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level best

Spanish translation: esforzarse al máximo

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:to try one's level best
Spanish translation:esforzarse al máximo
Entered by: Yoelle Carter Martinez

15:11 May 2, 2008
English to Spanish translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: level best
Jose has tried his level best in his personal meeting with him to bring him nearer to the rest.
In your approach to him you should first try your level best to make him fall in line.
Es en extracto de una carta que viene de la India. Cual sería la traducción exacta?
Yoelle Carter Martinez
Spain
Local time: 19:50
to try one's level best - esforzarse al máximo
Explanation:
"level best" = "level with best" = de par con lo mejor; o alcanzando el nivel de lo mejor
Selected response from:

Bubo Coroman (X)
Grading comment
Thank you very much. Spot on.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4ha dado lo mejor de sí
Karin Otterbach
4 +2lo mejor posible
swisstell
5 +1[ha tratado] lo más que ha podido
Nelida Kreer
4 +1to try one's level best - esforzarse al máximo
Bubo Coroman (X)
4hacer algo al máximo de sus posibilidades
Juan González Pérez
4lo mejor dentro de lo razonable
Rocio Barrientos


  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
lo mejor posible


Explanation:
ya

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 19:50
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  jacana54 (X)
43 mins
  -> muchas gracias, Lucia!
agree  Egmont
1 hr
  -> thanks a lot!
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
hacer algo al máximo de sus posibilidades


Explanation:
Otra opción.

Saludos,
Juan

Juan González Pérez
Spain
Local time: 19:50
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 16
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
lo mejor dentro de lo razonable


Explanation:
Te doy ejemplos, etc abajo...

para mi que esta sería la interpretación del sentido... se pueden encontrar otras por cierto, pero en el contexto... mi sugerencia es esta

SaludoZ


Reply to: Re: level best posted by R. Berg on April 17, 2003

: : Any ideas on origin of "level best." Why "level?"

: The Oxford English Dictionary labels "level" in "level best" as slang or colloquial and says it's of U.S. origin. It gives no further explanation. My hunch: "level" works like "straight" or "downright" or "flat out" here, also spatial metaphors denoting an absence of twists and turns and hence meaning "honestly" or "purely," as in "the straight story" or "That's flat-out illegal."

I had the following suggested to me.
To do your level best is to do as best as you can in the circumstances. The level here is an underground seam or level found in a mine. The particular mines of origin in this saying are the gold ones of 19th century California.
level(adj) :rational; reasonable.

have a level head, also be level-headed(v) :to be sensible or reasonable in making judgment.

do one's level best(v) :to make one's all efforts to do sthg.

on the level(adj,adv) :honest(ly); frank(ly); sincere(ly); straightforward(ly).


Rocio Barrientos
Bolivia
Local time: 13:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 56
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
ha dado lo mejor de sí


Explanation:
Otra sugerencia :)

Karin Otterbach
Germany
Local time: 19:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Muchas gracias por tu respuesta, me gusta, pero creo que esforzarse al máximo es más adecuada.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  jacana54 (X): http://www.thefreedictionary.com/level best
27 mins
  -> ¡Gracias Lucía! Te debo un correo...:)))
agree  Helen Huthnance
52 mins
  -> ¡Gracias Helen! :)
agree  Maria Agustini
2 hrs
  -> ¡Gracias Virginia! :)
agree  José Miguel Neira: cuando pase al glosario recordad excluir el "ha dado" de la equivalencia ;)
8 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
[ha tratado] lo más que ha podido


Explanation:
Yo lo expresaría así dentro del contexto de la frase.

Dice Christinne Ammer and The American Heritage "Dictionary of Idioms": "perform as well as one can, do the utmost possible".
Primero la expresión fue "do one's best" y data del siglo XVI, en tanto que el agregado de "level", con el significado de "very", ocurrió recién a mediados del siglo 19.

Nelida Kreer
Local time: 13:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 92

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ema Vicens
7 hrs
  -> Muchas gracias Ema!!
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
to try one's level best - esforzarse al máximo


Explanation:
"level best" = "level with best" = de par con lo mejor; o alcanzando el nivel de lo mejor

Bubo Coroman (X)
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 428
Grading comment
Thank you very much. Spot on.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Noni Gilbert Riley: Exactly. And, as you point out, the verb must be "try" - part of the expression.
2 days 13 hrs
  -> thank you Noni, hope you and all the family enjoyed your puente. Hugs :-) Deb
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