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ardita scalinata

English translation: breathtaking or awe-inspiring

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:ardita scalinata
English translation:breathtaking or awe-inspiring
Entered by: Desiree Bonfiglio

16:18 Jan 12, 2008
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Tourism & Travel / visiting a cave of stalactites
Italian term or phrase: ardita scalinata
... nel fondo, due crateri che si attraversano per mezzo di un’ardita scalinata

It's one of those staircases that makes you dizzy just to look at it.
Can anyone suggest an adjective or phrase that gives the idea?
Alexandra Speirs
Local time: 06:18
breathtaking or awe-inspiring
Explanation:
describing a stair, you could also say a steep stair
Selected response from:

Desiree Bonfiglio
Local time: 06:18
Grading comment
In the end I chose "awe-inspiring flight of steps". Thanks to all!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2breathtaking or awe-inspiring
Desiree Bonfiglio
4 +2challenging steps
Giovanni Pizzati (X)
4scary/alarming/frightening
David Russi
4bold staircase
Mary Carroll Richer LaFlèche
3 +1awesome flight of steps
Fiorsam
4imposing
eccotraduttrice
3steep staircase
Ximena Novoa
2daring stair
moranna (X)


  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
daring stair


Explanation:
could be an idea

moranna (X)
Italy
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks

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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
scary/alarming/frightening


Explanation:
Maybe something along those lines

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Note added at 12 mins (2008-01-12 16:30:55 GMT)
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Ho about intimidating?



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 mins (2008-01-12 16:33:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I like "intimidating staircase", especially when contemplating it. "scary" would work better once you are climbing it.

David Russi
United States
Local time: 22:18
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 24
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks

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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
breathtaking or awe-inspiring


Explanation:
describing a stair, you could also say a steep stair

Desiree Bonfiglio
Local time: 06:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 19
Grading comment
In the end I chose "awe-inspiring flight of steps". Thanks to all!
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks, I like awe-inspiring. I've already said elsewhere that the stairs are steep!

Asker: I had thought of breathtaking but put the question here, hoping for some more suggestions :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  annaval: Really nice solution. Breathtaking too.
1 hr
agree  Luisa Fiorini
15 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
challenging steps


Explanation:
altra proposta

Giovanni Pizzati (X)
Italy
Local time: 06:18
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 16
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ivana UK: challenging (or steep if in Tuscany) - I'd definitely stick to steps rather than stairs or stairwell - after all it is talking about a cave!
2 hrs
  -> grazie
agree  Luisa Fiorini
15 hrs
  -> grazie
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
bold staircase


Explanation:
bold or daring being the meaning of 'ardito'

Mary Carroll Richer LaFlèche
Italy
Local time: 06:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 10
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  potra: Yes, bold is the word
3 hrs
disagree  James (Jim) Davis: I feel staircase is completely wrong for a cave, because of the "case" part, the wooden case-like structure of a stairway in a house or similar . It creaks when you walk on it, especially at night. One step: "gradino". With Fiorsam, for stone structure.
13 hrs
  -> scalinata does not mean step, so how would you translate it?
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
awesome flight of steps


Explanation:
credo che questo renda l'idea

Fiorsam
United States
Local time: 00:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Italian
PRO pts in category: 28
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks. OK for the flight of steps, but as Mary points out, everyone is using awesome nowadays so it's lost some of its meaning.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  James (Jim) Davis: This is what I was going to put, but you beat me to it!
13 hrs
neutral  Mary Carroll Richer LaFlèche: the problem with awesome is that everyone uses it, it doesn't mean 'ardito',but the flight of steps is better than 'staircase '
15 hrs
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
steep staircase


Explanation:
by "ardita" it sounds to me more of a particularly steep and long staircase...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2008-01-12 23:04:45 GMT)
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I just read the comments posted previously...therefore I must agree with Desiree when suggesting "steep"

Ximena Novoa
Local time: 06:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks!

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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
imposing


Explanation:
This seems to communicate the feeling of seeing such a staircase :)

eccotraduttrice
United States
Local time: 21:18
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks. But I think "imposing" gives the idea of something grandiose, like an impressive piece of architecture.

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