He would sooner have had...

[pinosilano]

I am wondering how can I understand this sentence:
"...he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies."
I read somewhere that could be "hubiera sido mejor que"
Is it correct?

[poli]

Originally Posted by pinosilano

I am wondering how can I understand this sentence:
"...he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies."
I read somewhere that could be "hubiera sido mejor que"
Is it correct?

Sí, correcto. En inglés es mas común decir: he would prefer to have had
(preferiría ser sin cola y sin moscas)

[Luna Azul]

Originally Posted by pinosilano

I am wondering how can I I can understand this sentence: (indirect question)
"...he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies."
I read somewhere that could be "hubiera sido mejor que"
Is it correct?

I would rather say "él preferiría no haber tenido... " or "él hubiera preferido no tener..."

Poli - Sí, correcto. En inglés es mas común decir: he would prefer to have had

He would prefer not to have had <<Right?

Poli - (preferiría ser sin cola y sin moscas)

This is not something we'd say in Spanish. Although understandable, it sounds weird. We usually say "Preferiría no tener ni cola ni moscas"

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Luna Azul

He would prefer not to have had <<Right?

If you say that, you have problems with neither... nor. Actually, even better would be

He would have preferred to have had neither tail nor flies.

[pinosilano]

Esta oración

He would have preferred to have had neither tail nor flies.

me deja claro esta otra

but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies

¿Pero "sooner"? Sooner me despista.

Muchas gracias, chiquillos.

[Luna Azul]

Originally Posted by Perikles

If you say that, you have problems with neither... nor. Actually, even better would be

He would have preferred to have had neither tail nor flies.

I don't have problems with neither...nor.. but of course you're correct. Thanks.

Pinosilano - ¿Pero "sooner"? Sooner me despista.

It's an expression. It's like saying "he would rather have...... "

You can't translate that..

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by pinosilano

¿Pero "sooner"? Sooner me despista.

It is a peculiar use of the comparative of the adverb 'soon'. Imagine you have two things to do, one which you like (task A), one which you do not like (task B). Human nature is such that if you can choose the sequence, you do task A, then task B. To express the preference,

I would sooner do task A than task B

= I prefer task A to task B
= I do task A sooner than task B

So 'sooner' indicates a preference:

sooner … (than): I'd sooner not go, to be honest a decir verdad, preferiría no ir; sooner than go against her principles, she handed in her notice antes que actuar en contra de sus principios, prefirió dimitir; sooner you than me! mejor tú que yo, me alegro de no ser yo el que tiene que hacerlo
Does that help?

[pinosilano]

Originally Posted by Luna Azul

It's an expression. It's like saying "he would rather have...... "
You can't translate that..

Perfecto. Muchas gracias Luna Azul.

Originally Posted by Perikles

So 'sooner' indicates a preference.
Does that help?

Sí, ha sido de gran ayuda.

Buen jueves para los dos.