https://www.proz.com/kudoz/english-to-spanish/linguistics/1658684-not-one-so-much-as-lifts-its-headthey-keep-to-themselves.html

Not one so much as lifts its head...They keep to themselves

Spanish translation: ni siquiera una de ellas levanta la cabeza... Continúan a lo suyo.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Not one so much as lifts its head...They keep to themselves
Spanish translation:ni siquiera una de ellas levanta la cabeza... Continúan a lo suyo.
Entered by: Carmen Hernaiz

21:48 Nov 27, 2006
English to Spanish translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics / traducci{on
English term or phrase: Not one so much as lifts its head...They keep to themselves
Henri Michaux's limpid poem "Je vous écris d'un pays lointain" illustrate this tendency in a particulaly subtle form because the text would appear to offer the translator no difficulty whatsoever. Then, at least to judge from my own experience, phrase after phrase is unconvincing because it never quite matches the tone of the original, a speaking voice ("dit-elle") emerging from a letter, the style oddly formal and oddly hesitant. Perhaps the most interesting of the elusive qualities of the text is the use it makes of the masculine and feminine articles, which usually are unobstrusive for the native reader and so present no difficulty for the translator limited to "it." In "Je vous écris...", however, the articles referring to certain nouns seem to personaliza them. "Fourmi" is a feminine noun, but insistence on the article makes ants a society of female creatures: "Pas une ne lève la tête...elles sont entre elles..." "Not one so much as lifts its head...They keep to themselves." Here the neutral gender is not a great loss because...
marisolsuarez
ni siquiera una de ellas levanta la cabeza... Continúan a lo suyo.
Explanation:
Así lo interpreto yo.
Selected response from:

Carmen Hernaiz
Spain
Local time: 08:53
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5Ninguna levanta la cabeza... ellas se encuentran entre mujeres
Cristina Heraud-van Tol
5ninguna siquiera levanta la cabeza - ellas están entre ellas..
Enrique Huber (X)
4"...ninguno alza la cabeza, ... se quedan absortos en sí mismos..."
garci
4ni siquiera una de ellas levanta la cabeza... Continúan a lo suyo.
Carmen Hernaiz
3ninguna siquiera levanta la cabeza... siguen haciendo lo suyo / se ciñen a hacer lo suyo
kironne


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
not one so much as lifts its head...they keep to themselves
Ninguna levanta la cabeza... ellas se encuentran entre mujeres


Explanation:
This is the right translation of the phrase from French, as the English one is not good.

Cristina Heraud-van Tol
Peru
Local time: 02:53
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 37
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
not one so much as lifts its head...they keep to themselves
ninguna siquiera levanta la cabeza... siguen haciendo lo suyo / se ciñen a hacer lo suyo


Explanation:

Marisol, esto es tan interesante, porque la manera en que el autor traduce el texto del francés al inglés ya lo cambia. ¡Un traductor traduciendo lo que otro traductor ya traduce!

Mi opción se ciñe (pun intended) a lo que dice el inglés, aunque directo del francés lo diría distinto.



kironne
Chile
Local time: 04:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 24
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
not one so much as lifts its head...they keep to themselves
"...ninguno alza la cabeza, ... se quedan absortos en sí mismos..."


Explanation:
keep to oneself - shun the company of others; "The new student keeps to herself"

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Note added at 12 mins (2006-11-27 22:00:47 GMT)
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Unas variantes: Encerrados en sí mismos; indiferentes al exterior

garci
Local time: 01:53
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 27
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36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
not one so much as lifts its head...they keep to themselves
ni siquiera una de ellas levanta la cabeza... Continúan a lo suyo.


Explanation:
Así lo interpreto yo.

Carmen Hernaiz
Spain
Local time: 08:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 26
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
not one so much as lifts its head...they keep to themselves
ninguna siquiera levanta la cabeza - ellas están entre ellas..


Explanation:
keeping the gender is needed. It specifies:"not one", "ni una". whereas "ninguna, means "none".
"ellas están entre ellas" is self evident.

Enrique Huber (X)
Mexico
Local time: 02:53
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 4
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