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carencia

English translation: If what I don\'t have is what motivates me...

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Spanish term or phrase:	carencia
English translation:	*If what I don\'t* have is what motivates me...**
Entered by:	Alicia Orfalian

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17:30 Jan 18, 2010

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. / Psychology

Spanish term or phrase: carencia

A psychologist has written as follows:

"La falta entonces motiva mi existencia o me ancla en la queja, la vergüenza o la frustación, esperando o exigiendo que el otro o el mundo me reparen o me compensen por mis faltas. Si la carencia me es motivante y me permite construir un proyecto, aparece aquí un tema clave ligado a éste, que es el de la seducción."

I have rendered "faltas" as flaws and was thinking of shortcomings/imperfections for carencias. But, probably you have better ideas!

Thanks to you all.
Alicia

Alicia Orfalian KudoZ activity Questions: 189 (4 open) (2 without valid answers) (20 closed without grading) Answers: 1779 Argentina
Local time: 02:29

If what I *don't* have is what motivates me...

Explanation:
I think this rendering works better in the present context than trying to translate "carencia" with a single English word.

Suerte.

Selected response from:

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 01:29

Grading comment

Once again, thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +5

If what I *don't* have is what motivates me...

Robert Forstag

3 +3

The lack

Kyle Burk

(unfulfilled) need (for affection)/neediness

Muriel Vasconcellos

weak points / shortcomings

Simon Bruni

the void

Marta HS

deprived

claudia16

inadequacy

Gilla Evans

if what I lack, is what motivates me

clout1945

Answers

5 mins confidence:

weak points / shortcomings

Explanation:
Your suggestions seem 100 % fine to me.

Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 56

5 mins confidence:

inadequacy

Explanation:
Might be a suitable word here.

Gilla Evans
Local time: 06:29
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 24

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

The lack

Explanation:
I think in the context of psychology "the lack" might be the idea/concept you're looking for. The idea is related to Freud and Lacan. It depends on the greater context of the document, of course.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lack_(manque)

Kyle Burk
Local time: 01:29
Native speaker of:

English

11 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

Si la carencia me es motivante...

If what I *don't* have is what motivates me...

Explanation:
I think this rendering works better in the present context than trying to translate "carencia" with a single English word.

Suerte.

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 01:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 141

Grading comment

Once again, thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Gilla Evans: I take your point. In the context it is more likely to be "what I don't have" rather than "my own inadequacy or shortcomings" that are motivational.

2 mins

-> I think so. Especially if the speaker is talking about external desiderata such as money, possessions, relationships, etc. rather than personal qualities. Thank you, Gilla.

agree

David Ronder: Persuaded by the little exchange above

20 mins

-> Thank you, David!

agree

Remy Arce: Agree with Gilla's comment.

53 mins

-> Thank you, Remy.

agree

Deborah Workman

7 hrs

-> Thank you, Deborah.

agree

franglish: The point is, it's a psychologist writing which to me doesn't automatically mean it's reported speech. Also, it depends on the audience it's intended for.

14 hrs

-> Thank you, Fran. I really do not see "la carencia" in the mouth of this patient as being shorthand for a psychiatric label, but rather as referring to the things he or she does not have in life. It is a synonym for "falta", which patient uses earlier.

2 hrs confidence:

deprived

Explanation:
If being deprived gives me the incentive to...

claudia16
Local time: 06:29
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 3

3 hrs confidence:

the void

Explanation:
Suerte

Marta HS
United States
Local time: 22:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4

4 hrs confidence:

if what I lack, is what motivates me

Explanation:
An idea

clout1945
United States
Local time: 01:29
Native speaker of:

Spanish

6 hrs confidence:

(unfulfilled) need (for affection)/neediness

Explanation:
It's shorthand for "carencia de afecto," a technical term in psychology that we most often translate in English as 'need for affection'. In your context, which appears to be informal, 'need for affection' should suffice.

When speaking specifically of a deprived childhood, the expression is 'lack of affection', but the condition in adults it is more often cast in terms of '(unfulfilled/neurotic) need'. I learned this from being married to a bilingual psychiatrist!

275,000 hits for ["carencia de afecto"] - examples:

25 Nov 2005 ... La carencia de afecto deja secuelas en los chicos. Un estudio norteamericano asegura que los niños que no reciben cariño en sus primeros ...
weblog.mendoza.edu.ar/padres/archives/008724.html

25 Jun 2008 ... La carencia de afecto crea deficiencias y merma en las defensas que nos protegen contra virus, bacterias y otros agentes patógenos. ...
meditandosobrelavida.blogspot.com/.../los-psicologos-cada-vez-estn-mas-de.html

carencia de afecto. Fecha de creación: 22-Feb-2007; Término aceptado: 31-Dic-1969. INICIO · 19 desarrollo de la personalidad · desarrollo mental ...
redined.r020.com.ar/es/index.php?tema=466

848,000 hits for ["need for affection"]. Of course this is also everyday language in English. Examples from psychology texts:

Karen Horney
The neurotic need for affection and approval, the indiscriminate need to please others and be liked by them. 2. The neurotic need for a partner, ...
webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/horney.html

The need for inclusion highly correlated with the need for affection. In addition, when assessing gender differences in the areas of interpersonal needs and ...
www.allacademic.com/meta/p113327_index.html - 9 hours ago

Need for affection among pedophiles
(need for affection) and Pa3 (naivete) were compared among pedophiles ..... or “need for affection” items, the scores of the psychiatric patients differed ...
doi.wiley.com/.../1097-4679(199209)48:5%3C620::AID-JCLP2270480507%3E3.0.CO

Jun 2, 2007 ... The first task is to rate the need for affection on a scale of 0 (I don't ... The last part says to tell how the emotional need for affection ...
diggerjones.wordpress.com/2007/.../emotional-needs-affection/

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 22:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 249

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carencia

English translation: If what I don\'t have is what motivates me...

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carencia

English translation: If what I *don\'t* have is what motivates me...

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English translation: If what I don\'t have is what motivates me...

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