debidas a falta de motivación (in context)

English translation: with no clear motivation

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Spanish term or phrase:	debidas a falta de motivación
English translation:	with no clear motivation
Entered by:	Cath St Clair (X)

14:55 Feb 13, 2008

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Medical - Medical (general) / psychiatry (bipolar disorder)

Spanish term or phrase: debidas a falta de motivación (in context)

'De este modo, las crisis o estados de agresividad se asocian a una violencia irreflexiva (impulsiva), inesperada y con expresión de descarga de gran tensión patológica, con rapidez en su ejecución y debidas a falta de motivación y, en ocasiones, como respuesta a provocaciones mínimas.'

What is 'debidas' agreeing with grammatically here? 'Las crisis'?

Does it make sense that aggressiveness should be associated to a lack of motivation? Surely lack of motivation is one of the symptoms of depression, rather than mania (which is being discussed here as being associated to violence)?

My common sense tells me to translate the final part of the sentence as 'lacking motive, or in response to minimal provocation', but surely this would be a mistranslation of the Spanish...

Can anyone shed any light on the matter?

Many thanks in advance.

Cath St Clair (X) KudoZ activity Questions: 98 (3 open) (10 closed without grading) Answers: 114 Spain
Local time: 00:03

se aplica a crisis

Explanation:
lo que te dice el texto es que estas crisis pueden surgir sin motivo

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 mins (2008-02-13 15:08:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

yo interpreto que sí; I think they are trying to sound a little more formal/ learned but theyu are saying that these crises do not necessarily are a response to provocation or may just break for no reason. hth

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 56 mins (2008-02-13 15:51:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I agree

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 days (2008-02-20 11:14:20 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

saludos, Cath

Selected response from:

Cecilia Della Croce
Argentina
Local time: 20:03

Grading comment

Opinion on the meaning of this phrase was so divided, I decided to contact the author. He apologised for the confusing phrase and confirmed that he meant 'sin motivo'. Many thanks to everyone. Sorry I could not also give points to you, Lydia, for your helpful explanation. Cecilia's answer was first in time, so I feel Kudoz etiquette determines that the points should go to her.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +3

I think it agrees with the crises and aggresive states

Cesar Serrano

4 +1

As a consequence of a lack of motivation

Óscar Delgado Gosálvez

4 +1

se aplica a crisis

Cecilia Della Croce

without motive/motivation

Lydia De Jorge

may occur spontaneously or, sometimes following minor provocation. I also agree with Lydia!

Yasser El Helw

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

I think it agrees with the crises and aggresive states

Explanation:
I think it agrees with the crises and aggresive states

Cesar Serrano
United States
Local time: 16:03
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 80

42 mins confidence:

without motive/motivation

Explanation:
aggressiveness occurs without motive or motivation. the aggressor in this case needs no motivation in order to be aggressive.

Lydia De Jorge
United States
Local time: 18:03
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish,

English
PRO pts in category: 184

Notes to answerer

Asker: Hi Lydia. Thanks for your answer. I agree that this makes logical sense, but wonder why the author writes not 'sín motivo/motivación' but '*debidas a* falta de motivación' - as if the violence was *caused by* the lack of motivation... ??

15 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

As a consequence of a lack of motivation

Explanation:
I think you should rephrase the entire sentence and punctuation.

A suggestion:

As a consequence of a lack of motivation and often as a response to a minimal provocation, crisis or phases of aggressiveness become thus linked with violence: rapid, impulsive and reckless unexpected bursts with a highly pathological tension.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 38 mins (2008-02-13 15:34:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As a consequence of a lack of motivation and often as responding to minimal provocation, crisis or states of aggressiveness become thus linked with violence: rapid, impulsive and reckless unexpected bursts with a highly pathological tension.
I shortened it a bit and changed phases for states, for consistency.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 50 mins (2008-02-13 15:45:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A) I think that's the idea, lack of motivation+provocation convert aggressiveness into violence.
B) "debidos a falta de motivos" seems to me a contradiction in terms:
Acting due to a lack of motives?... unlikely.
On the contrary, lack of motivation may be a source of frustration and distraught.

Óscar Delgado Gosálvez
United States
Local time: 19:03
Native speaker of:

Spanish

Notes to answerer

Asker: Hi Oscar, Many thanks for your suggestion. Do you therefore think that a) agressiveness can be linked to a lack of motivation and/or b) that 'falta de motivación' must be translated as a 'lack of motivation' and not as a 'lack of motive' (falta de motivo)? Please feel free to respond in Spanish - I wrote in English simply for speed ;)

1 hr confidence:

may occur spontaneously or, sometimes following minor provocation. I also agree with Lydia!

Explanation:
Good luck

Yasser El Helw
Egypt
Local time: 01:03
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Arabic,

English
PRO pts in category: 473

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

se aplica a crisis

Cecilia Della Croce
Argentina
Local time: 20:03
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 74

Grading comment

Notes to answerer

Asker: Hi Cecilia, So 'falta de motivación' is a synonym of 'sin motivo'?? Or is this poor use of Spanish? In all the dictionaries I looked in, I couldn't find one that translated 'motivación' as motive.

Asker: This interpretation would make the most sense to me - 'falta de motivación' just seemed a strange choice of phrase...

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.

Return to KudoZ list

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.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

debidas a falta de motivación (in context)

English translation: with no clear motivation

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

Your current localization setting

Select a language

debidas a falta de motivación (in context)

English translation: with no clear motivation

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

You have native languages that can be verified

Your current localization setting

Select a language