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BadlyIf you need help translating a sentence or longer piece of text, use this forum. For translations or definitions of a single word or idiom, use the vocabulary forum. |
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#1
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Badly
And yet the Princesses wanted badly to know these things,
Y aunque las princesas querían conocer esas cuestiones a toda costa, I'm not sure if "badly" can be translated into "a toda costa" in this sentence. "Mal" o "de mala manera" no tiene sentido en español. Thanks. |
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#2
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Well, Random House gives you a definition,
badly 6. very much; to a great extent or degree: a house badly in need of repair; to want something badly. "A toda costa" gives the idea of "at all costs" "no matter what" "whatever happens". DRAE gives, a toda costa: Sin limitación en el gasto o en el trabajo. So, based on that I would not consider "a toda costa" "an unduly free translation", but I think it would convey the same concept or idea. You could check other "intensives" like "desesperadamente". I give you some options here (lacking more context, but these may help you too.) Y aun así, las princesas querían enterarse de esas cosas a toda costa... Y aun así, las princesas se desvivían intensamente por saber/conocer esas cosas Y aun así, las princesas se desvivían sin límite y sin mesura por saber/conocer esas cosas... |
#3
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The princess wanted to know these things.... The princess REALLY wanted to know these things..... The princess had a very, very great desire to know these things..... The princess wanted badly to know these things.... Do I make sense?
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- Lou Ann, de Washington, DC, USA Específicamente quiero recibir ayuda con el español de latinoamerica. ¡Muchísimas gracias! |
#4
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To me, badly often has the sense of urgently, such as:
they had to stop the car because he was badly in need of a toilet (AmE - restroom ) or: The house was badly in need of repair (otherwise it might deteriorate or fall down). Still, I suppose that if the princess REALLY wanted to know these things, the sense of urgency is there. |
#5
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Even "...burning desire..." Although each of these terms cannot fit all cases, depending on context. |
#6
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Is it .... #1 a toda costa ..... or is it ........ #2 a cualquier costo Because the word badly can also be understood at any cost which would be #2.... hmmmm
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Elaina All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. Walt Disney Last edited by Elaina; May 28, 2010 at 08:05 AM. |
#7
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But the first option seems the more common. (I get your concern, but it kind of boils down to the same basic idea.) By the by, Les Luthiers have a very good one... "Quiero que me hagan una estatua ecuestre [montado a caballo] ¡'cuestre lo que cuestre'! Last edited by JPablo; May 28, 2010 at 08:17 AM. Reason: typo "cueste lo cueste" is "cueste lo que cueste" |
#8
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a toda costa = at all cost A cualquier costo = at any cost |
#9
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Y a pesar de eso las princesas anhelaban conocer/saber estas cosas. |
#10
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For me "anhelaban = sought", right?
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