Sep 13, 2021 19:22
2 yrs ago
18 viewers *
Arabic term
مكسر عصا
Arabic to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Syria
Hi everyone,
I'm translating a (quite heavy) short story about being a political prisoner. Does this phrase mean something like "pushover" or "coward"? Any clarity would be much appreciated. If it's useful to know, the author is Syrian.
.هنّئیني یا أميّ ، باركي لي. أخی ا رً تر قّیت إلى مرتبة "سجین". كنتُ مجرّد "معتقل"، نكرةٍ، حشرة، مكسر عصا.
Many thanks!
Anam
I'm translating a (quite heavy) short story about being a political prisoner. Does this phrase mean something like "pushover" or "coward"? Any clarity would be much appreciated. If it's useful to know, the author is Syrian.
.هنّئیني یا أميّ ، باركي لي. أخی ا رً تر قّیت إلى مرتبة "سجین". كنتُ مجرّد "معتقل"، نكرةٍ، حشرة، مكسر عصا.
Many thanks!
Anam
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 | degraded |
Saeed Najmi
|
| 4 | A punching bag |
Samaa Zeitoun
|
| 2 +1 | Worthless |
Nidhalz
|
| 3 | just a bug that worths nothing |
Assem AlKhallouf
|
Proposed translations
1 hr
Saeed Najmi
Morocco
Morocco
Native in Arabic
Morocco
Juggling languages: a science and an art
Native in: Arabic (Variants: Standard-Arabian (MSA), Moroccan) 
, French
Works in: English to Arabic, French to Arabic, Arabic to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
146
Selected
degraded
disdained
Below is a ref. that explains the meaning of the S phrase.
https://www.facebook.com/349709988449119/posts/3589400741927...
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Note added at 12 hrs (2021-09-14 08:08:05 GMT)
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TRASH !
The suggestions made above have been bugging me; though they render the desired meaning IMO, they are a different grammatical class. Been looking for a Noun, and there occurs 'TRASH' to me.
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Note added at 13 hrs (2021-09-14 08:48:25 GMT)
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From simply "under arrest", he was "promoted" to the status of Prisoner no one knows, a Nobody but, still, belonged to the human race. He then earned access to another specy: Insects; he was mutated into the insect category before he was turned into Trash. It's a process of degradation/trashing in the dumps.
Below is a ref. that explains the meaning of the S phrase.
https://www.facebook.com/349709988449119/posts/3589400741927...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2021-09-14 08:08:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
TRASH !
The suggestions made above have been bugging me; though they render the desired meaning IMO, they are a different grammatical class. Been looking for a Noun, and there occurs 'TRASH' to me.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2021-09-14 08:48:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
From simply "under arrest", he was "promoted" to the status of Prisoner no one knows, a Nobody but, still, belonged to the human race. He then earned access to another specy: Insects; he was mutated into the insect category before he was turned into Trash. It's a process of degradation/trashing in the dumps.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Yes, "trash" is good! It's exactly the right register. I might go for "cowardly/weak/puny piece of trash" or something similar, to get across the meaning in the Facebook post you linked. Which was v informative, thank you :)"
+1
2 hrs
1 day 2 hrs
Assem AlKhallouf
Native in Arabic
&
English
MA, PhD, NAATI, APTS.
Native in: Arabic (Variants: Saudi , Yemeni, Jordanian, Palestinian, UAE, Sudanese, Iraqi, Lebanese, Syrian, Standard-Arabian (MSA), Egyptian, Kuwaiti) , English (Variants: UK, US, British, Scottish)
Works in: Arabic to English, English to Arabic, Arabic, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
79
Arabic term (edited):
حشرة، مكسر عصا
just a bug that worths nothing
just a bug that worths nothing
2 days 19 hrs
Samaa Zeitoun
United States
United States
Native in Arabic
Works in field
United States
Quality comes first
Native in: Arabic (Variants: Standard-Arabian (MSA), Egyptian) 
Works in: Arabic to English, English to Arabic
Related KudoZ points
:
17
A punching bag
One who is routinely abused or defeated by another.
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