tributario

English translation: increasingly clung Literally: 'became vassals to'

22:30 Jan 6, 2011

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - History / Caribbean colonial history; 18th century

Spanish term or phrase: tributario

I'm translating a book on Caribbean history. This portion deals with the formation of national identity as many former colonies in the Caribbean and South America were gaining their independence, and with racial conflicts and slave uprisings that resulted in the abolition of slavery. The "concepciones" to which the author refers are the notions among the elite that the conflict was over race, not slavery; that "negro = esclavo = africano"; and that blacks were savages and barbarians, diametrically opposed to the values that were the legacy of the European metropolises.

Here's the context:

Tales concepciones, que se enraizaron en las sociedades americanas desde los inicios del periodo colonial, no desaparecieron en el Caribe con la abolición de la esclavitud, ni siquiera con los procesos políticos que, a lo largo del siglo XIX, fueron gestando las comunidades nacionales. Al contrario, las elites criollas se volvieron **tributarias** de las nociones raciales que habían predominado durante la época esclavista.

I don't know how to translate "tributarias." I get the idea: the criollo elite was supporting the old notions. My "fill-in-the-space" translation at the moment is that they "bought into" the notions on race, but that does not fit my author's style or "high academic" register.

What sense of "tributario" is he using here? That of paying tribute (taxes, usually), or that of being a subordinate, or that of being a small stream that flows into a larger one? Does anybody "get it"?

The author is Puerto Rican; the register is academic; I am translating into U.S. English for a scholarly international readership.

Thanks in advance for your help.

JaneTranslates KudoZ activity Questions: 152 (none open) (4 closed without grading) Answers: 505 Puerto Rico
Local time: 10:24

English translation:increasingly clung Literally: 'became vassals to'

Explanation:
My tattered Martinez-Amador gives 'vassal' as a translation of "tributario". So the literal meaning is probably 'became/were vassals to'. To me, this implies a symbiotic relationship or dependency (i.e. their lifestyle was dependent on the concepts). I thought of 'entrapped by', but I think that's too strong.

Selected response from:

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 07:24

Grading comment

Thank you and happy 2011!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +4

embraced // unquestioningly accepted

Robert Forstag

4 +1

increasingly clung Literally: 'became vassals to'

Muriel Vasconcellos

4 +1

subscribed to/fully upheld the notion

David Hollywood

were permeated with the notion

JH Trads

contributors

Kate White

accommodated

Yvonne Gallagher

venerator(s)

David Ronder

(remained) rooted in

James A. Walsh

upsurge

Jennifer Levey

perpetuated

polyglot45

Summary of reference entries provided

Otro fundamento para lo que propone Bob

jacana54 (X)

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

se volvieron tributarias embraced // unquestioningly accepted

Explanation:
Two options.

Semantically, the idea seems to be that the process was as naturally as that of one river flowing into another (larger) one, "being swept along with the wave (of the times), etc.

Suerte.

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 10:24
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 103

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, Robert (Bob?)! I like both your answers so much that I quickly changed my placeholder translation to "unquestioningly accepted," simply because I had already used "embraced" twice in this same chapter. But Muriel, Deborah, and David Ronder nudged me over toward the concepts of "bound by," "clung to," and "remained trapped in." In the larger context, I believe the author's meaning is that they stuck to their beliefs in spite of themselves, against the increasing evidence to the contrary, and against their own interests--against the tide, to keep the watery imagery going! I think it *was* a natural thing--the course of least resistance--but that there were some misgivings. If they, perhaps, didn't actually *believe* that blacks were full-fledged people, they must at least have had some inkling that things were going to change, regardless. You guys are really forcing me to think this thing through! Again, thanks very much.

11 mins confidence:

were permeated with the notion

Explanation:
to keep the academic register

JH Trads
United States
Local time: 10:24
Native speaker of:

Spanish,

French

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, Hugo. Your time and contribution are appreciated.

