Badly

[irmamar]

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.

[JPablo]

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...

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by irmamar

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.

I'm not sure about the Spanish translation, but when I add the term "badly" as has been done in this example sentence, it is for emphasis....

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?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

The princess REALLY wanted to know these things.....

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.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Perikles

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.

All of the examples would work, right?

Even "...burning desire..."

Although each of these terms cannot fit all cases, depending on context.

[Elaina]

Originally Posted by JPablo

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...

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

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by Elaina

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

In Spain I always used it as "a toda costa" (which is how it is in DRAE). I could also say "a cualquier costo" or "a cualquier coste" or "cueste lo que cueste"...

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'!

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Elaina

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

Correct.

a toda costa = at all cost

A cualquier costo = at any cost

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by irmamar

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.

I would translate it:

Y a pesar de eso las princesas anhelaban conocer/saber estas cosas.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by pjt33

I would translate it:

Y a pesar de eso las princesas anhelaban conocer/saber estas cosas.

For me "anhelaban = sought", right?