en español clavo

English translation: 'nail' in Spanish (see explanation)

23:30 Feb 26, 2020
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Spanish term or phrase: en español clavo
This is a review of an art show in Argentina in the 1890s

Y ahora llegó el momento de hablar de una obra que un periodista ha llamado maliciosamente el clou del salon; decimos maliciosamente porque si bien la palabra francesa clou significa en tal caso lo que los ingleses llaman la great attraction, la palabra clou se traduce en español clavo, y esto de decir que una obra es el clavo del salon es bastante malicioso

It's a negative review
Thanks
Wendy Gosselin
Argentina
Local time: 10:49
English translation:'nail' in Spanish (see explanation)
Explanation:
Wow, multilingual wordplay!

I think you have to re-write it in a way that explains that yes, in French and English it means 'great attraction', but it was a spiteful insult in Spanish because 'clou' means 'clavo' (literally 'nail'), but in Argentine Spanish 'ser un clavo' is to say someone or something is incredibly boring or a drag. That is why it's an insult - the critic was calling the work 'a bore'.
Selected response from:

Rebecca Breekveldt
Austria
Grading comment
thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4is "clavo" in Spanish
philgoddard
4nail
AllegroTrans
5 -1'nail' in Spanish (see explanation)
Rebecca Breekveldt
2eye-sore
Lydia De Jorge
3 -1the main attraction
Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
eye-sore


Explanation:
I'm guessing based on limited context.

Lydia De Jorge
United States
Local time: 08:49
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 94
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
the main attraction


Explanation:
¨Clou¨en inglés es en referencia a ¨the main attraction.¨

Es algo como el dicho en español de ¨darle al clavo¨, ¨hacer algo acertadamente¨.
¨Le diste al clavo con esa presentación¨.
I would say that more than ¨malignancy¨ is ¨wisely or clever.¨

Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
Mexico
Local time: 08:49
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  AllegroTrans: There is a double meaning here and you have ignored it
5 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
clavo
nail


Explanation:
If you are going to translate this "as is" I think you have to use nail - "the nail in the show" perhaps. Otherwise you would need to rephrase completely.

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:49
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
is "clavo" in Spanish


Explanation:
You might need to rewrite this, because English-speaking readers won't understand the point that's being made.

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 48

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Muriel Vasconcellos: I would say "is 'clavo' in Spanish, which means 'nail' (or 'spike').
4 hrs
  -> Yes, exactly. Thanks.

agree  neilmac: That's what it says... Also agree about rewrite.
7 hrs

agree  patinba: "is "clavo" in Spanish, which means ......." should resolve the problem.
15 hrs

agree  MollyRose: with Muriel.
7 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
'nail' in Spanish (see explanation)


Explanation:
Wow, multilingual wordplay!

I think you have to re-write it in a way that explains that yes, in French and English it means 'great attraction', but it was a spiteful insult in Spanish because 'clou' means 'clavo' (literally 'nail'), but in Argentine Spanish 'ser un clavo' is to say someone or something is incredibly boring or a drag. That is why it's an insult - the critic was calling the work 'a bore'.



    https://www.lexico.com/es/definicion/ser_un_clavo
Rebecca Breekveldt
Austria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  philgoddard: Nail is English, not Spanish. This doesn't make sense.
5 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search