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16:00 Dec 11, 2017 |
Spanish to English translations [PRO] Journalism / Article in today’s *El País* (Spain) | |||||||
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| Selected response from: Charles Davis Spain Local time: 12:17 | ||||||
Grading comment
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Summary of answers provided | ||||
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4 +1 | on the debit side |
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4 | as an asset |
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3 | on the other hand [at beginning of the sentence] |
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Summary of reference entries provided | |||
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en su debe |
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Discussion entries: 10 | |
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on the other hand [at beginning of the sentence] Explanation: This would set up a contrast with the previous statement (not shown). |
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on the debit side Explanation: (I looked at this last night, my time, but didn't have time to develop an answer. Since then, Carol has quoted the DLE definition of "debe" as a masculine noun, which has to be the starting point.) "Haber" and "debe" for credit and debit have been standard accounting terminology for centuries. After all, "debit" is literally "he/she owes" in Latin, which is exactly what "debe" means. The credit side of the ledger is headed "haber" and the debit side "debe". This is from an accounting textbook published this year: "Sumar su Debe y su Haber y calcular su saldo. Anotar un apunte en su Haber. Anotar un apunte en su Debe." https://books.google.es/books?id=LvMHDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA49&lpg=PA... And this is from a book published in 1834: "El Estracto razonado que presentamos [...], en el que se hallan reasumidas con la debida clasificacion todas las partidas del Balance en su Debe i en su Haber" https://books.google.es/books?id=7jHLrDRFHg4C&pg=PA93&lpg=PA... The metaphorical use of these terms is also long-established. It is a cliché to refer to someone having things "en su haber", and somewhat less commonly "en su debe". The former refers to achievements or acquisitions and the latter to setbacks, errors or points against. So for example this is comment on the successes and failures of Pedja Mijatovic as sporting director of Real Madrid: "Pedja Mijatovic: dos Ligas en su haber... y muchos fichajes en su debe" http://www.20minutos.es/deportes/noticia/mijatovic-fichajes-... Well now, in the context of this article, on Netanyahu in Europe, this metaphorical use of accounting terms is clearly quite deliberate. The whole article is informed by such language. The first part is literally financial: it's about the claims of EU countries for financial compensation from Israel for the destruction of infrastructure they had funded in Palestinian territory. Here at the end the credit and debit ideas refer to points gained or lost by the two parties, Mogherini (for the EU) and Netanyahu, in the diplomatic process. Whether there is a subtext here related to the age-old cliché of Jewish usury is not for me to say. So I think it it desirable to keep the metaphor. "Suma y sigue", at the start of the paragraph, often just means "And so it goes", "More of the same old same old". Here I would be tempted to keep the financial meaning: "Balance carried over". It is not easy to see what "en su haber" and "en su debe" mean here. I think the idea may be that, first, Trump's intervention has been included by Mogherini "en su haber", to her credit, in the sense that it has strengthened her argument that recognition of Jerusalem is detrimental to Israel's security. And then perhaps Netanyahu's warning that he will not accept double standards or hypocrisy (on Europe's part) is "en su debe", to Mogherini's debit rather than his own, because it makes it more difficult for Mogherini to sustain her argument. I'm not sure about this. The natural reading of "en su debe", in context, is to take "su" as referring to "el primer ministro", Netanyahu, but if so I don't really understand the metaphor. In any case, I think one could duck this issue by putting "on the debit side" and leaving the reader to work out whose debit side. |
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as an asset Explanation: with "en su haber" as a liability. This is the only way the article can make sense. In accounting, an asset goes on the left (debit) side, and liabilities (credit) go on the right. See: Debits and Credits After you have identified the two or more accounts involved in a business transaction, you must debit at least one account and credit at least one account. To debit an account means to enter an amount on the left side of the account. To credit an account means to enter an amount on the right side of an account. Here's a Tip Debit means left Credit means right Generally these types of accounts are increased with a debit: Dividends (Draws) Expenses Assets Losses You might think of D - E - A - L when recalling the accounts that are increased with a debit. Generally the following types of accounts are increased with a credit: Gains Income Revenues Liabilities Stockholders' (Owner's) Equity You might think of G - I - R - L - S when recalling the accounts that are increased with a credit. https://www.accountingcoach.com/debits-and-credits/explanati... -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 20 hrs (2017-12-12 12:29:03 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- "on the asset side" and "on the liability side" would fit best in the translation of the article, I think. I always remember an instructor trying with limited success to teach me accounting standing in a classroom and telling us that "debits go in the column on the window side" , which you can imagine was not a useful guide in later life. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 day 21 mins (2017-12-12 16:21:55 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- However, if I have been able to explain the apparent inconsistency that has its origins in double entry bookkkeeping, I consider that it would be quite proper and simpler to translate your phrases as follows: The PM has indicated, to his CREDIT, that .... and earlier Mogherini has considered this item as a negative item on the balance sheet retaining the accounting language. |
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Notes to answerer
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1 hr peer agreement (net): +2 |
Reference: en su debe Reference information: debe - Definición - WordReference.com www.wordreference.com/definicion/debe debe. m. com. Columna del libro de cuentas que comprende las cantidades que se cargan al titular: su debe era tan alto que inmovilizaron su cartilla. Conjunto de los errores o deudas de alguien: la gerencia tiene en su debe una nueva desatención a los trabajadores. Diccionario de la lengua española © 2005 ... .... Not that I always rely on Wordreference, but the Diccionario ought to be reliable! This corroborates Phil's "discredit". Although I can't make sense of it in this context! |
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