Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Italian term
United Kingdom
sesso
| 3 +3 | ** omit ** |
Ivana UK
|
| 5 +4 | sex |
Vladimir Micic
|
| 5 +3 | sex organ/vagina |
momo savino
|
| 3 +1 | sex |
Y. Peraza
|
| 4 | sexual organ |
Rita Bilancio
|
| 3 | gender identity / gener role |
Robert Mongiello
|
| 3 | my take |
irenef
|
Dec 4, 2006 10:20: gianfranco changed "Field" from "Other" to "Art/Literary" , "Field (specific)" from "Other" to "Idioms / Maxims / Sayings" , "Field (write-in)" from "Other" to "(none)"
Apr 9, 2009 00:36: Ivana UK Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
** omit **
Why not try something like:
Rome was like a whore, inviting yet corrupt.
Rome was the queen of whores, inviting yet corrupt.
Rome was the ultimate of tarts, inviting yet corrupt.
(in relation to societies, cities etc. putrido usually means rotten/corrupt)
It may not have exactly the same meaning but it renders the idea.
Hope this helps!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2006-12-04 13:45:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
( One more example - but a very liberal translation:
Rome was inviting like a whore but rotten to the core)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2006-12-04 15:54:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Further suggestion:
I was also thinking about replacing "sesso" with "bosom" - although referring to a diff. part of the body, maybe this could be used instead.
| agree |
Y. Peraza
: You are right. The options you give are very good, even though not literal translations.
38 mins
|
| agree |
Umberto Cassano
1 hr
|
| agree |
transparx
2 hrs
|
| neutral |
Alfredo Tutino
: I think that the shocking, even disturbing, quality of the original should be retained, if possible ("il sesso" here is the bodypart, not the act; and "putrido" is much harsher than corrupt - exp. if used for that bodypart)
6 hrs
|
|
I know what you mean - but where it sounds ok in Italian it just doesn't in English. Okay in spoken English but it's a diff matter entirely when put on paper. Caravaggio is comparing Rome to that bodypart so the term used must be appropriate for both.
|
high-quality and reasonable prices
Native in: English 
Works in: Italian to English, English to Italian
gender identity / gener role
| neutral |
Alfredo Tutino
: "sex" here means "female sex organ"
24 mins
|
| agree |
momo savino
59 mins
|
| disagree |
Y. Peraza
: That's not what sesso means here.
2 hrs
|
Fast,reliable,serious
Native in: Serbian , Croatian
Works in: Italian to Serbian, Italian to Croatian, Italian to Bosnian, and 9 more.
sex
| agree |
silvia b (X)
6 mins
|
|
thanks
|
|
| agree |
Sonia Hill
41 mins
|
|
thanks
|
|
| neutral |
Ivana UK
: but how would you render the entire sentence?
1 hr
|
|
Something like this: “Rome was like whore’s sex, warmly welcoming but rotten.”
|
|
| agree |
Maura Sciuccati
: Definitely!
2 hrs
|
|
thank you
|
|
| agree |
Silvia Brandon-Pérez
: sexual organ
5 hrs
|
|
thanks
|
sex
According to the Merriam Webster, SEX can also refer to the genitalia, which is the sense that SESSO has in your text.
| agree |
Romanian Translator (X)
1 hr
|
Switzerland
la guinda al pastel
Native in: Italian , Spanish
Works in: Italian, Spanish, Spanish to Italian, and 5 more.
sex organ/vagina
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2006-12-04 11:27:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Rome was like a prostitute's sex: cozy but putrid (corrupted)
| agree |
Romanian Translator (X)
34 mins
|
| agree |
Miles Furnell (X)
: I think that the "sesso" in this context definitely refers to the organ not the act
4 hrs
|
| agree |
xlationhouse
: definitely referring to the anatomical location
1 day 1 hr
|
Dire quasi la stessa cosa
Native in: Italian 
Works in: English to Italian, German to Italian, French to Italian
sexual organ
my take
Ivana's first 3 suggestions make sense but, I mean, he's deliberately referring to "that place", not to a person.
Now, you may wish to opt for a vulgar translation of "sesso" (do I need to list options?..)
Alternatively, a less vulgar but, IMO, effective translation - though not a literal one - could be:
"like the womb of a whore: welcoming but rotten"
HTH
Discussion