From Spanish to English, political and journalistic translation about the Tea Party

[delf2312]

Hi everybody,

I have to translate an article written in Pagine12, an Argentinean newspaper, about the emergence of the Tea Party. The journalist is very critical of the Tea Party and says that it will cause a move of the whole political chess towards the right.
I'm struggling with this sentence:
En apenas un año, el Tea Party volvió a poner en la superficie las bases conservadoras sobre las que se edifica el equilibrio político norteamericano, y lo lejos que está éste del “país normal” que muchos buscan como inspiración.
Here is my translation:
In less than one year, the Tea Party got hold again of / brought back to the surface /turned upside down / started to shake again the basis/pillars on which the North-American political balance/equilibrium rests/was established and how far the latter is from the 'normal country' that inspires many / many see as the ideal.



Maybe, I should do two sentences instead of one, I really do not know how these two clauses are related. I think there is something I don't understand.



Thanks for your help

[poli]

In less than a year, the Tea party has brought to the surface the conservative base which the entire political equilibrium of the nation is based, and it is very far from the "normal country" that many look upon with
inspiration (or that inspires so many).

[Rusty]

Another option:

In less than a year, the Tea Party has once again put in the forefront the conservative foundations which the North-American political equilibrium was built upon, and how far that is from the "normal country" that many seek as an inspiration.

[aleCcowaN]

Just a few comments.

About the original:

norteamericano = American (as in Usian) <nor Canada intended there; least of all Mexico or Greenland, as only local issues are addressed>

"País normal" has an intense charge of "business as usual" and "those good ol' times", like Grandpa Simpson's rants, as if "some time in the past we lost our way".

I like better "once again put in the forefront", because the original suggests through "superficie" the idea of something surviving in the collective unconsciousness -socially speaking- and being brought back to the spotlight.

Remember that you can't translate ideology. The supposed liberal approach of Página 12 regards conservatism as a crouching creature ready to spring, so it is difficult to tell what is bare fact and what is trying to tell you what your opinion should be

[poli]

Of course it's political commentary, and kind of sloppily written. Because of this forum, I have concluded that estadounidense is the best term, but frequently you see americano, or norteamericano used instead. People forget that North America goes from Canada to Panama. People from the United States forget that America goes from Canada to the Tierra del Fuengo, but we have an excuse. There is no good natural sounding word in English for native of the United States.

The writer's term país normal is is a lazy way of saying país justo y bien administrado.

[delf2312]

Thank you so much for your help everybody ! Using all your ideas, I've written this:
In less than one year, the Tea Party once again put in the forefront the Conservative foundations which the American/North-American political equilibrium was/is built upon and and how far that is from the 'ideal/normal country' that many look upon with inspiration.

I still haven't decided between ideal and normal because I also found the phrase 'normal country' to designate an financially and politically independent country. I also thought about 'dream country' to recall the American dream thing but it may be a little too far-fetched.



Please, I still need your help for an other couple of sentences:


En el país real, Rubio [Florida Conservative candidate for Senate] encabeza muy cómodo las encuestas para hacerse con el puesto del senador en la elección de mañana.
El de Florida es uno de los casos, y no el más extremo, de la radicalización que promovió el Tea Party, apoyando a candidatos “ultras” que desplazaron a los más moderados del partido. En los últimos meses no faltan los analistas (y esperanzados demócratas) que suponen que la “derechización de la derecha” será un dolor de cabeza para el Partido Republicano.


Here is my translation (even my English grammar is not perfect because I'm French but as I currently study in the UK...)

In the real country, Rubio easily reached the top of the opinion polls to access/be given the position/job of Senator in the election of this morning. / Rubio heads the opinion polls for the position of Senator in this morning's elections. / Rubio is expected by the opinion polls to get the position of senator in this morning's elections.


The Florida story is one of those, but not the most extreme, that illustrate the radicalization promoted by the Tea Party through the support it gave to “ultras” who displaced the more moderates of the party. In recent months, numerous enough were the analysts (and hopeful democrats) who suggested that the extremization of the right / move of the right towards far-right would be a headache for the Republican Party.

I know that a dolor de cabeza in Spanish is a preoccupation, do you know a better image than headache ?