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Madera en chapas
peronismo opo-oficialista

Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

venir rifando (algo)

English translation:

to (merrily) squander, to (pointlessly) squander, to fool around and watch (something) erode

Added to glossary by María Teresa Taylor Oliver
May 4, 2018 15:29
6 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Spanish term

venir rifando

Spanish to English Social Sciences Government / Politics Argentinian newspaper article on the country\'s economic situation
I'm translating a newspaper article (https://www.pagina12.com.ar/111636-el-tembladeral-macrista) and I'm having a hard time understanding this paragraph:

"Por muy paradójico que sea o semeje, en medio del cúmulo de malas noticias, para el Gobierno lo único que asoma relativa y momentáneamente despejado es el escenario electoral. *****Pero también es cierto que VIENE RIFANDO,***** nada menos que entre los sectores de clase media conformantes de su núcleo más duro, el caudal reacumulado en octubre último. Anteayer, Clarín publicó el resultado de diez encuestas, de consultoras cercanas al oficialismo y la oposición, que coinciden en marcar el deterioro gubernamental."

I don't know if it is that I'm still half asleep or need more coffee or what, but my brain is foggy and I cannot come up with a translation for this. :(

Thanks in advance!
Proposed translations (English)
4 +4 is squanderring
4 +1 fooling around and watching its support erode
4 to have been playing
4 is gambling/conducting a raffle

Discussion

María Teresa Taylor Oliver (asker) May 6, 2018:
Gracias, Robert. That's exactly how I interpreted "caudal" in this context, as political capital or support.
Muriel Vasconcellos May 5, 2018:
Squandering My objection was grammatical and semantic (not the result of ignorance or lack of awareness). Robert solves the problem nicely.
Robert Carter May 5, 2018:
Squandering I agree with Muriel that "squandering its support" sounds laboured, but if you translate "caudal" as "political capital", which I think is what is meant, it works fine ("squandering the political capital it won back last October").
Alicia Orfalian May 4, 2018:
Muriel It means that the government is taking measures opposite to the interests of the middle class, most of which voted them. I understand it may be rather complicated for somebody who doesn't live in Argentina!
Muriel Vasconcellos May 4, 2018:
Squandering The verb still needs an object; an indirect referent won't do. And I still don't see how you can squander support.
Monica Colangelo May 4, 2018:
María Teresa That is exactly what it means. I'd even go so far as to go with "merrily squandering" or "pointlessly squandering" (the number of supporters) to better reflect the meaning of "rifar" as we use it in Argentina.
María Teresa Taylor Oliver (asker) May 4, 2018:
Note to Muriel: With Alicia's suggestion, I was able to understand it as "the government" (which is the subject of the previous sentence -- "Para el gobierno...") being the one squandering the support ("el caudal") it had accumulated. In this case, "el caudal" would be the direct object, as I see it.

Proposed translations

+4
37 mins
Selected

is squanderring

that's what it means, wasting the support of the middle class ...
Note from asker:
Thanks, Alicia! Now it suddenly clicked in my mind. :)
Peer comment(s):
agree patinba
1 hr
Gracias Pat!
neutral Muriel Vasconcellos : It would need a direct object. X is squandering Y. The answer needs to fit the Asker's context.
2 hrs
Thank you, I was suggesting the term, not the grammatical construction!
agree Monica Colangelo : totalmente de acuerdo (sacale una r)
3 hrs
Oops, thank you Monica for the correction!
agree Robert Carter : Ditto Monica.
1 day 1 hr
agree Marcelo González : The key is understanding the idiom. And for that, who's better than a native speaker from the source text country of origin? --one of several arguments in defense of L2 translation. :) I also like Robert´s interpretation of political capital. Cheers
2 days 49 mins
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "In the end, I went with Alicia's suggestion but I do appreciate everyone's contributions. I wish I could distribute the points. Have a nice Sunday!"
1 hr

to have been playing

venir rifando = rifar durante un periodo de tiempo

playing in the sense of gambling

playing one group against another group
Something went wrong...
+1
4 hrs

fooling around and watching its support erode

You can't "squander" support. It just doesn't work grammatically or semantically. And it doesn't capture either the idea of not doing its job or allowing its support to slip away.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2018-05-04 20:00:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or: 'fooling around and watching its support *slip away*'.
Peer comment(s):
agree Liliana Galiano : i like it better now, yes, I'd choose this answer.
1 hr
Thank you, Liliana!
Something went wrong...
19 hrs

is gambling/conducting a raffle

rifar = to raffle
Something went wrong...
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