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U.N.E.P.
Dec 29, 2011 17:28
13 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Italian term

la montagna ha partorito un topolino

Italian to English Other Law (general) colloquial expressions
The following appears in written pleadings:

"Ebbene, alla luce di quanto esposto, pare proprio di poter concludere,
sia concessa l’espressione colorita, che la montagna ha partorito un topolino."

Any suggestions for an equivalent colloquial expression in English?
Proposed translations (English)
4 +7 a storm in a teacup
3 +3 much ado about nothing
3 +2 Much cry and little wool
4 +1 a lot of (jurisprudential) buck for very little bang
5 a mackerel to catch a sprat
4 the mountain gives birth to a mouse
3 +1 this is a case of "all hot air and no balloon"
4 after so much fuss, look what we're left with
4 a lot of thunder, little rain
4 carrying coal to Newcastle
3 +1 full of sound and fury, signifying nothing
4 they're still batting on a sticky wicket
3 +1 all/much/lots of smoke but little fire
3 (that) a mountain has been made out of a mole-hill
3 -1 much ado for nothing

Discussion

Anna ZANNELLA Dec 30, 2011:
Oddly enough.... Personally I'd give the literal translation and then explain that it appeared that something great was brewing, but which in the end proved itself to be less than great/impressive/important/of consequence ....
Grace Anderson (asker) Dec 29, 2011:
To Jim It’s quite difficult to give more context. It’s a case in which there were accusations of suborning of witnesses and defence counsel here has gone through all the details (about thirty pages of description of what happened) and is claiming that it has been blown out of all proportion.
James (Jim) Davis Dec 29, 2011:
There is NO equivalent in English so can we have some more context please? Can we know what was "esposto" to get a handle on it? Basically what is the mountain and what is the mouse here? One recent use in the press was the Berlusconi government (mountain) and the "responsabili" floor crossing group (mouse). Which would suggest something like "the goverment is going nowhere fast with results like this". It is an equivalent, something with the same meaning but from a different angle.
Glinda Dec 29, 2011:
That does not convey the same meaning, I'm afraid...

Proposed translations

+7
5 hrs
Selected

a storm in a teacup

It seems that what we have here, to use a ... phrase, is a proverbail storm in a teacup.
With the extra context of something blown out of all proportion, a huge trial for a petty offence, this would seem to fit the bill better than an Italian proverb unfamiliar to non English speaking ears.
Peer comment(s):
agree Daniela Zambrini
8 mins
agree Michael Brennen : Or perhaps the American "tempest in a teapot".
3 hrs
All those years of films from John Wayne to George Clooney and I never noticed that one :)
agree P.L.F. Persio : spot on; happy new year!
10 hrs
And a very happy new year to you too.
agree Shera Lyn Parpia
11 hrs
agree Elena Zanetti
14 hrs
agree Peter Cox
14 hrs
agree Glinda
1 day 21 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks very much to everyone."
6 mins

the mountain gives birth to a mouse

.

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Note added at 16 minutos (2011-12-29 17:44:20 GMT)
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overdramatizing
Note from asker:
Thanks very much, but, strange as it may seem, the literal translation I can do myself!
Peer comment(s):
neutral Oliver Lawrence : not a recognised colloquial expression, though
1 min
Something went wrong...
-1
5 mins

much ado for nothing

Not as colloquial, I'm afraid...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 24 mins (2011-12-29 17:52:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Well, of course "ado ABOUT nothing" if one wants to stick to the Bard original pronouncement.
Cfr. also http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/251500.html , where the meaning is given, very prosaically, as "A great deal of fuss over nothing of importance". Or http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/much ado about ... with "a lot of fuss about something trivial". But of course it's not the meaning that's got you stumped...
Peer comment(s):
agree tradu-grace
13 mins
Grazie
disagree Chiara Martini : "La montagna ha partorito un topolino" significa che sono stati fatti molti sforzi, ma il risultato / beneficio è stato quasi nullo. Fare molto rumore per nulla significa che uno si agita per qualcosa che in realtà non è importante, c'è differenza
42 mins
Chiara, I'm afraid you are taking for granted the usual Italian translation "fare rumore", implying that no efforts were made, just noise, which IMHO is anything but justified....
neutral Thomas Roberts : The "per" in "molto rumore per nulla" does not stand for "for"
6 hrs
disagree corallia : Sory,.. Secondo me si trata in genere di .. Tante parole bellle, ... pero niente sostanza, ex: bel discorso per dire nulla.
3 days 20 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
31 mins

this is a case of "all hot air and no balloon"

or similar.
Peer comment(s):
agree Pompeo Lattanzi : Now, THIS is a good colloquial rendition.
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
49 mins

after so much fuss, look what we're left with

The exact meaning of the phrase in English, though not quite as idiomatic as it is in Italian.

