Glossary entry

Italian term or phrase:

animali da salotto

English translation:

members of the elite clutch of power brokers

Added to glossary by Therese Marshall
Apr 6, 2015 07:28
9 yrs ago
Italian term

animali da salotto

Italian to English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters Book on interviews of foreign press correspondents on the subject of Italy
«i ricchi hanno dei comportamenti completamente diversi dai poveri. Qui in Italia invece, e anche nel film di Sorrentino, i comportamenti di un uomo ricchissimo e quelli di un operaio di Centocelle sono simili». Naturalmente la figura della Santa nel film La grande bellezza non è sfuggita a Carmen. «La vecchia missionaria viene invitata nel salotto del protagonista sperando che gli ospiti possano ottenere un qualche beneficio dalla sua santità. Tutti cercano la redenzione, anche se non hanno alcuna intenzione sincera di abbracciare la santità. Sono dei perfetti animali da salotto. È un riflesso della politica italiana, una chiacchiera continua, senza sostanza e reale intenzione di migliorare».

Here I wasn't quite sure about something along the lines of "domestic pets"....any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Discussion

Wendy Streitparth Apr 6, 2015:
I think it means they are just there because they are party-goers not because they are interested in what the missionary has to say. Maybe "party pets" would work, especially bearing in mind that politics occurs in the next sentence!

Proposed translations

+1
40 mins
Selected

members of the elite clutch of power brokers

The "salotto buono" refers to the elite clutch of industrial, financial, and political power brokers who have dominated Italy since WWII. You might also think of them as "members of the old-boys' club". The sense it that they are members of the "power elite"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2015-04-06 09:01:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

You might say something like "they are perfect examples of the old boy club"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2015-04-07 06:51:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Having read the paragraph again I thought you might use the expression "power seekers"
Example sentence:

Many believe there was great force in the lead given by 73-year-old Zaleski, who has long been notoriously and gloriously an outsider to Italy's salotto buono or the elite clutch of industrial, financial, and political power brokers that have controlled I

Peer comment(s):

agree Peter Cox
20 hrs
neutral Pompeo Lattanzi : The "salotto buono" is exactly what you indicate in your suggestion, but I do not think it applies here.
1 day 2 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
8 mins

domestici animals

...
Something went wrong...
6 hrs

partisan pets

To show the political aspect (partisan) and to show they have their own agenda (not really interested in holiness but rather redemption in this case).
Something went wrong...
+1
8 hrs

drawing room creatures

see for example

The Line of Beauty: Picador Classic - Page 371 - Google Books Result
https://books.google.it/books?isbn=1447275195
Alan Hollinghurst - 2014 - ‎Art
... drawing room, and they chatted as if they were all guests, happily denatured, transformed by silk and velvet, jewels and makeup, into drawing-room creatures.

Tales of English Eccentrics - Page 163 - Google Books Result
https://books.google.it/books?isbn=0953892247
Tony Grumley-Grennan
However her skill as a powerboat racer at a time when women, however rich, were more usually seen as simply beautiful drawing room creatures, deserves a ...

p.184-5. Tritons: A Novel - Forgotten Books
www.forgottenbooks.com/readbook_text/Tritons_1000113353/185
... wit and intelligence enough to furnish out half a dozen drawing-room creatures. ... asked Ralph, with a ' little scoffing laugh; " a set of corrupt politicians, venal ...

Peer comment(s):

agree Pompeo Lattanzi : Quite a nice one!
18 hrs
Thanks!
Something went wrong...
+1
1 day 41 mins

schmoozers

These people are "consummate schmoozers" (perfetti animali da salotto) in the sense that they know how to keep in with the great and the good on social occasions.
Peer comment(s):

agree Pompeo Lattanzi : I find this "slang" word possibly the perfect rendition.
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
1 day 12 hrs

lapdogs

This is just another option. It can mean subservient and wanting to please, but not necessarily sincere.
Something went wrong...
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search