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.
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. / Sociological analysis of 15M demonstrations in Spain. | | Spanish term or phrase: núcleo convocante | Hi all. I am translating an essay for a friend, a sociological report about the 15M demonstrations in Spain, and I'm stuck on one specific term that appears fairly frequently: "núcleo convocante".
The way I understand it, it refers to the "core" protesters who (more or less informally) instigate the demonstrations and help spread the word. I get the idea but I'm really struggling rendering it in English. I originally went for "core organisers", but I need to keep a clear distinction between "convocantes" and "organizadores". As a matter of fact, I'm struggling to translate "convocante" and "convocatoria" without resorting to "organisation"...
Any and all ideas are more than welcome!
Example sentences below:
"Sin embargo, la autoría de la convocatoria fue anónima: aquellos activistas que formaron parte del núcleo convocante no comparten partido, trabajo o barrio."
"Sin embargo, el origen del movimiento social online contra dicha ley se diferencia de los otros en que su núcleo convocante está formado por personas que comparten un estilo de vida de activismo permanente (...)"
"El núcleo convocante está formado por miembros del tejido social más movilizado."
Thanks in advance! |
| | | core instigators | Explanation:
I do see your problem, Francisco; if you have to maintain a distinction between "convocantes" and "organizadores", so "organisers" is not available, it's quite difficult to find something that reflects the sense of "convocar". More general solutions like "core demonstrators" or "nucleus of the movement" work well in English, but, to my mind, lose that sense of these people being the ones that get others involved (often by SMS, as I understand it), and this is surely important. I think "instigate", which you yourself use in your explanation, may offer a viable solution.
It's true that "instigate" can have negative connotations -- you can instigate violence or riots -- but it is not necessarily so; it depends on the context. It is actually the appropriate word for setting in motion action for radical change, which is the sense here.
Take, for example, this blog on the Toronto Transit Camp, pressing for changes in public transport in Toronto, Canada:
"What’s really interesting about Transit Camp is that it’s the first event I’ve seen that takes the principles and practices of a BarCamp event and pushes them outside of the world of technology and business. Mark Kuznicki, one of the core instigators along with Jay Goldman and David Crow; explained why we’re watching how it turns out with such interest."
http://www.willpate.org/2007/01/31/toronto-transit-camp/
Here's another example, related to the sex workers' rights movement:
"If you want to change the world, you have to be able to meet people where they're at, to explain things to average people using plain language. Broad-based social change is not a competition to see who can talk the furthest over the heads of the general public. That famous quip about how "the only thing that's ever changed the world is a small group of committed people" is complete bullshit. You do need those core instigators, but if it starts and ends there, your cause is doomed."
http://www.thescavenger.net/feminism-a-pop-culture/sex-worke...
Hope this helps! |
| Selected response from:
 Charles Davis
Local time: 07:30
| Grading comment A ton of great answers here - wish I had more points to give away! I ended up going with Charles' option to keep the formal tone of the text, although Altogringo's suggestion was a great fit as well. Thanks again for your help!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
| |
| Discussion entries: 0 |
|---|
Automatic update in 00:
|
6 mins confidence:  
11 mins confidence:
1 hr confidence: peer agreement (net): +1 core instigators
Explanation:
I do see your problem, Francisco; if you have to maintain a distinction between "convocantes" and "organizadores", so "organisers" is not available, it's quite difficult to find something that reflects the sense of "convocar". More general solutions like "core demonstrators" or "nucleus of the movement" work well in English, but, to my mind, lose that sense of these people being the ones that get others involved (often by SMS, as I understand it), and this is surely important. I think "instigate", which you yourself use in your explanation, may offer a viable solution.
It's true that "instigate" can have negative connotations -- you can instigate violence or riots -- but it is not necessarily so; it depends on the context. It is actually the appropriate word for setting in motion action for radical change, which is the sense here.
Take, for example, this blog on the Toronto Transit Camp, pressing for changes in public transport in Toronto, Canada:
"What’s really interesting about Transit Camp is that it’s the first event I’ve seen that takes the principles and practices of a BarCamp event and pushes them outside of the world of technology and business. Mark Kuznicki, one of the core instigators along with Jay Goldman and David Crow; explained why we’re watching how it turns out with such interest."
http://www.willpate.org/2007/01/31/toronto-transit-camp/
Here's another example, related to the sex workers' rights movement:
"If you want to change the world, you have to be able to meet people where they're at, to explain things to average people using plain language. Broad-based social change is not a competition to see who can talk the furthest over the heads of the general public. That famous quip about how "the only thing that's ever changed the world is a small group of committed people" is complete bullshit. You do need those core instigators, but if it starts and ends there, your cause is doomed."
http://www.thescavenger.net/feminism-a-pop-culture/sex-worke...
Hope this helps!
| Charles Davis
Local time: 07:30
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 40
|
| | Grading comment | A ton of great answers here - wish I had more points to give away! I ended up going with Charles' option to keep the formal tone of the text, although Altogringo's suggestion was a great fit as well. Thanks again for your help! |
|
| | Login to enter a peer comment (or grade) |
1 hr confidence:
Return to KudoZ list
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | |
| 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. See also: Search millions of term translations  |
The translation workplace 
