Reino Unido se desmarca ...

[Perikles]

Reino Unido se desmarca del acuerdo para reforzar la Unión Europea

Could this be ambiguous? Without knowing the context, surely this headline could mean:

1. The UK distances itself from the agreement intended to reinforce the EU

or

2. The UK distances itself from the agreement, in order to reinforce the EU

Obviously, the second makes no political sense, but could it be a valid translation? If not, what would 2. be in Spanish? Thanks.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Reino Unido se desmarca del acuerdo para reforzar la Unión Europea

Could this be ambiguous? Without knowing the context, surely this headline could mean:

1. The UK distances itself from the agreement intended to reinforce the EU

or

2. The UK distances itself from the agreement, in order to reinforce the EU

Obviously, the second makes no political sense, but could it be a valid translation? If not, what would 2. be in Spanish? Thanks.

Both English version are OK.

To me the Spanish version should be:

Reino Unido se desmarca del acuerdo que refuerza/reforzaría la Unión Europea


EDIT:

I meant "Both phrases in English are OK", not necessarily meaning they reflect the Spanish phrase.

[Don José]

I think it's not ambiguous, but I know the context.

Possible translations for "2":

Reino Unido se desmarca del acuerdo, para reforzar la Unión Europea.
Para reforzar la Unión Europea, el Reino Unido se desmarca del acuerdo.

I prefer "el" Reino Unido, but sometimes it is used without the article.

A "famous" anecdote about commas:

El filólogo José Antonio Millán recuerda una anécdota atribuida a Carlos V en el prólogo de su reciente libro Perdón imposible (Del nuevo Extremo). El emperador debía firmar una sentencia que decía así: “Perdón imposible, que cumpla su condena”. Pero el monarca, según se cuenta, cambió la coma de sitio antes de firmar, “perdón, imposible que cumpla su condena”, y de ese modo cambió la suerte de algún desgraciado.

Originally Posted by chileno

Both English version are OK.

But they have different meanings...

Originally Posted by chileno

To me the Spanish version should be:

Reino Unido se desmarca del acuerdo que refuerza/reforzaría la Unión Europea

Yes, this would be much better than the original headline. No possible ambiguity.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Don José

But they have different meanings...

Yes.

Originally Posted by Don José

Yes, this would be much better than the original headline. No possible ambiguity.

I thought the Spanish version is the one that's slacking.

[aleCcowaN]

To me, the only and unambiguous meaning is -maybe they are speaking other Spanish than mine- that the UK changes from a position of being forced to agree upon some treaty already "cooked" to a position that may imply she is willing to sign a treaty but also decided to negotiate or renegotiate the terms of it and make her voice heard. "Desmarcarse" doesn't imply a will to play a different game but rather being able to play the same game without suffocating bounds.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

To me, the only and unambiguous meaning is -maybe they are speaking other Spanish than mine- that the UK changes from a position of being forced to agree upon some treaty already "cooked" to a position that may imply she is willing to sign a treaty but also decided to negotiate or renegotiate the terms of it and make her voice heard. "Desmarcarse" doesn't imply a will to play a different game but rather being able to play the same game without suffocating bounds.

That does not reflect the actual political situation. The EU has made another treaty, and the UK has not agreed to it.

Perhaps we should not attempt to read too much into a headline. Thanks all.

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by Perikles

That does not reflect the actual political situation. The EU has made another treaty, and the UK has not agreed to it.

Perhaps we should not attempt to read too much into a headline. Thanks all.

So then "desmarcarse" is just used there in the sense of having UK's check box "unticked" regarding to the list of countries willing to sign such a treaty. We don't use "desmarcarse" in that sense; we'd use "desanotarse", "apartarse" or the colloquial "borrarse".

[chileno]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

So then "desmarcarse" is just used there in the sense of having UK's check box "unticked" regarding to the list of countries willing to sign such a treaty. We don't use "desmarcarse" in that sense; we'd use "desanotarse", "apartarse" or the colloquial "borrarse".

As in "withdrawing from..."

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I don't see any ambiguity as this is a headline, so "el acuerdo para reforzar la Unión Europea" can't be separated; otherwise, the sentence wouldn't make much sense. "El acuerdo" just like that in a headline should be only one possible agreement in the world (the agreement).

If the sentence were found in the middle of the article, this amphibology (woohoo!) could take place, but the context (and perhaps a comma) would (hopefully) make the meaning clear.

"Reino Unido se desmarca del acuerdo, para reforzar la Unión Europea."

[Don José]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

So then "desmarcarse" is just used there in the sense of having UK's check box "unticked" regarding to the list of countries willing to sign such a treaty. We don't use "desmarcarse" in that sense; we'd use "desanotarse", "apartarse" or the colloquial "borrarse".

In Spain, "desmarcarse" would be fine as well as the others, with the exception of "desanotarse".

Desmarcar
1. tr. Separar de un grupo, apartar. U. m. c. prnl. 2. prnl. Dicho de un jugador: En algunos deportes, desplazarse para burlar al contrario que lo marca.


http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltCons...&LEMA=demarcar

[ROBINDESBOIS]

I agree