Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
el gigante de siempre
English translation:
the towering figure he has always been/the grand old man
Added to glossary by
Marcelo González
Jul 1, 2011 11:19
12 yrs ago
4 viewers *
Spanish term
United States
PhD in Translation Studies
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish
El gigante de siempre
Spanish to English
Social Sciences
Government / Politics
Statement to the Press
On his trip to Cuba, explaining the reasons for his absence from Venezuela, President Hugo Chávez---in a string of flowery compliments---used these words in reference to (his friend/mentor) Fidel Castro. During CNN's (English-language) report, an interpreter missed the mark entirely (IMO), translating this (too literally) as "The giant of ever."
Since "de siempre" is used to underscore that Castro has always been around (politics) "forever," what do you think of something like "The ever-present great one" (with "gigante" as "gran" in this context, used by Chávez here to "elogiar a su gran amigo")?
Since "de siempre" is used to underscore that Castro has always been around (politics) "forever," what do you think of something like "The ever-present great one" (with "gigante" as "gran" in this context, used by Chávez here to "elogiar a su gran amigo")?
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Jul 3, 2011 00:19: Marcelo González changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/103641">Marcelo González's</a> old entry - "el gigante de siempre"" to ""towering figure he\'s always been/the grand old man""
Proposed translations
+5
4 mins
Selected
the grand old man
A common expression conveying respect.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "This is an excellent option. :-) Thank you!!"
8 mins
Maria Mercau
United States
United States
Native in Spanish
United States
MGM LINGUISTIC SOLUTIONS®
Native in: Spanish (Variants: Mexican, Argentine) 
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
The greatest president/person ever
This could be an option.
President, person, colleague, etc... This is your choice!
President, person, colleague, etc... This is your choice!
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jaime Hyland
: this is not the correct sense, imo. He means Castro's the great person he has always been.
8 mins
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+2
15 mins
Jaime Hyland
Native in English
Works in field
Professional IT translation into English
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
the same giant as ever (or 'as always')
I think he's saying that Castro is every bit the same great statesman now as (in the speaker's opinion) ever was.
http://what-happened-to-awk.weebly.com/steev-mike--andrew-wk... - "Andrew WK is the same person as ever"
http://www.wordmagicsoft.com/dictionary/en-es/the same thing...
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Note added at 19 mins (2011-07-01 11:39:00 GMT)
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If this structure doesn't work in AE, you could also say "the same giant he ever was"
http://what-happened-to-awk.weebly.com/steev-mike--andrew-wk... - "Andrew WK is the same person as ever"
http://www.wordmagicsoft.com/dictionary/en-es/the same thing...
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Note added at 19 mins (2011-07-01 11:39:00 GMT)
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If this structure doesn't work in AE, you could also say "the same giant he ever was"
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Salloz
: Es lo que pensé: the same giant he ever was...
2 hrs
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Thanks Salloz. Looking at it now, your preference for "... he ever was" looks better in writing than " ... as ever"
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| agree |
Muriel Vasconcellos
5 hrs
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Thanks Muriel
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1 hr
The last of the great giants (still among/amongst us)*
I heard Chavez speak years ago in Washington, an event that left me with an eternal respect for simultaneous interpreters. This is my shot at what he meant to say. References:1 Jul 2011 – “Desde que el mismo Fidel Castro en persona (...) el gigante de siempre vino a anunciarme la dura noticia del hallazgo cancerígeno comencé a ... *THAT STEMS FROM AN EARLIER QUOTE:nforme21.com/...castro/chavez-maldeie-israel-ac... - Venezuela - En cachéEl presidente venezolano, Hugo Chávez, acusó a Estados Unidos de ... "Lula me dijo: 'Fidel es el último gigante que nos quedará para siempre'". Fidel Castro ...;Sin embargo, ya en La Habana, cuando caía la tarde del miércoles 8 de junio, allí estábamos de nuevo con Fidel, con aquel gigante que ya superó todos los tiempos y todos los lugares. . Ahora, en este nuevo momento de dificultades, y sobre todo desde que el mismo Fidel Castro en persona, el mismo del Cuartel Moncada, el mismo del Granma, el mismito de la Sierra Maestra, el gigante de siempre,http://www.diariouniversal.net/2011/06/30/chavez-evoluciona-... I would keep the literal "giant" as it is a frequently used poetic device:Growing Up in Castro's Cuba | c2c Journal -
www.c2cjournal.ca/blog.../growing-up-in-castros-cuba - En caché18 Jun 2009 – Trudeau's son, Alexandre, wrote a piece on Fidel Castro last summer in ... He argued Castro was a “great adventure . . . a great scientific mind,” ... that Castro's “monumental intellect makes Fidel the giant that he is. ... although I would like to have the luxury of saying "the giant of history, or some other qualification.
www.c2cjournal.ca/blog.../growing-up-in-castros-cuba - En caché18 Jun 2009 – Trudeau's son, Alexandre, wrote a piece on Fidel Castro last summer in ... He argued Castro was a “great adventure . . . a great scientific mind,” ... that Castro's “monumental intellect makes Fidel the giant that he is. ... although I would like to have the luxury of saying "the giant of history, or some other qualification.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jaime Hyland
: I agree about the use of "giant" but what Chavez primarily seems to be suggesting (apart from the compliment) is that Fidel is as hale and hearty as he ever was.
2 hrs
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3 hrs
The age-long (political) giant
I think giant should be kept as a "political giant" is a sound term.
"the long-standing (political) giant" could work also
"the long-standing (political) giant" could work also
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jaime Hyland
: "long-standing" is fine (but doesn't carry the primary meaning) "age-long" is not standard AE or BE//I stand corrected on "age-long". I have honestly never heard the expression before, and I must admit it jars on my ears.
44 mins
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point taken but: age-long http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/age-long
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