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anestetizzare

English translation: palliatives

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:anestetizzare
English translation:palliatives
Entered by: Fiona Grace Peterson

19:16 Feb 18, 2015
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - History / Italian fascism
Italian term or phrase: anestetizzare
From a book on Italian post-WWI history:

"Nella sua fase iniziale per gli industriali italiani il fascismo rappresentò una soluzione, a buon mercato, per sciogliere rapidamente i problemi che si erano affastellati dopo il 1918. I più acuti tuttavia compresero che tutto ciò non significava risolverli, ma solo ***anestetizzarli***."

The best I have come up with is that Fascism was not a real solution to the various problems, more a way of "sweeping them under the rug", so to speak.

Would you agree, or does anyone have a better solution?
TIA!!
Fiona Grace Peterson
Italy
Local time: 22:42
palliatives
Explanation:
My solution is,
"The more aware among them understood that these were not solutions but merely palliatives."
Because Fascism did not treat the root causes of the problems but wanted only to cover them up. That is what this sentence seems to imply to me.
Selected response from:

Cedric Randolph
Italy
Local time: 22:42
Grading comment
So many good answers; at the end it came down to register. Thank you everyone for your generous responses!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1palliatives
Cedric Randolph
4anaesthetise/anesthetize
philgoddard
4dull the pain
Kate Chaffer
4numb
Shera Lyn Parpia
4sweeping them under the rug
Giusi N.
4soothe/mellow
Ilaria Mutti
4deaden / stifle
Wendy Streitparth
4temporary fix
Rosanna Palermo


  

Answers


16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
anaesthetise/anesthetize


Explanation:
I think a literal translation works fine, so you should stay true to the original rather than finding other ways of expressing it. Maybe "anaethetise the pain" rather than "anaesthetise them".

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 19
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51 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
dull the pain


Explanation:
Not quite as scientific as anaesthetise but keeping the same meaning.

Kate Chaffer
Italy
Local time: 22:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
numb


Explanation:
numb the pain

Sounds more natural

Shera Lyn Parpia
Italy
Local time: 22:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
sweeping them under the rug


Explanation:
"Sciogliere rapidamente i problemi"> Fascism did not represent a real solution. Problems were not solved, only swept under the rug ...



Giusi N.
Switzerland
Local time: 22:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
soothe/mellow


Explanation:
Credo che "sweep under the rug" sia più da intendere nel senso di "nascondere" i problemi, ma leggendo la frase in italiano si ha più l'impressione che "anestetizzarli" sia da intendere nel senso di "indorare la pillola".

Ilaria Mutti
Italy
Local time: 22:42
Native speaker of: Italian
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
palliatives


Explanation:
My solution is,
"The more aware among them understood that these were not solutions but merely palliatives."
Because Fascism did not treat the root causes of the problems but wanted only to cover them up. That is what this sentence seems to imply to me.

Cedric Randolph
Italy
Local time: 22:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
So many good answers; at the end it came down to register. Thank you everyone for your generous responses!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  contesei
3 mins
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
deaden / stifle


Explanation:
Other possibilities

Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Local time: 22:42
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
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20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
temporary fix


Explanation:
I'd say "understood that all this was not a solution, but a temporary fix".


Rosanna Palermo
Local time: 16:42
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian, Native in EnglishEnglish
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