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Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

"mal de muchos"

English translation:

many people's distress

Added to glossary by Golden Hawk
May 26, 2004 18:17
19 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Spanish term

"mal de muchos"

Spanish to English Other Other Other
Se trata de una expresión idiomática que significa "que le ocurre a mucha gente", muy usada en Español...Se les ocurre alguna buena traducción?
Desde ya, muchas gracias por la colaboración.

ORACIÓN COMPLETA: "El Parkinson es un mal de muchos"
Proposed translations (English)
4 Parkinson: many people's distress
5 +5 Parkinsons is a disease that affects many people
4 +4 afflicts lots of people / afflicts a lot of people
5 Many people suffer from the Parkinson desease
5 it plagues many -- it is a plague to many -- also, scourge, curse
2 The public distress of famous sufferers lessens the sorrow for others afflicted by the disease.
1 "Consuelo de tontos"

Proposed translations

1 hr
Spanish term (edited): mal de muchos
Selected

Parkinson: many people's distress

Sólo una propuesta por si quieres hacer referencia al dicho en inglés:

Two in distress makes sorrow less.

O "not only two people's distress".
Peer comment(s):
neutral pawlik : Forgot the comment.. It's a good try, but in Spanish the reference to the proverb is instantly recognisable, and this isn't. I'm still puzzled what the point of the "mal de muchos" is. I never thought of Parkinson's as common.
1 hr
You're right. Thank you.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Gracias a todos!!!! Besos, Débora de Argentina"
8 mins

"Consuelo de tontos"

Como anécdota,

"Mal de muchos" se escucha mucho en España, pero como forma abreviada del dicho: "mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos"

Es decir, los que alivian sus penas pensando que por lo menos hay otros que están en su misma situación.

por... (mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos, pero... ...
MENTIRAS DICHAS POR.... (MAL DE MUCHOS, CONSUELO DE TONTOS, PERO...) Envia
tu mentira, Preservativos Prime. "Te digo ..... no se que me pasa .... ...
www.mi-novia.com.ar/mentiras.htm - 34k - En caché - Páginas similares

CubaNet - News/Noticias: MAL DE MUCHOS, CONSUELO DE TONTOS/Foro
Distribuido por CubaNet. DESDE CUBA: MAL DE MUCHOS, CONSUELO DE TONTOS.
por Tomas Perez Morejon, Asociacion Foro por la Reforma. PINAR ...
64.21.33.164/CNews/y96/aug96/14malde.html - 4k - En caché - Páginas similares

A contar..... - Daniela Romo - Univision
... joaquin406 Miembro Líder Mensajes: 20807 Registrado: 08-26-2003, 12-09-2003 02:05
PM (36 visitas) 60. Mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos El que la hace, la paga. ...
foro.univision.com/ univision/board/message?board.id=48359770541&message.id=8921&page=4 - 101k - En caché - Páginas similares

A contar..... - Daniela Romo - Univision
... 40. Mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos El que la hace, la paga. Quien mal anda,
mal acaba A palabras necias, oídos sordos. Marca el mensaje como nuevo, ...
foro.univision.com/ univision/board/message?board.id=48359770541&message.id=8921&page=3 - 101k - En caché - Páginas similares
[ Más resultados de foro.univision.com ]

www.pcdemano.com - Tu dosis diaria de Tecnologia - Mal de muchos.. ...
... Rumores: Mal de muchos... ¿consuelo de tontos? Enviado el Lunes, 16
junio a las 20:12:04 por pharizna. Noticia sobre Palm La verdad ...
www.pcdemano.com/ modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=5326 - 26k - En caché - Páginas similares

Denunciemos.cl - Ciudadanos en Acción
Mal de Muchos, Consuelo de Piojos. En Chile actualmente afecta más
del 15% de la población general y más del 30% de la población ...
www.denunciemos.cl/denuncia018.htm - 35k - En caché - Páginas similares

Refranes en español
... Mal camino, no va a buen lugar. Mal de locura, sólo la muerte cura. Mal de muchos,
consuelo de tontos. Mal es sufrir, pero sufrirlo mal es mayor mal. ...
humano.ya.com/elocuax/refran/refran128.htm - 10k - En caché - Páginas similares

mujeractual : RUTINA
... JUANJO BLANCO / UNO CONTENIDOS Aunque diga el refrán que "mal de muchos consuelo
de tontos", el ver cuál es la situación general de todas las parejas ayuda. ...

