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Estado de desolación

English translation: A Country/State laid to waste/in ruins

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Estado de desolación
English translation:A Country/State laid to waste/in ruins
Entered by: Edward Tully

12:54 Mar 20, 2007
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Other
Spanish term or phrase: Estado de desolación
A title for a piece on Somalia and how it's been ravaged by war

I was thinking "A country devastated" or "A country laid to waste"

"A desolate country" might make people think of the terrible climate right?
duchess
Local time: 12:20
A Country/State laid to waste/in ruins
Explanation:
two more options!
Selected response from:

Edward Tully
Local time: 12:20
Grading comment
Thanks Edward
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1A country in ruins
638556 (X)
4 +1A State of Desolation
Lydia De Jorge
4 +1A Country/State laid to waste/in ruins
Edward Tully
4desolate country
dcaralo
4Devastated/In a state of devastation/Land of devastation
patricia scott
3 -1a country/State in a quagmire
swisstell


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
A State of Desolation


Explanation:
.

Lydia De Jorge
United States
Local time: 05:20
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 97

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  erika rubinstein
9 mins
  -> thanks erika!
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
A country in ruins


Explanation:
This is one way to put it - I also like your versions! :o) Suerte!

638556 (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:20
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Noni Gilbert Riley
1 hr
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
desolate country


Explanation:
I think desolate is fine. look at definition in wordreference.com.
Perhaps a native english speaker would confirm this or not

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Note added at 7 minutos (2007-03-20 13:01:49 GMT)
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if you refer to "country" as the whole of people, then desolate is fine. Also think that desolate sounds like "desert" and figuratively is Somalia after war. At least your translation of desolate country is good as in my opinion


    Reference: http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=des...
dcaralo
Spain
Local time: 11:20
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in CatalanCatalan
PRO pts in category: 8
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
a country/State in a quagmire


Explanation:
another possibility

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 12:20
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 55

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Kim Metzger: A "quagmire" is a difficult predicament. Desolación does not specifically denote a tough predicament.
4 hrs
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52 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Devastated/In a state of devastation/Land of devastation


Explanation:
yet another option

patricia scott
Spain
Local time: 12:20
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 32
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57 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
A Country/State laid to waste/in ruins


Explanation:
two more options!

Edward Tully
Local time: 12:20
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 292
Grading comment
Thanks Edward

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Noni Gilbert Riley: laid to waste or in ruins seem best, because they point the finger at man´s part in it too.
53 mins
  -> thanks Ace!
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