candil de la calle y oscuridad de la casa

English translation: It\'s one thing... and quite another... (see below)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Spanish term or phrase:	candil de la calle y oscuridad de la casa
English translation:	It\'s one thing... and quite another... (see below)
Entered by:	Justin Peterson

19:17 May 6, 2017

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Cuban sayings

Spanish term or phrase: candil de la calle y oscuridad de la casa

From an anti-Castro article, about the situation in Cuba. Specifically, condemning those who have defended the regime in Venezuela, an ally of the Cuban government.

Quienes sumen —con plena conciencia o por no buscarse problemas, porque toca— su firma a iniciativa como la carta de marras, están reforzando la narrativa irresponsable y mentirosa del Gobierno de Nicolás Maduro, máximo responsable de la crisis venezolana. Porque hay grandes diferencias entre practicar la iniciativa autónoma de los intelectuales públicos y ejecutar obedientes una operación de estado. *** O, como explicaba mi abuelita, entre ser candil de la calle y oscuridad de la casa. ***

Justin Peterson KudoZ activity Questions: 363 (4 open) (8 without valid answers) (34 closed without grading) Answers: 37 Spain
Local time: 17:08

It's one thing... and quite another... (see below)

Explanation:
The particular way that this phrase is used here is a bit non-standard, but in this context I'd translate it as some variation of the following.

-It's one thing to stick your neck out and criticize/condemn/denounce/call out another country's problems, and quite another to do so at home.

(Can be phrased with "There's a big difference between... There's a world of a difference between...")

From what I understood of the editorial, these intellectuals are all too eager to be firebrands when it comes to criticizing Venezuela, but they fall in line/toe the party line in Cuba. Meaning their political activism is more posture (or more conformity) than really laying anything on the line, nor is their activism coherent with their silence in their own country. Anyone can criticize another country's problems. It's when you have the integrity to engage in political activism at home that people start listening. Thus, their letter-writing activism falls flat. People often behave one way on the world/international stage and another way entirely in their home country.

Selected response from:

12316323 (X)
Local time: 10:08

Grading comment

I think Kathryn nailed it here
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +5

a hero in the streets and a coward at home

Andrea Shah

4 +2

Angel in the street, devil in the house

Wilsonn Perez Reyes

4 +1

to be a light in the street but darkness at home to be polite with strangers but rude with your fa

Ellen Kraus

3 +1

Considerate/Good with others and inconsiderate/bad at home

Michael Powers (PhD)

3 +1

It's one thing... and quite another... (see below)

12316323 (X)

see full version below

Giovanni Rengifo

a real Jekyll and Hyde Character

Carol Gullidge

3 -1

Familiarity breeds contempt

JohnMcDove

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

9 mins confidence:

see full version below

Explanation:
Here's my best attempt. I hope you will appreciate it.

Or as my grandmother used to say: "You have to make a choice between being a light in the streets or living in the dark at home."

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Note added at 10 mins (2017-05-06 19:28:07 GMT)
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I just realized. It should be "and" instead of "or" where it says "streets or living....". Sorry about that.

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Note added at 11 mins (2017-05-06 19:29:03 GMT)
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And also "darkness" instead of "dark".

Giovanni Rengifo
Colombia
Local time: 10:08
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 56

41 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Considerate/Good with others and inconsiderate/bad at home

Explanation:
The way my wife uses this phrase is to criticize when she believes there is a double standard: a more lenient one outside the house with "others" and a more stringent one at home.

She is Cuban (left Cuba for Mexico City when she was 13), and then to New Jersey at 14.

We have been speaking Spanish to each other for 22 years.

This is what this expression means when she uses it.

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 11:08
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 58

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

It's one thing... and quite another... (see below)

12316323 (X)
Local time: 10:08
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Grading comment

I think Kathryn nailed it here

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

to be a light in the street but darkness at home to be polite with strangers but rude with your fa

Explanation:
that´s how I found this proverb translate into English
(or more figuratively: to be friendly with strangers but rude with your Family)

Ellen Kraus
Austria
Local time: 17:08
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 4

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

Angel in the street, devil in the house

Explanation:
Spanish
Candil de la calle, oscuridad de su casa

English
Angel in the street, devil in the house
http://www.speakshop.org/spanish-culture/proverbs-refrains

Wilsonn Perez Reyes
El Salvador
Local time: 09:08
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 12

5 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

a hero in the streets and a coward at home

Explanation:
To be honest, I've tinkered with this one a lot and I'm still not sure what nouns I prefer. At one point, I thought about "a gentleman at home" but then couldn't settle on what the inverse of "gentleman" should be - scoundrel, lowlife, brute? Plus "gentleman" does introduce a gendered element into the mix that isn't present in the original. So I went this way instead.

Andrea Shah
United States
Local time: 11:08
Native speaker of:

English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Charles Davis: I like this. It fits the context but manages to sound like a proverbial phrase (which it should). Maybe something like this: "As my grandmother used to say, some people are heroes in the streets and cowards at home."

7 hrs

-> Thank you, Charles!

agree

12316323 (X): Another suggestion that's been thoughtfully adapted to the very specific context. "A hero in public..." or "A hero when in the spotlight..." could also work.

9 hrs

-> Thank you, Kathryn! I like your alternatives as well.

agree

Michael Powers (PhD): Yes, also.

15 hrs

-> Thank you, Michael!

agree

JohnMcDove: Interesting option. In Spain we say, "Donde hay confianza da asco".

16 hrs

-> Thank you, John!

agree

AllegroTrans

1 day 11 hrs

-> Thank you!

15 hrs confidence:

a real Jekyll and Hyde Character

Explanation:
as sweet as pie one minute, and the very devil the next

This conveys the idea of a person with two very conflicting personalities/behaviour types; however it doesn't account for the specific contrast between "calle" and "casa", but if this is merely a metaphor, then this might not matter, as "Jekyll and Hyde" is a very strong and well-understood metaphor in its own right. In literary translation, this is called "compensation". However, this might well not be suitable for the context of Social Sciences", hence the low CR

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Note added at 15 hrs (2017-05-07 10:31:26 GMT)
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OR ... whose good-natured public persona is totally at odds with his behaviour at home

Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:08
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 138

22 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

Familiarity breeds contempt

Explanation:
Donde hay confianza, da asco.

Remain a hero in public's eyes and be despised at home...

http://cvc.cervantes.es/lengua/refranero/Ficha.aspx?Par=5854...

Saludos cordiales y a quien Dios se la dé, San Pedro se la bendiga... ;-)

¡Buen domingo!

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Note added at 22 hrs (2017-05-07 18:12:13 GMT)
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Sin quererme ir por las ramas, lo de "en casa del herrero, cuchillo de palo", conceptualmente hablando tendría que ver con esto.

The blacksmith's horse and the shoemaker's family always go unshod.

http://cvc.cervantes.es/lengua/refranero/Ficha.aspx?Par=5870...

Also: "Dime de qué presumes y te dirá de lo que careces".

http://cvc.cervantes.es/lengua/refranero/ficha.aspx?Par=5852...

Lo dicho, saludos.

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Note added at 22 hrs (2017-05-07 18:12:58 GMT)
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"te diré"... no "dirá"...

JohnMcDove
United States
Local time: 08:08
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish

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candil de la calle y oscuridad de la casa

English translation: It\'s one thing... and quite another... (see below)

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