13 mins confidence:

contributors

Explanation:
I think it means tributarias in the sense of them "buying into" as you say and contributing to these notions - therefore I think contributors or "they were partisan to" or something along those lines.

Kate White
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:24
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, Kate. I think you're right, in that "tributarias" includes the idea of "contributing." But I think "contributors" would be interpreted by English readers as people who actually helped create and formulate those ideas, and that's not the case here; the ideas had been in place for centuries. "Partisan to" might work. Thanks again.

22 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

volvieron tributarios

increasingly clung Literally: 'became vassals to'

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 07:24
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 50

Grading comment

Thank you and happy 2011!

Notes to answerer

Asker: Oddly enough, Muriel, one of my early stabs at translating this sentence used the phrase "remained subject to"--because of that very sense of "vassal," though I hadn't read or thought of that particular word. I like Deborah's "remained trapped in," too. I decided upon "clung to," wavered drastically when I read David Ronder's "bound by," then finally came back to "still clung to." I actually think the "bound by" and "entrapped by" and "trapped in" suggestions best embody the meaning of the original, but "still clung to" flows best in the sentence. "Still clung to"--final answer. And people think all we translators do is look things up in dictionaries! Thank you very, very much, Muriel.

57 mins confidence:

accommodated

Explanation:
Another option

think you're right about meaning "buy into"

this gives the sense of continuing to accept the old notions, not disputing them but is less strong than "embrace", (unless of course they were actively embracing these notions).

Obama in the Age of Accommodation | The Nation22 Dec 2010 ... This rendering of the nadir of American racial history forces progressives to .... He actually did say he admired the ideas of Ronald Reagan. ...... nowadays stems from the same old racist concerns of the confederate and ...
www.thenation.com/article/157285/obama-age-accommodation - Cached

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Note added at 1 hr (2011-01-06 23:33:54 GMT)
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the word is used on p164

The economics and politics of racial accommodation: the Japanese ... - Google Books ResultJohn Modell - 1977 - Political Science - 201 pages
Travelers in Japan regularly submitted informative accounts of old-country ways, ... ideas" denied that they "liked" such unexceptionable traits as

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2011-01-06 23:34:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

John Modell - 1977 - Political Science - 201 pages
Travelers in Japan regularly submitted informative accounts of old-country ways, ... ideas" denied that they "liked" such unexceptionable traits as ...
books.google.com/books?isbn=0252006224...

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Note added at 1 hr (2011-01-06 23:36:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

try link again

books.google.com/books?isbn=0252006224...

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Note added at 1 hr (2011-01-06 23:38:12 GMT)
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by BT WASHINGTON - Related articles
One of Park's most influential ideas in race relations was his well-known ... 1979:67) reported that "Professor Thomas revived the old question of the fitness .... 1992 Militarism, Imperialism, and Racial Accommodation: An Analysis and ...
www.vernonjohns.org/vernjohns/bookert.html - Cached - Similar

Thus, in his detailed analysis of the racist ideas and actions of ..... cultures among inferior cultures, which were forced to accommodate. .... Indeed, groups of ordinary people often generate new permutations on old racist ideas, ...
www.neoeugenics.net/joe.htm - Cached

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 15:24
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 14

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks, gallagy2. I read all your comments and references with interest, and marked "accommodated" as a word I will be using, not here but later, when the elites begin to make adjustments to their stated beliefs in an attempt to gain the support of the masses for their "national projects." BTW, I had no trouble finding your Google Books ref; I Googled "john modell" and "travelers in japan." Thanks again.

1 hr confidence:

upsurge

Explanation:
My reading:
las elites criollas se volvieron **tributarias** de las nociones raciales ...
-->
(they) brought about an upsurge (or reinforcement/renewal) of the racial concepts ...

Jennifer Levey
Chile
Local time: 10:24
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

Notes to answerer

Asker: Interesting concept, mediamatrix! I was perplexed by "upsurge" until I read your explanation. Tributaries certainly do augment and strengthen currents! I'm leaning toward a different interpretation, simply because I have a larger context and know where the author is going with this, but I think your idea has a lot of merit. Thanks very much!

