabel: claro, es "nadador", no "cazador": http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Al+mejor+nadador+se...
8 mins
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34 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Once bitten, twice shy

Explanation:
The Spanish saying is about swimmers and not hunters. plus it makes no sense to talk about snake hunters (or catchers) in the current.
I offer this as a somewhat more "snake-related" saying. And it is quite applicable in the case of snake catchers.

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Note added at 40 mins (2005-02-04 19:09:35 GMT)
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Variation:
Once snake-bitten, twice shy...or dead.

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Note added at 5 hrs 48 mins (2005-02-05 00:17:43 GMT)
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En vista de la información adicional, vamos a ver si alguna de estas te sirve:
1) Oh well..can\'t win\'em all
2) Win some, lose some
3) I\'ll bag her next time


George Rabel
United States
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree Carolingua: I like this one George. Or "if you go with snakes, expect to get bitten!" (I just made that one up though)
1 hr
  -> Thanks.. too bad it does not really fit with the context.. now that we have it

agree Cecilia Della Croce
2 days20 hrs
  -> Gracias, Cecilia Della Croce
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Even the best of hunters.... screws up once in a while/misses his target/blows it...

Explanation:
This is all that I can think of, to preserve the structure of the dialogue, and the meaning. Maybe it will point you in the right direction.

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Note added at 22 hrs 43 mins (2005-02-05 17:12:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Even the best of hunters...

falls flat on his face...
misses the boat...

(non sequiturs)

teju
United States
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 26
Note from asker to answerer
I like the Even the best of hunters misses the boat, though I may just play it safe and use some variation on "even to the best of us" "I know, I know, things happen" (or perhaps some less polite word than things). It is a short story after all.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree maca12: Si se fijan bien la confusión es intencional, por eso ponen "no?" al final. Yo escogería misses his target
8 hrs
  -> Tienes razón maca, he puesto unas opciones más, gracias.

agree Carolingua: perdona, no vi lo de "misses de boat" cuando añadí mi sugestion...esa parte me gusta
17 hrs
  -> gracias Carolingua

agree Cecilia Della Croce
2 days14 hrs
  -> gracias Ceci
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23 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
even the best/fastest predator...misses the boat (and loses his prey)

Explanation:
Not that catchy I know, but it is a "mixed metaphor" (hunting and water). I like the "predator vs. prey" setup because it fits the hunting context but is comparing the hunter to a predator out in nature.

Carolingua
United States
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
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