Matti da slegare

English translation: Fit to be untied

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Italian term or phrase:	Matti da slegare
English translation:	Fit to be untied
Entered by:	lanzarotti

17:37 May 11, 2007

Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

Italian term or phrase: Matti da slegare

a dilemma...
how can I render this title? it relates to a text speaking about the closure of asylums but I can't seem to come up with anything that renders the Italian...
thank you all :)

lanzarotti KudoZ activity Questions: 111 (1 open) (4 without valid answers) (3 closed without grading) Answers: 130
Local time: 10:29

Fit to be untied

Explanation:
I'm more than a bit saddened in seeing that so much seems to have been forgotten.

The documentary movie "Matti da slegare" (aka "Nessuno o tutti"), by Marco Bellocchio, Silvano Agosti, Sandro petraglia e Stefano Rulli et al. was quite important in the debate about "antipsichiatria" and about the right way way to treat and care for mental suffering and illness - which was, in its turn, an important part of the cultural climate of the '60s and '70s. See, for an introduction:

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco_Basaglia

The movie has circulated in the USA under the title "Fit to be untied", as you cans see in:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0013193/

A very short review (in English) of the movie can be found at:

http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=157249

while here:

http://www.mymovies.it/dizionario/recensione.asp?id=14471

is its entry in the Morandini ("Dizionario dei film").

Neither gives a real idea of the importance and the impact of the movie at the time, but they are still something.

It is unthinkable, IMO, that the Italian text is unrelated to this movie; and thus I think that it would be correct to use the above translation.

Native English speakers might be able to suggest something better; but lets's respect

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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-05-11 21:19:00 GMT)
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I meant - before hitting the "send" button by mistake - let's respect the people who fought so bravely just a few decades ago

Selected response from:

Alfredo Tutino
Local time: 10:29

Grading comment

As I said in my not, all solutions were greatly appreciated and useful. But in my case, this translation is the one that fits best! Thank you all again :)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +5

Out of their minds...and out of their homes

Nicole Johnson

4 +4

Fit to be untied

Alfredo Tutino

4 +1

freeing (of) the nut cases/freedom for nut cases- evicting madness

Rosanna Palermo

Out of mind and out of home

Giovanni Pizzati (X)

mad enough to be set free

James (Jim) Davis

3 -1

"as mad as a hatter"

lucy radwan

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

"as mad as a hatter"

Explanation:
I think...!

lucy radwan
Local time: 10:29
Native speaker of:

English

9 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

Out of their minds...and out of their homes

Explanation:
Here's an attempt...playing on the idomatic phrase to be "out of one's mind".

I'm sure there are going to be other options--just be patient!

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Note added at 15 mins (2007-05-11 17:52:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another option might be something using the expression

"Not all there..."

Nicole Johnson
Italy
Local time: 10:29
Works in field
Native speaker of: English

34 mins confidence:

Out of mind and out of home

Explanation:
.

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Note added at 39 min (2007-05-11 18:16:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Matto da legare/tie is stark raving mad, slegare/untie plays a pun difficult to render in English.

Giovanni Pizzati (X)
Italy
Local time: 10:29
Native speaker of:

Italian

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

Fit to be untied

Alfredo Tutino
Local time: 10:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Italian
PRO pts in category: 12

Grading comment

As I said in my not, all solutions were greatly appreciated and useful. But in my case, this translation is the one that fits best! Thank you all again :)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Rosanna Palermo: I like it!! :o)

21 mins

-> thank you

agree

Jim Tucker (X): brilliant

7 hrs

-> thank you

agree

Nicole Johnson: Perfect--and thanks for the background information...now I've got to find this movie so I can see it!

10 hrs

-> it will be screened at the "Azzurro Scipioni" (Silvano Agosti's Cinema d'essai) in Rome on May, 21st. See: http://www.azzurroscipioni.com/ - But I know you do not live in Rome... :-)

neutral

James (Jim) Davis: Alfredo I would generally agree with you. As a social worker in the 70s, the meaning was immediately obvious to me. However, the translation "untied" is only as good as the original translation of the film, Not very good. You don't tie the mad up in Eng.

12 hrs

-> Yes; moreover, the movie didn't circulated much in English speaking countries. But I wanted to give the reference; my generation (or I myself, at least) is squandering a great political and intellectual heritage, I feel. For translation, I trust NES...

agree

Krisztina Lelik

16 hrs

-> thank you

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

freeing (of) the nut cases/freedom for nut cases- evicting madness

Explanation:
being a "nut case" is to be crazy, mad, out of one's mind
freeing the nut cases may keep the meaning with the added benefit of brevity

The actual phrase comes from another
"matto da legare" which really means that the individual needs to be in a straight jacket (tied up, immobilized)
In this case they are "freeing" "unrestraining" the mad

to evict is to send away someone that was living/renting your house and pretty much telling them to fend for themselves.

I hope this helps.. Ciao!

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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-05-11 21:37:10 GMT)
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The exodus of the mad
Giving the mad roaming rights

just another couple I thought of
Ciao!

Rosanna Palermo
Local time: 04:29
Native speaker of:

Italian,

English
PRO pts in category: 32

9 hrs confidence:

mad enough to be set free

Explanation:
or "mad enough to be released" or "mad enough to be let out" playing on "mad enough to be locked up" - strangely "unlocked down" means nothing unlike within and without.

James (Jim) Davis
Seychelles
Local time: 12:29
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 130

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Matti da slegare

English translation: Fit to be untied

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