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Con tal de no hacer los ejercicios, no se mete.

English translation: see explanation

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20:39 Jan 30, 2012

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Poetry & Literature / Mexican regionalism (Chiapas)

Spanish term or phrase: Con tal de no hacer los ejercicios, no se mete.

I'm not sure how to pose the question properly in this form. My problem is really with the entire passage rather than one or two of the phrases.

Here's the context: during the 1994 Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, gunfire was exchanged between the Mexican Army and the EZLN, and lasted for 12 days. During a lull in shooting, a couple of villagers gossip as follows:

“¿Y el Alfredo… ¿no se habrá ido con los zapatistas?”, pregunta Pillis.

“Uy, ése es un miedoso de marca. Con tal de no hacer los ejercicios, no se mete. Es tan haragán que, por no cargar el rifle, les ha de haber contestado que cuando acabe la guerra le pasen a dar ese rancho”, le responde mi madre.

Specific questions/thoughts.

1. Since I translated Alfredo's trade, "vaquero", as "cowherd" in this particular instance, I'm tempted to just say, "coward" for "miedoso de marca". If there's a much more colorful yet accurate way to render this phrase, I'm all ears.

2. Being unsure whether military service is compulsory for all males of a given age in Mexico (as it is in some other countries), I wasn't sure whether "los ejercicios" meant, though it's clear from the context that the guy doesn't get involved unless he absolutely has to.

3. The guy lives on the ranch that he works (not owns, I think). Is the sense here that the guy is such a good-for-nothing that "for not carrying his rifle, he's had to answer that they give the ranch over TO HIM once the war's over"? I'm just confused here. If you anwer in Spanish, please the sense of the passage and/or provide a literal rendering.

Again, sorry for the format of the question. In the past moderators have insisted that I break a question like this up into separate posts. In this case, though, I hope the larger context is helpful to you all.

Thanks in advance.

offset KudoZ activity Questions: 66 (4 open) (3 without valid answers) Answers: 24 United States
Local time: 22:22

English translation:see explanation

Explanation:
You'll probably have to split this into three questions, but here goes my attempt:
1. 'miedoso de marca' you could translate something like a "professional scaredy-cat" - 'de marca' meaning 'branded' as opposed to 'pirata' or 'genérico'
2. Military service is NOT compulsory in Mexico (and hasn't been for a very long time as far as I know) and I think the 'ejercicios' simply refers to training with the EZLN.
3. 'por no cargar el rifle...' actually means 'to avoid having to carry a gun, he's probably gone and told them he'll give them the ranch when they're through with the war'. I think. The last bit is rather garbled.

Selected response from:

fionn
Mexico
Local time: 00:22

Grading comment

Thanks, all. My preliminary draft is as follows. Obviously, it will undergo subsequent revision.

«"Ugh, that guy’s a bonafide coward. As long as he’s not on maneuvers, he doesn’t get involved. He’s such a good-for-nothing that, so as not to have to carry a rifle, he [must have/probably] told them to hand that ranch over to him when the war’s over”, my mother responds."»
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