Interprete mi silencio

English translation: No comment

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Interprete mi silencio
English translation:No comment
Entered by: Myriam1943

14:38 Sep 28, 2022
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Spanish term or phrase: Interprete mi silencio
"Está de acuerdo con estas condiciones?" le preguntó el agente.

"Interprete mi silencio."
Myriam1943
United States
No comment
Explanation:
Depending on the context, this is probably what is meant, and would be said in a good many circumstances. It usually implies a negative response…
Selected response from:

Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:37
Grading comment
I think the "No comment" phrase suits perfectly in this case. Many thanks to all who responded.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +6No comment
Carol Gullidge
3 +1Interpret my silence
AllegroTrans
4interpret my silence the way that you will
Barbara Cochran, MFA
5 -1Interpret my silence
José Julián Díaz
4silence gives consent
neilmac
3 +1I'll let you work that out
Paul Ryan
3take that as a no/yes, silence is deafening, my face says it all
Francesca Hedges
3You'll have to guess my answer to that
ormiston
3my silence is my answer (or: there is a time for speaking)
Cristina Bufi Poecksteiner, M.A.
3Listen to my silence
O G V
2read my lips, sealed as they are !
Adrian MM.


Discussion entries: 15





  

Answers


20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Interpret my silence


Explanation:
A very pointed (bordering on rude) answer, clearly a very lightly-coded NO



AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 52

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Wilsonn Perez Reyes: Literal translation in this case.
1 hr
  -> thanks

disagree  Barbara Cochran, MFA: Highly unlikely that anyone would express themselves, esp. in such a truncated, literal way, during the negotiation of an agreement./Books. plays, etc.? Really doubt it, since the speaker is identified, generically, as an agent. Have a good day.
3 hrs
  -> Well we simply don't know if this is a negotiation, it could be a line from a play, a book or a film, or just a particularly scratchy peron's response. Anyways, your own answer is not really very different so your disagree is unwarranted

neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: Doesn't look like something we'd say//Really? "You can interpret my silence as you like" perhaps but rather long-winded
18 hrs
  -> I might say this kind of thing if I'm feeling particularly fractious...

agree  O G V: una frase desconcertante en origen y en su traducción
1 day 2 hrs
  -> thanks
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38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
interpret my silence the way that you will


Explanation:
Could actually mean something like "I've read and heard what you just said, but it may be a good idea for me to think about it some more/weigh the pros and cons before I can make a final decision". Or it could also mean, "go ahead and try to convince me even more", depending to what extent the speaker may be favorably disposed towards accepting the terms and conditions in question (and perhaps to see if they can be modified, in her or his favor). It could also mean "what you are offering me is so bad/ridiculous that there is no reason to dignify it with a response". Depends on the entire context (very little of it was given here), and the actual scenario in which this verbal interaction developed.

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 02:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 52

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: Nope, not something we'd say//You're saying American translators don't use idiomatic English?
17 hrs
  -> Doesn't make any difference to me whether you over in Ireland say it that way or not. I'm an American translator.
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48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Interpret my silence


Explanation:
Attention: Interprete mi silencio puede tener varias asepciones: afirmativa, negativa, neutra y de otras índoles dependiendo del contexto. It is not, "Silence is golden", nor "Take my silence as a yes". Even in cases when there is not a direct translation, sometimes it is advisable not to look for secondary meanings besides the explicit meaning that a word does have. In absence of further factors to know precisely what the subject is, simply use the direct translation which is "to interpret the silence", an expression that makes up for a perfect example of my initial exposition. Why do you have to entangle the things when it is very simple to portray the meaning of a phrase?

José Julián Díaz
Mexico
Local time: 00:37
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Barbara Cochran, MFA: Highly unlikely that anyone would express themselves, esp. in such a truncated, literal way, during the negotiation of an agreement.
3 hrs

neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: 100% ? And a repeat of previous answer?
17 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
No comment


Explanation:
Depending on the context, this is probably what is meant, and would be said in a good many circumstances. It usually implies a negative response…

Example sentence(s):
  • Q: What do you think of it so far? A: No comment!
Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 214
Grading comment
I think the "No comment" phrase suits perfectly in this case. Many thanks to all who responded.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard
9 mins
  -> Thanks, Phil!

neutral  Barbara Cochran, MFA: This interpretation doesn't seem (because of the "!') to give much of an opening for further or any real negotiations. And "no comment" is mostly an oft-used expression of individuals who have been advised to avoid responding to reporters' probes.
3 hrs
  -> (1) what exclamation mark? There’s none in the Answer box, (2) there are a good many valid circumstances in which this expression might be used, including the one you mention here. But we all know this isn’t the one in question!

agree  Muriel Vasconcellos
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Muriel!

agree  Yvonne Gallagher: idiomatic here and just as ambivalent.//absolutely perfect here now we have the context
17 hrs
  -> Thanks again, Yvonne!

