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defeated journeys

Spanish translation: y sus regresos a Illinois a raíz de algún revés

16:29 Jan 19, 2016
English to Spanish translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / Music
English term or phrase: defeated journeys
I don't really know how to translate this term in this context. Any help?

When I agreed to live with Dave, he did not warn me that a few
months earlier, in October 1988, he had attempted suicide with
pills. He kept this fact from me for reasons of his own. Twice in
college, we had been through Dave’s breakdowns and defeated
journeys back to Illinois
OlafBlank
Spain
Local time: 16:10
Spanish translation:y sus regresos a Illinois a raíz de algún revés
Explanation:
The sense seems to be that he returned to Illinois *after suffering some failure or setback* (i.e., emotional, financial, romantic, etc.).
Selected response from:

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 10:10
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
2 +2y sus regresos a Illinois a raíz de algún revés
Robert Forstag
3 +1viajes de frustración
María Florencia Zapata
4viajes frustrados
Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
3 +1retornos/regresos de fracaso a Illinois // retornos/regresos a Illinois como fracasado
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
3viajes de derrota
Noni Gilbert Riley
3viajes invadidos de un abatimiento insondable
JohnMcDove


  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
viajes de derrota


Explanation:
The implication is that he is returning to Illinois, having not been able to make a success of his life elsewhere. Is there anything in your text which would support this interpretation? I wouldn't be surprised.

Noni Gilbert Riley
Spain
Local time: 16:10
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 179
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +2
and defeated journeys back to Illinois
y sus regresos a Illinois a raíz de algún revés


Explanation:
The sense seems to be that he returned to Illinois *after suffering some failure or setback* (i.e., emotional, financial, romantic, etc.).

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 10:10
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 124
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Pablo Cruz
1 hr
  -> Gracias, Pablo.
agree  andyfergu
17 hrs
  -> Thank you, Andy.
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26 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
viajes de frustración


Explanation:
I think it means that travels to your hometown that you make when you feel alone or frustrated and need to be with family or home. So, you are in a bad moment and just need to go back. I do that all the time, though I cannot find an exact term.
I prefer "viajes de frutración/ fracaso".

María Florencia Zapata
Argentina
Local time: 11:10
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Diego Carpio: De acuerdo María. Saludos por Rosario!
3 hrs
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
viajes frustrados


Explanation:
. . .de regreso a Illinois. Sus viajes de regreso a Illinois que nunca pudo hacer, se le frustraron.

Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
Mexico
Local time: 09:10
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 96

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  InesV: Así lo entiendo yo también. Saludos.
1 hr
neutral  JohnMcDove: No me lo parece, pues David Foster Wallace "obtained a position in the English department at Illinois State University." según Wikipedia... Diría que sí que iba a Illinois de forma regular...
2 hrs
disagree  Beatriz Ramírez de Haro: Lamento discrepar, pero eso no es lo que dice el original. Los viajes se hicieron, el que estaba "defeated" era Dave.
11 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
viajes invadidos de un abatimiento insondable


Explanation:
Insondable en el sentido de "profundo"…

viajes invadidos por su frustración / de la tristeza del que se sabe derrotado

… habíamos pasado por las crisis de Dave y sus trayectos de vuelta a Illinois en los que se mostraba muy abatido.

… los viajes en los que hacía gala de un derrotismo oscuro y abatido…

Creo que se pueden dar pinceladas más oscuras o más "luminosas" dependiendo del contexto…

… los trayectos de vuelta a Illinois en los que dominaba el pesimismo
… los viajes de vuelta a Illinois donde su abatimiento inundaba todo el paisaje

… los viajes de vuelta a Illinois donde su espíritu derrotista, abatido y deprimido, invadía el ambiente de su entorno (invadía el vagón, el autobús, el Cadillac… donde quiera que viajara…)

/ sus viajes llenos de abulia - abatimiento - derrotismo - frustración… llenos de un derrotismo existencial

Las opciones, como vemos, pueden ser múltiples y variadas sin caer en la traducción "unduly free", "excesivamente libre"…, pero el resto del contexto te puede ayudar a ver qué pinceladas resaltar y qué pinceladas "ocultar"…

En cualquier caso, espero que mis lóbregas y sombrías opciones puedan servirte de inspiración para que puedas verter la idea original con la mayor precisión y el mejor sabor y color… ¡que sea un goce para los sentidos!

¡Saludos cordiales y sursum corda! (¡arriba los corazones! ;-)


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Note added at 8 hrs (2016-01-20 01:11:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Nota Bene: El "Dave" mencionado se refiere a este señor:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Foster_Wallace

JohnMcDove
United States
Local time: 07:10
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 400
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
retornos/regresos de fracaso a Illinois // retornos/regresos a Illinois como fracasado


Explanation:
Me gusta "fracaso" en este contexto.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2016-01-20 09:51:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Otra opción sería "sus viajes de fracaso de vuelta a Illinois".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2016-01-20 10:07:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

O "sus viajes de vuelta a Illinois hundido por el fracaso / bajo el peso del fracaso / arrastrando su fracaso"

Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Spain
Local time: 16:10
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 1762

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Robert Carter: Me gusta fracaso/fracasado también. Saludos.
7 hrs
  -> Gracias Robert - Bea
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