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vale un potosi

English translation: worth its weight in silver

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:vale un potosi
English translation:worth its weight in silver
Entered by: stephanie Foulkes

11:36 May 14, 2010
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama / film
Italian term or phrase: vale un potosi
Can anyone think of a better way of translating this playing with words? It's a commentary about a film set in Potosi and in Italian it sounds ok, and a Potosi in Spanish means something very valuable but in English to say a Potosi from Gianfranco to mean a commentary doesn't sound so good. thanks in advance

english:
Subject:

A “Potosi” from Gianfranco Borgatti

It's the story of a brilliant mining child Juan Diego, born and brought up humbly in Potosi, curious, intelligent and longing to study, which Juan has never had the possibility of doing until the day in which the social worker comes to tell him not just that from that day on he does not need to go in the mines anymore, but that he will finally be able to study.
Exceptionally bright Juan Diego, is so astonished about what has happened that he wants to know why and who has given him the possibility to change and have a chance in life , the child in the following days will start to ask the social worker to know.

Until the social worker tells him that it was thanks to the cinematic project “Rosso malpelo” of an Italian Film producer created with the stated aim of taking mining children out of mines with the funds that were raised. “But, listen,”...the social worker tells Juan Diego “even in Italy until a century ago children were forced to work in mines....”



Soggetto:

Vale un Potosi di Gianfranco Borgatti

E' la storia di un brillante bambino minatore Juan Diego nato e vissuto umilmente nel Potosi. Curioso, molto intelligente e desideroso di studiare, Juan non ne ha mai avuto la possibilità fino al giorno in cui l'assistente sociale si presenta per dire lui che dal giorno dopo non dovrà più andare in miniera, non solo, che potrà finalmente studiare;
Juan Diego, proprio per la sua intelligenza è talmente stupito da ciò che gli è accaduto che vuole sapere in quale modo, perchè e chi gli ha permesso di potere cambiare vita, di avere una possibilità;
Il bambino nei giorni seguenti inizierà così a fare domande all'assistente sociale per sapere...
Tutto ciò fino a quando l'assistente sociale non gli dirà che è stato grazie al progetto cinematografico “Rosso malpelo” di un regista italiano realizzato con lo scopo dichiarato per togliere i bambini minatori dalle miniere che sono stati raccolti i fondi; e bada bene... dirà a Juan Diego l'assistente sociale, anche in Italia fino al secolo scorso i bambini venivano impiegati nelle miniere...
stephanie Foulkes
Local time: 16:55
worth its weight in silver
Explanation:
Potosi on the Bolivian altopiano is a mountain of silver that continues to yield ore even after half a millennium of enthusiastic colonial and post-colonial exploitation. You could adapt the phrase "worth its weight in gold" to convey the value of education to the miners.

If you like, you could say "worth its weight in Potosi silver"

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Note added at 5 hrs (2010-05-14 17:21:06 GMT)
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Hi Stephanie,

"vale un Potosi" is actually a play on the old Italian idiom "vale un Perù", meaning "worth a fortune". In colonial times, Potosi was the source of much of the geographically wider area then known as Peru's wealth.
Selected response from:

Giles Watson
Italy
Local time: 16:55
Grading comment
thank u very much for the explanation.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1a gem from
David Russi
4worth its weight in silver
Giles Watson


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
a gem from


Explanation:
Webster's

2 a : something (as a work of art or poem) prized especially for great beauty or perfection

David Russi
United States
Local time: 08:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 29

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  khaire: 'a real gem' I would say.
18 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
worth its weight in silver


Explanation:
Potosi on the Bolivian altopiano is a mountain of silver that continues to yield ore even after half a millennium of enthusiastic colonial and post-colonial exploitation. You could adapt the phrase "worth its weight in gold" to convey the value of education to the miners.

If you like, you could say "worth its weight in Potosi silver"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2010-05-14 17:21:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hi Stephanie,

"vale un Potosi" is actually a play on the old Italian idiom "vale un Perù", meaning "worth a fortune". In colonial times, Potosi was the source of much of the geographically wider area then known as Peru's wealth.

Giles Watson
Italy
Local time: 16:55
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 28
Grading comment
thank u very much for the explanation.
Notes to answerer
Asker: ooohhh, I see. I thought it meant it's time for a commentary and he was using potosi to sound like ipotesi or something. It's all so badly punctuated. thanks,

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