Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

a von if you please

Spanish translation:

un "Von", nada menos

Added to glossary by Charles Davis
Jan 30, 2013 23:25
11 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term

a von if you please

English to Spanish Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
From a novel by W. Somerset Maugham.

A bit of context: "The pretty Fraulein Hedwig had amorous troubles too. She was the daughter of a merchant in Berlin and a dashing hussar had fallen in love with her, a von if you please: but his parents opposed a marriage with a person of her condition, and she had been sent to Heidelberg to forget him."

"A von" might be a cultural allusion to the high social status of the hussar (or perhaps not) but maybe the term should be left as is in Spanish? If you please = si le parece bien? I'm lost here.

Thanks.
Proposed translations (Spanish)
3 +9 un "von", nada menos
Change log

Feb 3, 2013 17:03: Charles Davis Created KOG entry

Discussion

Marian Martin (X) (asker) Jan 30, 2013:
I know that von is a particle that accompanies a surname :)

Proposed translations

+9
41 mins
Selected

un "von", nada menos

"A von" certainly is a cultural allusion to high social status. German surnames with "von" are, or at least sound, aristocratic, just like Spanish ones with "de"; in both cases, people have sometimes adopted a "von" or "de" to which they are not entitled in order to make themselves sound more patrician.
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von

I think "un von" just about works in Spanish; I think it might help to put "von" in inverted commas. I hope so, because if not, it's going to need reworking, and will almost certainly become clunky and heavy-handed ("cuyo apellido empezaba por von", or something).

"If you please" can suggest surprise or anger:

"if you please
•formal used to express surprise and anger
They want £200, if you please, just to replace a couple of broken windows!"
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/please_2

Here it really means the same as "no less", and "nada menos" captures the tone quite well, I think.
Note from asker:
Thanks Charles, the phrase is perfect :)
Peer comment(s):

agree Magali Fisher
13 mins
Thanks, Magali :)
agree Christine Walsh
18 mins
Thanks, Christine :)
agree Claudia Luque Bedregal
19 mins
Thanks, Claudia :)
agree patinba
3 hrs
Thanks, Pat :)
agree Kornelia Berceo-Schneider
8 hrs
Gracias, Kornelia :)
agree Cristina Gonzalez : I would capitalize "Von" as well, to emphasize it.
9 hrs
Yes, I would do so too. Many thanks, Cristina :)
agree Ruth Wöhlk
9 hrs
Gracias, Ruth :)
agree Patricia Honrubia
17 hrs
Gracias, Patricia :)
agree Beatriz Ramírez de Haro : También: "nada menos que un Von"
2 days 20 hrs
Sí, también. ¡Gracias, Bea, y buen domingo!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you! "
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