Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
subvenciones nominativas o digitadas
English translation:
the awarding of subsidies by a closed or arbitrary procedure
Added to glossary by
Charles Davis
Mar 30, 2012 16:09
12 yrs ago
2 viewers *
Spanish term
Spain
Analytical and creative (DipTrans, MA)
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, Galician to English, English
subvenciones nominativas o digitadas
Spanish to English
Social Sciences
Government / Politics
Local gov. grants
This has been giving me problems today, and it's an interesting one.
This comes from a news article on local politics in Palma de Mallorca.
Context:
El teniente de alcalde de Cultura y Deportes del Ajuntament de Palma anunció ayer la aprobación por parte de la Junta de Govern de las convocatorias de subvenciones, una medida "con la que se pone fin a las subvenciones nominativas o digitadas, dando cumplimiento a un compromiso del Partido Popular y del equipo de gobierno del alcalde..."
..."todas las iniciativas que opten a esta concurrencia deberán presentar un proyecto de manera que será la mesa de contratación la que finalmente determinará la subvención correspondiente".
They make some references to wishing to avoid any more "irregular" situations in Palma.
I discussed this term with another contact on this project, and they told me that their understanding of the term is that the idea is to avoid grants going to named beneficiaries ("nominativas"), "digitadas" meaning "señaladas con el dedo", hand-picked or something similar, or at least that it is already known who will receive the grants.
I am scratching my head as to how to put this - delicately if possible - in English.
Any ideas?
UK Eng.
Thanks very much in advance. :)
This comes from a news article on local politics in Palma de Mallorca.
Context:
El teniente de alcalde de Cultura y Deportes del Ajuntament de Palma anunció ayer la aprobación por parte de la Junta de Govern de las convocatorias de subvenciones, una medida "con la que se pone fin a las subvenciones nominativas o digitadas, dando cumplimiento a un compromiso del Partido Popular y del equipo de gobierno del alcalde..."
..."todas las iniciativas que opten a esta concurrencia deberán presentar un proyecto de manera que será la mesa de contratación la que finalmente determinará la subvención correspondiente".
They make some references to wishing to avoid any more "irregular" situations in Palma.
I discussed this term with another contact on this project, and they told me that their understanding of the term is that the idea is to avoid grants going to named beneficiaries ("nominativas"), "digitadas" meaning "señaladas con el dedo", hand-picked or something similar, or at least that it is already known who will receive the grants.
I am scratching my head as to how to put this - delicately if possible - in English.
Any ideas?
UK Eng.
Thanks very much in advance. :)
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +4 | the awarding of subsidies by a closed or arbitrary procedure |
Charles Davis
|
| 4 | nominated or designated concessions |
James A. Walsh
|
References
| digitar can also = orchestrated just... |
liz askew
|
Change log
Apr 13, 2012 08:17: Charles Davis Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+4
1 hr
Selected
the awarding of subsidies by a closed or arbitrary procedure
Very difficult to find a form of words for this. As to the meaning, I'm pretty sure your contact is right. "Nominativa" strictly means that the name of the recipient appears in the budget; they are grants earmarked for particular individuals or entities. "Digitadas", in this context, must be a fancy way or saying "asignadas a dedo". That is precisely what gives cause for concern in this area.
For "a dedo", I think arbitrary is the best word to choose. I like "cronyism" or "string-pulling", which were suggested in an earlier question on "a dedo": http://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish_to_english/other/520724-a_... , but I think they're too colloquial and too explicit here; "arbitrary" was favoured in another question, I think rightly: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish_to_english/government_poli...
"Nominativa" is tricky, because it doesn't really say what it means. At first sight, why should it matter that the recipient is named? Simply because it means there's no open application process; public money is awarded without inviting applications and considering their merits; it's decided in advance who gets it. That lack of openness is what's causing concern and what has led to PP to call for banning them:
"El PP pide eliminar las subvenciones nominativas y garantizar un "uso responsable" del dinero público"
http://www.europapress.es/economia/macroeconomia-00338/notic...
This doc. explains a bit more about them:
"Artículo 65 del Reglamento General de la Ley General.
1.- Son Subvenciones Nominativas aquellas en las que el Objeto, dotación presupuestaria y beneficiario aparecen designados expresamente en el ESTADO DE GASTOS DEL PRESUPUESTO”.
2.- Aquellas Subvenciones cuyo otorgamiento o cuantía venga impuesto a la Administración por una norma de rango legal.
