Una Pregunta

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Perikles: It was a slightly sarcastic sentence that meant something like "It must be JS or APR, because I doubt anyone else drinks that."

I'm not sure about how Irma would use it, but I'd avoid "dudar" with it. The kind of construction I'd use with "si no fuera":

Si no fueran X y Y, no sé quién más lo bebería.
Si no fuera X o Y, no sé quién más lo bebería.
If it weren't X and/or Y I don't know who else would drink that.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@Perikles: It was a slightly sarcastic sentence that meant something like "It must be JS or APR, because I doubt anyone else drinks that."

I'm not sure about how Irma would use it, but I'd avoid "dudar" with it. The kind of construction I'd use with "si no fuera":

Si no fueran X y Y, no sé quién más lo bebería.
Si no fuera X o Y, no sé quién más lo bebería.
If it weren't X and/or Y I don't know who else would drink that.

Thanks. These constructions drive me crazy. I got the meaning completely wrong.

Why de no ser X y Y and not de no ser X o Y

[irmamar]

Sorry, I forgot "por":

Si no fuera por ti, la vida no valdría la pena = De no ser por ti, la vida no valdría la pena.

I can't stay any longer, I'm in a hurry.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Perikles: I should have translated "it must be JS and APR".
I chose "y" because I know that both of them like to state their fondness for mariachis and tequila.
I would have used "o" if it had been a guess between them.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@Perikles: I should have translated "it must be JS and APR".
I chose "y" because I know that both of them like to state their fondness for mariachis and tequila.
I would have used "o" if it had been a guess between them.

OK thanks. How then would you translate

If it weren't for X and Y, I doubt whether anybody would drink it.

??

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Perikles

OK thanks. How then would you translate

If it weren't for X and Y, I doubt whether anybody would drink it.

??

Si no fuera por X e Y, dudo si alguien lo bebiera/bebería.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by chileno

Si no fuera por X e Y, dudo si alguien lo bebiera/bebería.

Thanks

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I agree with Hernán, or "si no fuera por X o por Y, dudo que alguien lo bebería" or "...dudo que hubiera alguien que lo bebería", but that means that thanks to them people drink tequila.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

I agree with Hernán, or "si no fuera por X o por Y, dudo que alguien lo bebería" or "...dudo que hubiera alguien que lo bebería", but that means that thanks to them people drink tequila.

Right. The "whether" there changes everything.

If you take it away, then el "si" in Spanish have to be replaced for "que".

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@Irma: De no ser Joaquín Sabina y Arturo Pérez-Reverte, dudo que alguien más lo beba.

Originally Posted by Perikles

I've just spent half an hour puzzling over this. Am I right by translating as

If it were not for X and Y, I doubt whether anybody else would drink it.

?? If so, why not an imperfect subjunctive ?

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

I agree with Hernán, or "si no fuera por X o por Y, dudo que alguien lo bebería" or "...dudo que hubiera alguien que lo bebería", but that means that thanks to them people drink tequila.

*Phew* Which is what I was asking several hundred posts ago . Many thanks