This thing about the primaries (político en funciones)

[droe82]

The fifth paragraph of a story about primary elections (http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2010/08/10/781054/politico-avezado-gana-primarias.html):


Bennet y McMahon fueron dos de los ganadores más característicos de las primarias. El primero es un político en funciones que pudo superar en las primarias el tipo de reto que ha hecho sucumbir a legisladores en otras partes. La otra es el arquetipo del conservador novel que representará al Partido Republicano en la campaña para las elecciones nacionales de noviembre, en las que está en juego el control del Congreso federal y los gobiernos en 37 estados.

I can't make heads or tails of the second sentence. The stuff coming out of Google Translate and the RAE dictionary isn't helping. My best translation is something like:


Bennet and McMahon were two of the winners most characteristic of the primaries. The former is a politician ("in ways"? "with abilities"? It seems to say literally "in functions," but that... y'know...) which could defeat the kind of challenge in the primaries that has succumbed to other other legislators in other parties. The latter is an archetype of the new kind of conservative which will represent the Republican Party in the campaign for the national elections in November, in which the control of Congress and the governorship of 37 states will be in play.


I can't get "en funciones" but vaguely and the rest of it just plain doesn't make any sense to me. It seems to be saying the challenge succumbed to other legislators. Is it saying other legislators succumbed to that kind of challenge? If so, how did it flip subjects on me?

[Tomisimo]

Let me hazard a guess:

político en funciones = incumbent (politician who is currently in office)

Can any native speakers confirm or deny this?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I agree, David. :)

A politician "en funciones" is currently having a job in a public office.

A proposal in English:
"[Bennet] is a politician in office who could overcome the kind of challenge that has made some legislators fall in other places (before). [McMahon] is the archetype of the conservative novice who will represent the Republican Party in the campaign for the national elections in November, in which the control of the federal Congress and the governments of 37 states are at stake."

[JPablo]

I also agree, but with one point of emphasis on the fact that "en funciones" clearly indicates that the person referred to is serving temporarily, esp. as a substitute during another's absence; not permanent; temporary.
So, another option is en funciones = acting
As in, lo firmó el secretario en funciones = the acting secretary signed it :)

[droe82]

Cool, thanks. That sure answers the "político en funciones" part.

What about sucumbir a legisladores en otras partes? Is a an article here? I've never formally studied linguistics, so bear with me for a moment here.I think tipo de reto que ha hecho sucumbir a legisladores en otras partes is a substantive clause, its subject is legisladores, and its predicate is tipo de reto. In English, word order would dictate that the tipo de reto is succumbing to the legisladores. I'm very naive. How are the terms being reversed in the Spanish version?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@droe: Check post #3 and see if that makes any sense to you. :)

"A" is a preposition. You can find some explanation on its use before a person here (http://grammar.tomisimo.org/Personal_a).

[JPablo]

@Droe, if you see post #3, Angelica translated "sucumbir" = fall.
Literally "sucumbir" is "to succumb" and it can also mean "surrender; yield, give in..." "fall victim to".

The idea is that Bennet was able to overcome the type of challenge that defeated other legislators, or he overcame the challenges that made other legislators to give in... :)

[droe82]

Oh, I see, I see. I thought when it was used like that, it was an article.

I've been meditating on this and being very Zen and I think the Cosmos has revealed to me that hecho is the relevant verb here—not sucumbir. Yea? Nay?

[JPablo]

Mmm... It could most likely be it.
Hecho = made
ha hecho = has made.

(When I first started learning English I had to look up every single word in the dictionary... so my reading was not that smooth...)

Sometimes when you get better and better, you may have a misunderstood word, but you are not able to locate it... or sometimes there is a word you think you know, but then it means something else (in addition to the other meaning of the word you know.) So, you can always challenge your own understanding and/or ask about ANY word, no matter which one.

After 47 years using Spanish I am still learning my own native tongue... so I know I have a ways to go with English... but that's part of the freedom of learning a new language... there is no barriers, no limits! :)

[droe82]

But that it's not ha sucumbido is the thing that I think neither I nor Google Translate understood. I'll shut up now.

[JPablo]

Yup, that is "ha hecho sucumbir" ("has made to succumb").