4 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

subscribed to/fully upheld the notion

Explanation:
just add to the fray

David Hollywood
Local time: 11:24
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 68

Notes to answerer

Asker: And it's a good addition, to a remarkably friendly "fray"! Thanks, David. I think either choice would do quite well.

10 hrs confidence:

perpetuated

Explanation:
this is a very free tranlsation - I would tend to go with David's "subscribe" if you want to stick closer to the original

polyglot45
Native speaker of:

English,

French

Notes to answerer

Asker: Another good choice that would work perfectly well. Thanks, polyglot45.

13 hrs confidence:

venerator(s)

Explanation:
If we take 'tributar' as the starting point rather than 'tributario', the DRAE gives, as Lucia has already put in her reference:

Ofrecer o manifestar veneración como prueba de agradecimiento o admiración

So:"On the contrary, they became venerators of/came to venerate the racial ideas/notions/concepts that had predominated during the slave era."

OR even, if the emphasis is on vassalage rather than homage: "On the contrary, they became (increasingly) bound by..." - which suggests they cannot let go of these old ideas - or maybe the ideas cannot let go of them? - and that in their limited, blinkered way they are going against the progressive 19th-century tide.

Either way, and in spite of that watery metaphor, I don't think this has anything to do with rivers.

David Ronder
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:24
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 52

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, David. I came very, very close to choosing your answer, because of "bound by"--an excellent suggestion! I fully agree with that entire paragraph; they clung to the old ideas even though they were beginning to "know better." Thanks for an excellent answer.

14 hrs confidence:

(se volvieron) tributarias (remained) rooted in

Explanation:
Another option to ponder...

Example sentence(s):

Al contrario, las elites criollas se volvieron <u>tributarias</u> de las nociones raciales que habían predominado durante la época esclavista.
On the contrary, the Creole elite remained <u>rooted in</u> the racial notions that had prevailed during the slave era.

James A. Walsh
Spain
Local time: 16:24
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 20

Notes to answerer

Asker: This one would work, too. I have an embarrassment of riches here--too many good answers to choose from. Thanks very much, James.

Reference comments

3 hrs

Reference: Otro fundamento para lo que propone Bob

Reference information:
DRAE:
tributar
2. tr. Ofrecer o manifestar veneración como prueba de agradecimiento o admiración.

¿Esto no sería lo mismo que decir "pay tribute/homage to" en inglés?

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Note added at 3 hrs (2011-01-07 01:56:21 GMT)
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Copio lo que pone María Moliner, pero solo para agotar otro recurso, creo que no aporta demasiado:

http://www.diclib.com/tributario/show/en/moliner/T/4466/3660...
tributario, -a
1 adj. De tributación.
2 Se aplica a una *corriente de agua con relación al río, mar, etc., donde desemboca: "Los ríos tributarios del Ebro por la derecha".
3 adj. y n. Obligado a pagar tributo o a pagarlo a alguien determinado: "Tributario del rey de Aragón".
4 adj. Se aplica a lo que es consecuencia de otra cosa: "La situación de subdesarrollo de esos países es tributaria del colonialismo".

jacana54 (X)
Uruguay
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish

Note to reference poster

Asker: Thank you, Lucía. As always, your contribution gave me much to think about. Oddly enough, what really opened my eyes was from the source (María Moliner) that you discounted ("creo que no aporta demasiado") and that I didn't think to consult. (Since I write in English, MM is one of my secondary resources, so it's in the pull-out cabinet, not on the bookstand beside the desk.) I was intrigued by her 4th example, of a "consequence." I've never heard the word used in that way. I can't apply it exactly to my sentence; the "elites" are people, not a situation, so I can't say that they are a consequence of the ideas they espoused. But you've certainly given me food for thought!

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tributario

English translation: increasingly clung Literally: 'became vassals to'

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