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God spare me from that

 

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  #1  
Old July 13, 2024, 01:39 PM
Tyrn Tyrn is offline
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God spare me from that

Hi,

Dios no quiera que tenga que enfrentarme a eso

This is a translation from Under the Dome by Stephen King, presumably correct. To me it looks like a case of nested subjunctive, two subjects involved

Could you explain, please, who should/would what here?
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  #2  
Old July 13, 2024, 04:57 PM
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AngelicaDeAlquezar AngelicaDeAlquezar is offline
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Dios no quiera que (yo) tenga que enfrentarme a eso.
I wish God won't want me to go through that.

There are two subjunctives because the expression of a wish "querer que" introduces a subjunctive. And the first one is because of the implicit wish: "Dios no quiera que".


-¿Quieres que te dé una galleta? -> Do you want me to give you a cookie?
I only know the subject of "dar" is me because of the context. In another case, it could be a third person. [¿Quieres que (Juan) te dé una galleta?]

-No queremos que vengas a nuestra casa. -> We don't want you to come to our house.

-Dios no quiera que llueva. -> God's wishes and the impersonal for the rain.
May God not want it to rain (not sure about the translation).

-Dios no quiera que se muera mi perro. -> May God not want my dog to die.

-Dios quiera que salga pronto del hospital. -> God willing, I/he/she will leave the hospital soon.
Here, it could be "yo" or someone else in hospital. Only context can tell. Not the same case of "que tenga que enfrentarme", because "enfrentarme" introduces the person.
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Old July 14, 2024, 12:30 PM
Tyrn Tyrn is offline
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Thanks!

Suppose I want the rain to keep on raining:

Dios no quiera que despierte

Is it correct?
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Old July 14, 2024, 11:12 PM
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AngelicaDeAlquezar AngelicaDeAlquezar is offline
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I want the rain to keep on raining:
- Dios no quiera que deje de llover.
- Dios quiera que no deje de llover.
- Dios quiera que siga lloviendo.


As for: "Dios no quiera que despierte": I don't want to wake up, or I don't want another person to wake up.
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Old July 14, 2024, 11:31 PM
Tyrn Tyrn is offline
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Ah, of course. I meant

Dios no quiera que despeje

Is it still wrong?
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Old July 14, 2024, 11:55 PM
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AngelicaDeAlquezar AngelicaDeAlquezar is offline
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It's not wrong, but there would be need for context.

Personally, I'd say "Dios no quiera que se despeje", to add the impersonal construction to the sentence.
Also "despejarse", could also be said about the sky just being overcast, not necessarily raining. However, what you said would be understood in context, so I wouldn't say it's a wrong sentence.
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