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  3. Poetry & Literature

Me viene a la memoria

English translation: A passage from Shakespeare’s Hamlet comes to mind

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Me viene a la memoria un fragmento de Shakespeare en su obra Hamlet
English translation:A passage from Shakespeare’s Hamlet comes to mind
Entered by: James A. Walsh

17:03 Oct 26, 2010
Spanish to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Religion, Science and the Role of the State
Spanish term or phrase: Me viene a la memoria
Good evening,

I’d be interested in hearing how you would handle this in formal US English. It’s from an unpublished book entitled “Religion, Science and the Role of the State”, which was written by a Colombian author.

Context:

“Periódicamente se hace necesario reformar, actualizar y modernizar el pensamiento para poder continuar en el futuro. Construyamos el futuro en base a la verdad, los elementos que nos pueden llevar a estas reformas los tenemos a la mano, pero se requiere de una gran honestidad y valor para utilizarlos y ponerlos en su puesto, superando atávicos conceptos preconcebidos.

Me viene a la memoria un fragmento de Shakespeare en su obra Hamlet, cuando Apolonio le da un concejo a su hijo Laertes antes de partir: “To thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man” (“Sé honesto contigo mismo, que tras la noche viene el día y aquel que es honesto consigo mismo nunca será falso con ningún hombre”).”

Many thanks in advance.
James A. Walsh
Spain
Local time: 07:34
It comes to mind/I remember
Explanation:
A couple of options... hope they help.

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Note added at 6 hrs (2010-10-26 23:16:11 GMT)
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My pleasure, James!
Selected response from:

Francesca Samuel
United States
Local time: 22:34
Grading comment
Thanks again, Francesca, and everyone else for your valuable time.

I went with Lydia's suggestion about turning it around in the end (thanks Lydia!).

All the best.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7It comes to mind/I remember
Francesca Samuel
4 +3I am reminded of / springs to mind
Simon Bruni
4 +1I'm reminded of
Graham Allen-Rawlings
4 +1I am put in mind of
Noni Gilbert Riley
3For example, consider / Consider, for example / Consider (the following quotation)
Josh Goldsmith


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
I'm reminded of


Explanation:
my suggestion

Graham Allen-Rawlings
Spain
Local time: 07:34
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Cheers Graham :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Noni Gilbert Riley: aceavila - Noni: I am reminded of strikes a chord with me as being nice register, but then my English is largely British too!
15 hrs
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
I am reminded of / springs to mind


Explanation:
Although I'm not sure how US-friendly these are as I'm British.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2010-10-26 17:12:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I am reminded of a passage from Shakespeare's play Hamlet...
A passage from Shakespeare's play Hamlet springs to mind...

Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:34
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 151
Notes to answerer
Asker: Cheers Simon, your second option is what I have - word for word; let's see if some US colleagues agree (I'm Irish).


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Josh Goldsmith: I like both options, and both are US-friendly.
14 mins
  -> OK, thanks Wordalia :)
agree  Noni Gilbert Riley: I am reminded of strikes a chord with me as being nice register, but then my English is largely British too!
2 hrs
agree  Sp-EnTranslator
21 hrs
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
For example, consider / Consider, for example / Consider (the following quotation)


Explanation:
Often in formal US English, we avoid the first person in writing. I like options others have suggested, but they sound more characteristic of speech. These are other options which **may** fit, depending on how you are handling the first person in the rest of your translation.

Josh Goldsmith
Switzerland
Local time: 07:34
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Cheers Wordalia - appreciate you taking the time. ;-)

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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
I am put in mind of


Explanation:
I feel this also strikes the rather more formal register, but I am beginning to find that my expression is sometimes considered a little old-fashioned, and therefore more formal than I have intended...

And, like Simon, I look to those with US ears to tell us if this doesn't sound frightfully odd to them (sorry, couldn't resist)!

Noni Gilbert Riley
Spain
Local time: 07:34
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 80
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hmmm, has a nice ring to it Noni, and considering the context surrounding it, I don’t think it sounds old-fashioned; on the contrary, it sits quite well with it. Cheers. And thanks for adding your comment about looking to US ears for their opinion - that is mostly the point of my question ;-)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Evans (X): If you are looking for formal, this is good (but again I am a Br Eng speaker)
13 hrs
  -> But no States siders yet... Thanks Gilla!
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
It comes to mind/I remember


Explanation:
A couple of options... hope they help.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2010-10-26 23:16:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

My pleasure, James!

Francesca Samuel
United States
Local time: 22:34
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 11
Grading comment
Thanks again, Francesca, and everyone else for your valuable time.

I went with Lydia's suggestion about turning it around in the end (thanks Lydia!).

All the best.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Cheers Francesca - appreciate you taking the time ;-)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  JudyK: "comes to mind" was my first thought too
4 mins
  -> Thanks so much, Judy!
agree  Thayenga
46 mins
  -> Thanks Thayenga!
agree  teju: Comes to mind.
1 hr
  -> ¡Saludos Teju! Merci.
agree  Rafael Molina Pulgar
1 hr
  -> Muchas gracias, Rafael.
agree  jude dabo: good
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Jude69!
agree  Lydia De Jorge: Definitely US, but I would turn it around: A fragment......comes to mind
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, Lydia!
agree  Sp-EnTranslator
21 hrs
  -> Thanks, Claudia!
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