phrase "que la compone sólo al Estado"

English translation: correcciones al español

18:10 May 21, 2002

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary

Spanish term or phrase: phrase "que la compone sólo al Estado"

This is part of a political science artile about the definition of sociedad civil (civil society). The whole sentence is:

"Este concepto amplio de sociedad civil deja fuera del complejo institucional y cultural que la compone sólo al Estado."

I'm confused by the last part of this sentence; I don't see how it should be parsed. In "la compone sólo al Estado", what does the "la" refer to-- must be civil society, it's the only feminine noun in the first part of the sentence...? What is being composed of something, and what is the element composing it?

Margaret Schroeder KudoZ activity Questions: 99 (none open) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 3076 Mexico
Local time: 20:51

English translation:correcciones al español

Explanation:
La correcta redacción en español sería:
Este amplio concepto de sociedad civil, formado por un complejo institucional y cultural, sólo excluye al Estado.

Ya los otros colegas brindaron atinadas traducciones, esto es sólo una nota español>español, espero que te sea útil.

Saludos...

Selected response from:

Atenea Acevedo (X)
Local time: 20:51

Grading comment

Thanks to everyone who gave my sentence some thought. Special moral kudoZ also go to Rick, whose comment on "objects placed a mile later" was the key that unlocked the structure of the sentence for me and helped me to understand why it says what it does. My final version reads:
"This broad concept of civil society omits only government from the institutional and cultural complex which comprises it." Not nice, I know, but at least I understand what it says, and I hope the readers will be able to, too. Unfortunately consulting the author wasn't an option, as he wasn't my client; the journal publishing his paper was. This is an on-line journal, and if anyone is interested in seeing the paper in both English and Spanish, let me know and I'll drop you a line when it's uploaded, probably in a few weeks.
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +4

correcciones al español

Atenea Acevedo (X)

5 +1

that comprises it

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)

4 +1

This extensive concept of a Civil Society

RSI EN-ES (AA)

Chequea redacción

Gabriel Aramburo Siegert

Which compose only at the State

Patricia Alvarez

that only the State can provide it (or provide for it)

BJD

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

9 mins confidence:

that only the State can provide it (or provide for it)

Explanation:
The "del" is a problem for me. It would make much more sense if it were "deja fuera el complejo institucional...."

This is how I would translate the sentence then: This ample (broad) concept of civil society leaves out the institutional and cultural complexity that only the State can provide it.

BJD
United States
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 4

12 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

This extensive concept of a Civil Society

Explanation:
only excludes the State from the institutional and cultural complex that it is composed of.

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Note added at 2002-05-21 18:26:16 (GMT)
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ID EST:
Civil Society is an extensive concept made up of an institutional and cultural complex, in which only the State does not get included.

Crappy, convoluted, baroque, archaic writing, as usual.

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Note added at 2002-05-21 18:26:56 (GMT)
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Sorry, Jane, gramatically maybe, real world, IMHO, it sucks.

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Note added at 2002-05-21 18:32:48 (GMT)
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With a good gramatical hammer, there\'s gotta be several tighter versions.

I hate objects placed a mile later, makes you lose your train of thought, at least mine.:)

RSI EN-ES (AA)
Other
Native speaker of:

Spanish,

English
PRO pts in pair: 221

13 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

that comprises it

Explanation:
transaltion: This broad concept of civil society only omits the State from the institutional and cultural complex [structure]that comprises it.

The direct object was confusing perhaps to you because it was at the end. This is actually very good Spanish.

deja fuera = to omit
la=LA sociedad civil

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese
PRO pts in pair: 7709

22 mins confidence:

Chequea redacción

Explanation:
Hola GoodWorks. A mí me parece horriblemente redactado el español. Incluso sospecho que hay errores de typing. Yo no me atrevería a conceptuar sin consultar mejor la fuente. Suerte

Gabriel Aramburo Siegert
Local time: 21:51
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in pair: 552

38 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

correcciones al español

Atenea Acevedo (X)
Local time: 20:51
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in pair: 110

Grading comment

1 day 1 hr confidence:

Which compose only at the State

Explanation:
I hope this can help you

Thank you

Patricia Alvarez
Spain
Local time: 04:51
PRO pts in pair: 4

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