Peer comment(s):
neutral Sandra Cifuentes Dowling : No me parece adecuada para el contexto.
3 mins
Por favor, Sandra, ¿crees que es una sugerencia? Comienzo la respuesta diciendo "como anécdota" y posible explicación de porque es una frase muy escuchada - pero sin relación alguna con una enfermedad. Please.
disagree Sandy T : This is the ending of the expression...not the translation...sorry!
7 mins
I am quite aware that this is end ending of the expression, thank you. Now, please look at the confidence level, read my answer and see my reply to Sandra. I find it disturbing that somebody is capable of thinking this was an actual answer.
agree Refugio : I am sure that the expression mal de muchos is an allusion to the proverb, while inverting the sense to mean that just because many people are afflicted by it is no real consolation to those who are.
20 mins
I couldn't put it any better myself. Thanks Ruth, not for the "agree" in itself but for taking the trouble to read and think. (lo cual, me consta, haces siempre :-)
neutral kellyn (X) : I greatly appreciate your anecdote. I'm glad you took this chance to teach us something. Or at least to teach me!
8 hrs
Hi Kelly. As they say, "no te acostarás sin saber una cosa más". :-)
Something went wrong...
+5
10 mins

Parkinsons is a disease that affects many people

opcion
Peer comment(s):
agree Golden Hawk : i would rather say affect than afflict
15 mins
thank you
neutral swisstell : if you say "affect" it of course includes people without Parkinson too but who are affected by the afflicted person in their surrounding
20 mins
I don't quite understand what you mean
agree Catherine Navarro
52 mins
thank you
agree Refugio : Very good, SwissTell, all the more reason that 'affects' is a better translation than 'afflicts.'
2 hrs
thank you,
agree Kim Metzger
3 hrs
thank you
agree Yvette Arcelay (X)
3 hrs
thank you
Something went wrong...
15 mins

Many people suffer from the Parkinson desease

eso es
Peer comment(s):
neutral Sol : without the "the"
39 mins
yes you are right without "the", thanks sol
Something went wrong...
+4
4 mins

afflicts lots of people / afflicts a lot of people

the Parkinson decease afflicts lots of people

and I do not see much "colloquial saying" in this. Rather it is a sad statement of facts.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 mins (2004-05-26 18:49:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

correction: disease, of course, not decease. Ouch!
Peer comment(s):
agree Andrea Sacchi : la expresión idiomática es "mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos".
3 mins
gracias, Andrea (pero la expresión idiomática me suena mal en este contexto)
agree Ltemes : como dice Andrea, esa es la expresión típica. Pero pienso que tu traducción sería más apropiada en este contexto.
4 mins
gracias, Ltemes (ver mis comentarios a Andrea)
agree Sandra Cifuentes Dowling : Me parece adecuado para el contexto. La típica expresión que menciona Andrea puede sonar un poco cruel para el contexto.
7 mins
gracias Sandra (en realidad, me parece casí cínico en el contexto)
neutral Refugio : Please. Not every disease leads to "decease"!
20 mins
thanks, Ruth. Point well made and well taken. See my correction above. Ouch again.
agree Alicia Jordá
21 mins
gracias, Alicewond
neutral Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X) : not the Parkison's desease...no THE...no one caught that!
40 mins
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

it plagues many -- it is a plague to many -- also, scourge, curse

PLAGUE is best. It keeps it to one word.

SCOURGE IS MUCH LESS COMMON, but would sound good in writing.

CURSE SOUNDS TOO JUDGMENTAL, but if you are having a personal conversation and you know the other person will understand your meaning, then it would be fine.
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

The public distress of famous sufferers lessens the sorrow for others afflicted by the disease.

This is the only way I can make sense of the Spanish.
Something went wrong...
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