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Seguir el vuelo de los grandes

English translation: fly as high as the greats

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Seguir el vuelo de los grandes
English translation:fly as high as the greats
Entered by: Anne Schulz

15:45 Apr 21, 2024
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Spanish term or phrase: Seguir el vuelo de los grandes
“Hay que seguir el vuelo de los grandes y no hay otra opción. ¿Que en esa aventura te puedes descabezar, te puedes partir el cogote? Evidente. Pero se escribe, se hace escultura o se hace pintura ‘pericolosamente’. Yo creo que esa es la única aventura importante del arte. Lo demás es quedarte en un mundo de profesionales más o menos valiosos que aparecerán en las historias de la literatura, en las historias de la pintura. Pintores hay muchos, pero ¿cuántos nombres se retienen de cada siglo?”,

"Keep up with" doesn't make sense to me here...it seems more like daring to be amongst "los grandes". A sort of "going for broke"? Thanks
Wendy Gosselin
Argentina
Local time: 17:50
dare to fly as high as the greats
Explanation:
Emulate, follow the wake, tread in the footsteps all sound too "small" for me. They have a taste of copying, taking advantage of the pull in the wake or of the path that has been opened by others. Going from the remainder of the text, the author wants to be one of the greats, be as keen as them, rather than using them for his own path.

Selected response from:

Anne Schulz
Germany
Local time: 22:50
Grading comment
thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +6dare to fly as high as the greats
Anne Schulz
3 +2Tread in the wake of the great (artists)
ormiston
4Thread in their footstep
Francisca Markstedt
4Continue standing in the shoulders of giants
Michelle Rodriguez
3to emulate the greats, the great artists
Darius Saczuk
3Follow the example of the greats
patransword
3Share the lofty ambitions of the greats
Edward Tully


  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Tread in the wake of the great (artists)


Explanation:
Follow would sound a bit tame !

ormiston
Local time: 22:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  eski: Sounds right to me. :)
47 mins
neutral  philgoddard: If you trod in their wake, you'd drown! Follow in their wake, or tread in their footsteps.
2 hrs
  -> Definition of 'in the wake of' in the wake of in American English 1. following directly or close behind. Not necessarily a watery metaphor.
agree  neilmac: ..."(follow) in the wake of" was what first sprang to mind here too :-)
15 hrs
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
to emulate the greats, the great artists


Explanation:
Another option

Darius Saczuk
United States
Local time: 16:50
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 56
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Follow the example of the greats


Explanation:
Another option.

patransword
Germany
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Thread in their footstep


Explanation:
Thread in their footsteps or walk in their footsteps I would have chosen

Francisca Markstedt
Sweden
Local time: 22:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  patransword: Just FYI - it's tread, not thread.
8 mins
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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
dare to fly as high as the greats


Explanation:
Emulate, follow the wake, tread in the footsteps all sound too "small" for me. They have a taste of copying, taking advantage of the pull in the wake or of the path that has been opened by others. Going from the remainder of the text, the author wants to be one of the greats, be as keen as them, rather than using them for his own path.



Anne Schulz
Germany
Local time: 22:50
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Adrian MM.: well reflects the 'aeronautical' figure of speech or metaphor
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Adrian :-))
agree  philgoddard: Or soar like the greats, maybe.
3 hrs
  -> I like "soar", why don't you post an answer, Phil.
agree  Edward Tully
5 hrs
  -> Thanks Edward :-))
agree  Michele Fauble
6 hrs
  -> Thanks Michele :-))
agree  patransword: Good choice! I would just go for "to fly as..."
20 hrs
  -> Small change but yet another touch. Nice!
agree  Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
20 hrs
  -> Gracias Beatriz :-))
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1 day 58 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Share the lofty ambitions of the greats


Explanation:
Another option!

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Note added at 1 day 1 hr (2024-04-22 16:46:43 GMT)
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I agree with Anne's take, the translation should be more than emulating, following or copying.

Edward Tully
Local time: 22:50
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 90
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2 days 4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Continue standing in the shoulders of giants


Explanation:
Es una frase comúnmente conocída que tiene el mismo significado.

Michelle Rodriguez
United States
Local time: 16:50
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
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