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the FBI are or is?
Dec 20, 2009 17:57
14 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term

mediocre

Non-PRO English Social Sciences Government / Politics
I'm proofing a translation and mediocres (Spanish for mediocrity or mediocre people) has been translated as "the mediocre". In English, mediocre is an adjective. I'd like to know if people think that I can let it stand (the text is a speech from the 1950s). Here are some examples:

They also know that the oligarchy, the mediocre, and the traitors of the Nation are not yet defeated, and that from their lairs, they undermine the people and the nationhood.

While by night the sellouts, the mediocre, and the cowardly plotted the next day’s intrigues and infamy,

I take this opportunity to ask God to enlighten the mediocre,

TIA!
Responses
4 +14 mediocre as a noun
Change log

Dec 20, 2009 18:11: Tony M changed "Term asked" from "mediocre as a noun" to "mediocre"

Dec 20, 2009 20:26: Filippe Vasconcellos de Freitas Guimarães changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (3): Edith Kelly, Teresa Reinhardt, Filippe Vasconcellos de Freitas Guimarães

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Responses

+14
3 mins
English term (edited): mediocre as a noun
Selected

mediocre as a noun

Adjectives are sometimes used as nouns for effect: the poor, the crippled, etc.
Peer comment(s):
agree Jack Doughty
3 mins
agree Veronika McLaren
11 mins
agree Tony M : I don't see any problem with it — other than the lexical one as to whether 'mediocre' is really the right sense anyway, or whether it's a bit of a false friend here? / I'm just not sure why one would be talking about 'mediocre people' here???
11 mins
It is a true friend, though it is rarely used in spoken Spanish.
agree Andrew Mason : Looks OK here
31 mins
agree Sheila Wilson : Reads OK to me, although I would prefer mediocrity, especially in the first example
32 mins
agree Paula Vaz-Carreiro
51 mins
agree Teresa Reinhardt
1 hr
agree Filippe Vasconcellos de Freitas Guimarães : sure, "the mediocre" = "those who are somehow mediocre"
2 hrs
agree Stephanie Ezrol : Shelia is right also. the mediocrities and the traitors flows better.
2 hrs
agree Phong Le
8 hrs
agree Yasutomo Kanazawa
9 hrs
agree Rolf Keiser
15 hrs
agree Ildiko Santana : "Give me your tired, your poor, .." :)
1 day 7 hrs
agree Yavor Dimitrov
13 days
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you, and thanks to all the "agreers" -- esp. those who shared their thoughts!"
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