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Quote translation

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Hombre-Araña
January 24, 2009, 04:56 PM
I attempted to translate this quote by Martin Luther King Jr.:

"Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."

And this is my result:

"No hemos venido a esto embrollo en el mundo moderno que tenemos que amar a nuestros enemigos? La cadena reaccionaria de maldad -- odio creando odio, guerras produciendo más guerras -- tiene que estar roto, o nos derrumbaremos al abismo oscuro de aniquilación."

And help on the corrections would be much appreciated.
Muchas gracias!

Rusty
January 24, 2009, 06:51 PM
Many quotes of Martin Luther King, Jr. have been translated into Spanish and can be found on the Internet, but I couldn't find everything you quoted in one place (even though it appears to be a single quote), so the first part (before the ellipsis) is my attempt. The second half is my take on the various translations I found on the Internet.

"¿No hemos llegado a tal punto muerto en el mundo actual con lo de tener que amar a nuestros enemigos, o sufrir las consecuencias? ... la reacción en cadena de la maldad - odio engendrando odio, guerras produciendo más guerras - debe ser rota, o nos hundirá en el abismo oscuro de aniquilación."

Haven't we come = Haven't we arrived = No hemos llegado

The word rota, in the phrase debe ser rota,refers back to reacción, so it must be feminine.

CrOtALiTo
January 24, 2009, 09:18 PM
I don't understand very well the quote above, but in the translate, I have doubts, because there is a part where I feel that sound bad in the pronunciation then, I want to give you my hint above this translation, you have made an amazing work in your attempt of translate.

"¿No hemos llegado a tal punto muerto en el mundo actual tenemos que amar a nuestros enemigos, o sufrir las consecuencias? ... la reacción en cadena de la maldad - odio engendrando odio, guerras produciendo más guerras - debe ser rota, o nos hundirá en el abismo oscuro de aniquilación."


All the rest of the translate is accurate but, anyhow if you can would examine my opinion then it would be appreciate.

Rusty
January 24, 2009, 10:44 PM
Your suggested change doesn't reflect the original idea, in my opinion. I agree that other wording could be used, but I think my translation is close.

CrOtALiTo
January 24, 2009, 11:58 PM
It simply does not sence for me, in my term at Spanish the word does not close for the same text, again I tell you the phrase sound bad.

Hombre-Araña
January 25, 2009, 08:01 PM
Ah, I see. However, for the phrase "or else we shall be plunged", Rusty why did you use "o nos hundirá" as in "it will plunge us"?

Rusty
January 25, 2009, 08:03 PM
We shall be plunged is passive. It means that something or someone will cause the event to happen to us. The chain reaction is the something, in this case. The chain reaction shall plunge us.
Does that make sense?