Rise to the occasion
 

I'm baffled by how to say this. Another way of saying this would be to accept a challenge and exceed expectations. So would you say, sobreponerse una meta con éxito?

I may be wrong but it sounds to me like two different situations, ponerse a la altura de algo for rise to the occasion and volarse la barda for exceed expectations. Corrections welcome, as always.

I agree with Glen: "estar/ponerse/mostrarse a la altura (de las circunstancias)" is the most common translation.

· No sé si estoy calificado para el puesto, pero haré mi mejor esfuerzo por estar a la altura.
· Nunca habíamos bailado para un público tan amplio, pero creo que nos mostramos a la altura de las circunstancias.

There may be other translations, depending on the context:
·You have to rise to the occasion and start coaching the team.
-> Tienes que aprovechar la ocasión y empezar a entrenar al equipo.
· It's challenging but this makes me want to rise to the occasion.
-> Es un reto, pero eso es lo que me motiva a hacer mía la oportunidad.
· The country is ready to rise to the occasion.
-> El país está listo para hacer frente al desafío.
· My father always seemed to rise to the occasion.
-> Mi padre siempre lograba salir adelante en las situaciones difíciles.
· We can't seem to rise to the occasion.
-> Parece que no podemos cumplir las expectativas.

Both your answers are helpful, and, Angélica, your last example, "cumplir las
expectativas" made me think that perhaps you can use sobrar or sobrepasar instead of cuplir. To me, rising to the occasion is sometimes, what Anglos say idiomatically, to go beyond one's pay grade to acheive something

Oh, I see. In that case, it would be "superar las expectativas". The other two verbs sound slightly strange. :D

Angelica,

Could you say "corresponder a las circunstancias" ?

Dean

I'd say not in this context. People rise to the occasion, but "corresponder a las circunstancias" would mean that something is congruous with the situation, not the person.


- Esa actitud no corresponde a las circunstancias. -> That attitude is inappropriate in these circumstances.
- Los diferentes estilos del pintor correspondían a las circunstancias cambiantes de su vida. -> The different styles of the painter coincided with the changing circumstances in his life.
- Los salarios de los trabajadores deben corresponder a las circunstancias en las que laboran. -> The wages of the workers must be in conformity with their working conditions.

Ah, ok.

Dean

Angelica,

And what if the person disapointed his family in terms of life and career ?

Could you say: "No correspondió a la familia" ?

Dean

"Corresponder" implies a relationship of reciprocity. In this context, "corresponder" is something you do to or for someone.
In comparison, "estar a la altura" is to react to the given situation and do it right; you can't be (in this sense") "a la altura" of someone.


If you say "no correspondió a la familia", it would imply the person was not worthy of the family's actions or efforts or even feelings. This person did not repay what the family did for him/her.


- Laura no me corresponde. -> I love Laura, but she doesn't feel the same for me.
- Tantas atenciones que les tenían a los vecinos y nadie les correspondía. -> These people were kind to the neighbors, but none of them had any nice gesture towards them.
- Me fui porque mis amigos nunca correspondieron a mi afecto. -> I left because my friends never reciprocated my affection for them.




Some ways to say people disappointed their family:

- Pedro decepcionó a la familia. -> Pedro disappointed the family.
- Nuestros hijos nos fallaron. -> Our children failed us.
- Diana no cumplió con las expectativas de sus padres. -> Diana did not meet her parents' expectations.
- Esperábamos más de ti. -> We expected more from you.
- Mis padres me defraudaron cuando me echaron de la casa. -> My parents failed me when they threw me out of home.