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Note added at 1 ora (2011-12-29 18:35:39 GMT)
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Su Wordreference danno questa possibile traduzione:
"So much promise, so little delivery!
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1211701&lang...

In quest'altra pagina vengono offerte molte altre soluzioni, alcune delle quali abbastanza interessanti (in mancanza di un contesto più ampio):
http://it.bab.la/dizionario/italiano-inglese/topolino
Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

Much cry and little wool

Or

Great cry and little wool


It's a mediaeval proverb, first recorded in 1475. "Cry" here has the sense "shouting"; mediaeval traders "cried their wares" in the streets. The expression means that a lot of noise and fanfare is being made about something that actually has little substance or importance.


The line from Horace's poem (Parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus) is reproduced word for word in a mediaeval compilation of fables, the Ysopet-Avionnet.[6] In this instance, however, it is in connection with the fable about Belling the cat where the author comments on the ineffectiveness of political dialogue. In his prose retelling (The Mountains in Labour, Fable 26), Samuel Croxall also draws from it a warning against the promises of politicians and cites 'Great cry and little wool' as a parallel English proverb that fits the situation.
Reference:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/56/messages/558.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mountain_in_Labour

Peer comment(s):
agree P.L.F. Persio : this is a real find; happy new year!
14 hrs
Grazie :) Happy New Year!
agree corallia
3 days 18 hrs
Thanks and Happy New Year
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

a lot of thunder, little rain

Quite different from everybody else. Still the same lots vs. little
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

carrying coal to Newcastle

spend time and energy doing something that is pointless



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2011-12-29 20:07:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Overall, it would seem in the light of the information provided to date, that it could be aptly concluded, using the colourful expression: we have been carrying coal to Newcastle!
Reference:

http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-definition/carry%20coal%20to%20Newcastle

Peer comment(s):
neutral Thomas Roberts : Selling fridges to eskimos would be less parochial surely?
4 hrs
neutral Oliver Lawrence : The meaning of the original is different. It's about not pointlessness but the result being disappointingly disproportionate to the effort.
15 hrs
agree, but the effort is still disproportionate to result. I think we still havent cracked it
Something went wrong...
+1
3 hrs

full of sound and fury, signifying nothing

from Macbeth, might work?
Peer comment(s):
agree corallia
3 days 16 hrs
Something went wrong...
6 hrs

they're still batting on a sticky wicket

When all else fails, use a cricketing expression.
Something went wrong...
+1
8 hrs

all/much/lots of smoke but little fire

This could be said in various forms.

Using "smokescreen" instead of "smoke", though not part of the usual colloquialism, would give the idea that much of the effort expended has been deliberately stirred up to give the appearance of a much larger fire.
Peer comment(s):
agree corallia
3 days 11 hrs
Something went wrong...
+3
18 hrs

much ado about nothing

since nobody seems to have mentioned it
Peer comment(s):
agree Gisella Giarrusso
4 mins
agree Elena Zanetti
1 hr
agree corallia
3 days 2 hrs
Something went wrong...
1 day 3 hrs

(that) a mountain has been made out of a mole-hill

Changing mole- to squeaky etc. mouse-hill doesn't quite work.

Example sentence:

Making a mountain out of a molehill is an idiom referring to over-reactive, histrionic behaviour where a person makes too much of a minor issue.

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/.../Make_a_mountain_out_of_a_molehill

Something went wrong...
+1
1 day 21 hrs

a lot of (jurisprudential) buck for very little bang

You could switch round the phrase "more bang for your buck".

You'll need to make it clear that the "bucks" are figurative, which you can do with an adjective ("jurisprudential" is one possibility if the lawyers have been trawling for legal precedents).
Peer comment(s):
agree Vincenzo Di Maso
144 days
Something went wrong...
18 hrs

a mackerel to catch a sprat


This should aptly cover the sense of a disproportionate use of resources.

Below is the use in a fishing context; but the principle of disproportion still applies



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2011-12-30 12:11:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Overall, it would seem in the light of the information provided to date, that it could be aptly concluded, using the colourful expression: we have been using a mackerel to catch a sprat!


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Note added at 4 days (2012-01-02 19:05:44 GMT)
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We have used a mackerel to catch a sprat
Reference:

http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/9012/eu-proposals-a-mackerel-to-catch-a-sprathttp://

Something went wrong...
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