agree  Susan Andrew: Seems the most likely option given the lack of context. Or "I'm saying nothing" as suggested by Phil in the discussion entries
20 hrs
  -> Thanks Susan! I also like Phil’s suggestion! (This is what I was trying to say when the system shut me out!)

agree  Taña Dalglish: Given the additional context provided by the Asker (last entry in discussion box), and given the conditions of 2 years, it would appear that it is a "WHATEVER!" response delivered in the same sarcastic tone as the person explaining the conditions of work.
1 day 1 hr
  -> Thanks, Taña! Definitely as negative or sarcastic as one might dare under such circumstances!

neutral  O G V: puede valer pero no dice "sin comentarios" y parece que el tono de desafío de la respuesta queda más suave. //puede percibirse así, pero la frase original queda muy "original" en español, no es idiomática como la expresión "sin comentarios"
1 day 1 hr
  -> “No comment” is probably as defiant as one might dare to be in such circumstances. Even that was probably extremely courageous of him

agree  neilmac: NOW that we have the context,this seems appropriate :-)
4 days
  -> Thanks neilmac:))
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
silence gives consent


Explanation:
An option, if the answer is understood to be affirmative.

From the Latin: "Qui tacet consentire videtur" ("He who is silent seems to consent")

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-spanish...


    https://www.englishclub.com/ref/esl/Sayings/Quizzes/Mixed_8/Silence_means_consent_925.php#:~:text=This%20page%20is%20about%20the,the%20same%
    https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/silence+gives+consent
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 08:37
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 207

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: I don't think a person would answer with such a philosophical and impersonal statement
27 mins
  -> Ah, but you never know, really.... without further context.

neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: Not something that fits this context (now we have it)
15 hrs
  -> Yep. Hindsight has 20-20 vision, or so they say....
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
take that as a no/yes, silence is deafening, my face says it all


Explanation:
I agree it depends on context. It could be "take that as a 'no'" or "take that as a 'yes'", depending on whether it's a positive or negative proposition.

Another way of putting it in a negative context would be something along the lines of "my silence is deafening" or "my face says it all" (though this would be more informal)


Francesca Hedges
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:37
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: All of this may be implied but it's not what asker's text says
45 mins

neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: none of these work in this explicit context
15 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
I'll let you work that out


Explanation:
You either go literal, and sound like a bad translation of the Bible, or try to find something idiomatic.

Paul Ryan
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: might actually be a bit too courageous to say this in the circumstances
12 hrs
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
You'll have to guess my answer to that


Explanation:
What about something like this as a cover all? Though you have plenty suggestions!

ormiston
Local time: 08:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 43

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: Similar to Paul's, which is better imo
11 hrs
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
interprete mi silencio
my silence is my answer (or: there is a time for speaking)


Explanation:
interprete mi silencio = my silence is my answer, there is a time for speaking

An Historical and Critical Survey of the Literature of Germany (1863)
There is a time for speaking. Ipocras, being once asked to give his opinion about some wicked things, did not reply, and when asked the reason, said, "My silence is my answer." Having thus spoken of the wisdom of silence, he points out ist vices, and speaks of 'Taciturnitas mortalis'...
https://books.google.at/books?id=cusPAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA93&lp...

Cristina Bufi Poecksteiner, M.A.
Austria
Local time: 08:37
Works in field
Native speaker of: Italian
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1 day 2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Listen to my silence


Explanation:
Después de leer la estremecedora historia del padre de Myriam, que deja claro porque no se dice ni sí ni no (parece más seguro no responder por las consecuencias), se me ocurre esta forma de adaptar la respuesta como si fuera: Escuche mi silencio.
Se deja algo de lado el matiz de interpretar en el sentido de descubrir, indagar (como un piense y reflexione sobre mis palabras).
Pero se mantiene el tono desafiante y desconcertante de la respuesta, como si dijera:
Fíjese en mi silencio, en la falta de palabras si quiere saber si estoy de acuerdo
(porque no me dejan decir lo que quiero o no me conviene).



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 2 hrs (2022-09-29 17:26:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

que deja claro por qué (gajes del oficio)

O G V
Spain
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Taña Dalglish: I disagree with yr interpretation "puede valer ... "sin comentarios" ... desafío ... más suave". In fact, I believe Carol's response of "No comment" suits the tone as it was as sarcastic as the delivery - similar to a child saying rudely "WHATEVER"!
1 hr
  -> puede valer como adaptación o explicación pero la frase original es muy "original", no es nada idiomática, no se dice habitualmente, y la expresión "sin comentarios" es frecuente, idiomática, reconocida y no es tan sorprendente ni desafiante
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1 day 3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
read my lips, sealed as they are !


Explanation:
Res ipsa loquitur . the matter speaks for itself !


    www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/read my lips
Adrian MM.
Austria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 15
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