3.- De forma excepcional, aquellas otras Subvenciones en que se acrediten razones de interés público, social, económico o humanitario, u otras debidamente justificadas que dificulten su convocatoria pública."
There you are: no convocatoria pública. It's a closed process; no-one else need apply, or indeed can apply.
So I'd suggest "closed or arbitrary procedure", which I hope is clear enough to be understood but still sufficiently "delicate".
For "a dedo", I think arbitrary is the best word to choose. I like "cronyism" or "string-pulling", which were suggested in an earlier question on "a dedo": http://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish_to_english/other/520724-a_... , but I think they're too colloquial and too explicit here; "arbitrary" was favoured in another question, I think rightly: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish_to_english/government_poli...
"Nominativa" is tricky, because it doesn't really say what it means. At first sight, why should it matter that the recipient is named? Simply because it means there's no open application process; public money is awarded without inviting applications and considering their merits; it's decided in advance who gets it. That lack of openness is what's causing concern and what has led to PP to call for banning them:
"El PP pide eliminar las subvenciones nominativas y garantizar un "uso responsable" del dinero público"
http://www.europapress.es/economia/macroeconomia-00338/notic...
This doc. explains a bit more about them:
"Artículo 65 del Reglamento General de la Ley General.
1.- Son Subvenciones Nominativas aquellas en las que el Objeto, dotación presupuestaria y beneficiario aparecen designados expresamente en el ESTADO DE GASTOS DEL PRESUPUESTO”.
2.- Aquellas Subvenciones cuyo otorgamiento o cuantía venga impuesto a la Administración por una norma de rango legal.
3.- De forma excepcional, aquellas otras Subvenciones en que se acrediten razones de interés público, social, económico o humanitario, u otras debidamente justificadas que dificulten su convocatoria pública."
There you are: no convocatoria pública. It's a closed process; no-one else need apply, or indeed can apply.
So I'd suggest "closed or arbitrary procedure", which I hope is clear enough to be understood but still sufficiently "delicate".
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
philgoddard
: Or you could say "non-competitive tendering for subsidies".
1 hr
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I was wondering whether "competitive tendering" could be worked in somehow. Thanks, Phil.
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| agree |
Jenni Lukac (X)
: Good work!
5 hrs
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Thanks, Jenni! Have a good weekend :)
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| agree |
EirTranslations
14 hrs
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Thanks, Beatriz!
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| agree |
neilmac
: The essence of euphemism is discretion... no?
17 hrs
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Cheers, Neil ;) "Hand-picked" is an option, but to me it sounds too much like chosen on merit. // Definitely! Maybe "hand-picked" is the way to go in this case and "arbitrary" is too explicit. You could argue that. But "digitadas" seems quite negative.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
20 hrs
James A. Walsh
Spain
Spain
Native in Spanish
&
English
Specializes in field
Spain
A cut above the rest in translation...
Native in: English (Variants: UK, Irish, US) 
, Spanish (Variants: Standard-Spain, Latin American)
Works in: Spanish to English, French to English, English to Spanish, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
100
Spanish term (edited):
subvenciones nominativas o digitadas
nominated or designated concessions
I think this works quite neatly and delicatly here. In other words, the measure puts paid to politicians "nominating" or indeed "designating" their friends and associates for lucrative public concessions.
Anyone that knows anything about Spanish politics knows that cronyism, back-handers, cherry-picking, etc., etc., are all rife here; however, I think "nominativas o digitadas" has been very carefully chosen here to whitewash any mention of such ghastly notions, and I reckon "nominated or designated" has the same effect in English.
Cheers :)
Anyone that knows anything about Spanish politics knows that cronyism, back-handers, cherry-picking, etc., etc., are all rife here; however, I think "nominativas o digitadas" has been very carefully chosen here to whitewash any mention of such ghastly notions, and I reckon "nominated or designated" has the same effect in English.
Cheers :)
Example sentence:
…una medida “con la que se pone fin a las <b>subvenciones nominativas o digitadas</b>,…
…a measure “that puts an end to <b>nominated or designated concessions</b>,…
Reference comments
58 mins
Reference:
digitar can also = orchestrated
just ideas.
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-03-30 17:09:53 GMT)
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http://dictionary.reverso.net/spanish-english/digitar
just ideas.
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-03-30 17:09:53 GMT)
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http://dictionary.reverso.net/spanish-english/digitar
Discussion
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