Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Italian term or phrase:
campanello d'allarme
English translation:
alarm bell
Added to glossary by
Ernestine Shargool
Jun 30, 2010 20:20
14 yrs ago
5 viewers *
Italian term
campanello d'allarme
Non-PRO
Italian to English
Other
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
avrei bisogno di un sinonimo di "canary in a coalmine"
quale potrebbe essere un altro modo per esprimere la stessa metafora?
mi riferisco a qualcosa di molto generale, non dipendente dal contesto
grazie
quale potrebbe essere un altro modo per esprimere la stessa metafora?
mi riferisco a qualcosa di molto generale, non dipendente dal contesto
grazie
Proposed translations
(English)
3 +1 | alarm bell |
Ernestine Shargool
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4 | sacrificial lamb |
filippoc
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5 -1 | sword of Damocles |
Colin Ryan (X)
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2 +1 | whistleblower |
Daniela Zambrini
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3 | warning signal |
Giuseppe Bellone
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2 | praegustator |
Mr Murray (X)
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Change log
Jul 3, 2010 08:18: Ernestine Shargool Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+1
42 mins
Selected
alarm bell
Why not this?
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Note added at 43 mins (2010-06-30 21:04:20 GMT)
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"ringing the alarm bell" or "to ring the alarm bell" gets loads of Ghits.
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-06-30 21:21:51 GMT)
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P.S. Sorry, luskie, am I missing something here? I just realized that perhaps I have missed the point...
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Note added at 43 mins (2010-06-30 21:04:20 GMT)
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"ringing the alarm bell" or "to ring the alarm bell" gets loads of Ghits.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-06-30 21:21:51 GMT)
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P.S. Sorry, luskie, am I missing something here? I just realized that perhaps I have missed the point...
Note from asker:
no, per niente! alarm bell è proprio quello che ho messo per ora! mi era giusto venuto il dubbio che ci fosse qualcosa di più idiomatico e meno letterale |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
14 mins
sacrificial lamb
or "taking one for the team" or "jumping on the granade".
It's the thankless task of being the first one to take a hit.
It's the thankless task of being the first one to take a hit.
Reference:
+1
19 mins
whistleblower
Metto un 2
Vale solo se il contesto è di critica, ovvero di allertare le coscienze su qualcosa di marcio nella società/organizzazione
A whistleblower is a person who raises a concern about wrongdoing occurring in an organization or body of people
Vedi articolo che collega i due idioms:
"The canary down the mine: what whistleblowers' health tells us about their environment "
Paper given at Department of Criminology, Melbourne University, conference: "Whistleblowers: protecting the nation's conscience?" November 17, 1995
http://www.uow.edu.au/~bmartin/dissent/documents/Lennane_can...
Vale solo se il contesto è di critica, ovvero di allertare le coscienze su qualcosa di marcio nella società/organizzazione
A whistleblower is a person who raises a concern about wrongdoing occurring in an organization or body of people
Vedi articolo che collega i due idioms:
"The canary down the mine: what whistleblowers' health tells us about their environment "
Paper given at Department of Criminology, Melbourne University, conference: "Whistleblowers: protecting the nation's conscience?" November 17, 1995
http://www.uow.edu.au/~bmartin/dissent/documents/Lennane_can...
4 hrs
praegustator
I agree the idiom 'canary in a coal mine' is becoming or has become hackneyed.
When I thought about praegustator, I think this ancient archaic word needs resuscitation. I suppose they could taste more than just food as well in a literal or figuative fashion.
Food tasters for nobility to check for poisons were called 'praegustator' in ancient Rome. They were also known as 'credentiarius' in Medieval Latin - but that hardly rolls off the tongue as well as 'praegustator.'
When I thought about praegustator, I think this ancient archaic word needs resuscitation. I suppose they could taste more than just food as well in a literal or figuative fashion.
Food tasters for nobility to check for poisons were called 'praegustator' in ancient Rome. They were also known as 'credentiarius' in Medieval Latin - but that hardly rolls off the tongue as well as 'praegustator.'
12 hrs
warning signal
Anche questo credo possa servire.
-1
13 hrs
sword of Damocles
This is as direct an equivalent as I can find.
A sword of Damocles is a highly visible danger that could be triggered at any moment.
Only difference is that the canary in the goldmine isn't the actual danger itself - it is a gas detector - but the sword of Damocles IS the actual, actual danger itself.
A sword of Damocles is a highly visible danger that could be triggered at any moment.
Only difference is that the canary in the goldmine isn't the actual danger itself - it is a gas detector - but the sword of Damocles IS the actual, actual danger itself.
Peer comment(s):
disagree |
BdiL
: I find it hard to accept mixing up the gas and the gas detector. Not gassy at all, leaden I'd say. If I were Damocles I'd shoot the bird outright! (Should he be working in a mine, and believe you, he could happily stifle to death or blow up). Confidence5
3 hrs
|
OK. I'll buy that.
|
Discussion
per quanto riguarda il contesto, sono più che d'accordo sul fatto che non si può tradurre senza, ma questo vale per il 99% dei casi. in questo caso specifico non l'ho inserito perché - con l'occasione - volevo capire se ci fosse un modo di dire il più possibile generico e utilizzabile in molti contesti, molto diversi tra loro, com'è "campanello d'allarme" in italiano, per indicare metaforicamente "qualsiasi cosa segnali la presenza di qualche altra cosa che non va" (mia definizione estemporanea e probabilmente approssimativa). alarm bell e warning signal sono i più generici, mi sembra di capire. insomma, alcuni modi di dire, come questo, rientrano - credo - nell'altro 1%. probabilmente però potevo essere più chiara nel formulare la domanda, e di questo mi scuso.
dimenticavo: canary in a coalmine non è sempre utilizzabile perché in alcuni (rari) casi risulta fin troppo ricco, idiomatico, colorito per il contesto. per questo cercavo una via di mezzo tra canary in a coalmine e signal.
Also it is far from clear whether you want a synonym for CIACM or a translation of campanello d'alarme, which is an "alarm bell".
Other animal sentinels
rats leaving a ship before it sinks
toads predicting earthquakes
[ see http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2010/03/toads_pr... ]
mice used at the Beijing Olympics to protect athletes from food poisoning
[see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6153382.stm ]
Human equivalents literally
food tasters for nobility to check for poisons; called praegustator in ancient Rome
Human equivalents literal/figurative
human guinea-pigs
Literary
Macbeth's three witches
Paranormal prediction
reading tea leaves
Ouiji boards
Natural signs idioms
the calm before the storm
red sky at night, sailor's delight
Foresight idioms
read the handwriting on the wall
waking up to smell the coffee