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Glossary entry

Italian term or phrase:

buca di Ostiense

English translation:

the Ostiense refugee camp / the Ostiense \"pit\"

Added to glossary by Lara Barnett
Jun 26, 2012 20:11
11 yrs ago
Italian term

buca di Ostiense

Italian to English Social Sciences General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters Report on asylum seekers
In this human rights report about asylum seekers' conditions in Rome, there is a section on this area of Rome. I realise that "buca" means hole or pit.

However, I was thinking of translating this as "ghetto" but am not sure if this might be an overtranslation. I wondered if "pit" might be better. I am not sure how important translating this term is, for example if there is already a word commonly used that would be expected here.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +3 the Ostiense refugee camp / the Ostiense "pit"
5 Ostiense 'enclave'
4 Pit
4 the rathole of Ostiense
4 the "hole" of Ostiense
3 the pit of Ostiense
1 hell-hole of Ostiense

Discussion

Tony Shargool Jun 27, 2012:
Further to Lara's note Knowing the neighbourhood and having 'visited' the actual place via web, google maps, & sat, here is a brief description to help envision the scenario. This smallish area, which the local media have called 'buca', would seem to be an incomplete building site where many homeless people have 'camped' off and on over the last couple of years. The area, located about 1 km from the Ostiense train station, is nonetheless part of the original Ostiense urban tissue, and is surrounded by modern buildings and roadway construction sites. See the following link to an article with 2 photos on the Afgan refugees' issue: http://www.corriereromano.it/roma-notizie/12114/profughi-afg...
Lara Barnett (asker) Jun 27, 2012:
Context again Sorry, I forgot to say. This term is being used as a heading to the section on Ostiense's refugee community and the phrase "buca di Ostiense" is actually in quotes, which is why I wondered if this is a commonly used expression. However, I do think that either "hole" or "pit" would be the better word to use. I like "hole" personally, but have found another article using "pit". Therefore, any feedback on either of these terms would be helpful.
Lara Barnett (asker) Jun 27, 2012:
Context The text is discussing the bad conditions the refugees live in, the lack of help and assistance they receive from Italy along with EU regulations which forbid them from moving to other countries (so they are trapped), and the tensions this has caused, which has actually led to some breakthroughs for assistance with living conditions. Although it appears that these breakthroughs only seem to happen when tensions arise. Information on this issue:
http://sfbayview.com/2009/african-immigrants-and-refugees-in...
http://www.proasyl.de/fileadmin/fm-dam/q_PUBLIKATIONEN/2011/...
Tony Shargool Jun 26, 2012:
ROME - Ostiense is no 'pit'. Currently Ostiense comprises the new University Pole: without current context you are ALL assuming a very different reality.

Proposed translations

+3
16 mins
Selected

the Ostiense refugee camp / the Ostiense "pit"

The Ostiense refugee camp or the "pit" of Ostiense as they call it. You haven't given the Italian source Lara, so it is difficult to know how to word this in. I've taken it from the Corriere Romano:

http://www.corriereromano.it/roma-notizie/6543/Profughi-afga...

The association between buca-pit and hell-inferno is pretty strong.

https://www.google.it/search?source=ig&hl=it&rlz=&q=buca inf...
Note from asker:
What sort of "source"?
Peer comment(s):
agree Shera Lyn Parpia : refugee "camp" might be best - http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/113201-rome-city...
11 hrs
agree Linda Thody
14 hrs
agree dandamesh : I would say refugee camp "buca di Ostiense"
19 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you."
23 mins

Pit

I suggest "pit" because expresses well the image of a place that is a large depression and serves as refuge for homeless.
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43 mins

hell-hole of Ostiense

.
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1 hr

the pit of Ostiense

my opinion
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1 hr

the rathole of Ostiense

Profughi afgani trasferiti dalla ''buca'' di Ostiense
E’ una conclusione a lieto fine quella dei circa cento profughi afgani che per più di un anno hanno vissuto nella "buca" (come la chiamavano loro) in condizioni al limite tra fango e immondizia in una "buca di terra" in via Capitan Bavastro, ad Ostiense.
Esattamente 113 rifugiati di guerra sono stati censiti dalla protezione civile e trasferiti nel centro di accoglienza per i richiedenti asili di Castelnuovo di Porto a circa un ora da Roma.
Reference:

http://www.corriereromano.it/roma-notizie/6543/Profughi-afgani-trasferiti-dalla-buca-di-Ostiense.html

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2 hrs

Ostiense 'enclave'

the nearest to 'reality' is 'enclave' where some 100 off, Afghan Refugees sought temporary shelter through messaging and similar communication.
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12 mins

the "hole" of Ostiense

www.rc21.org/conferences/amsterdam2011/.../RT29-2-Agostini.pdfFile Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
by G Agostini - Related articles
Since 2005 afghan refugees arriving in Rome would settle around Ostiense train station. For years they have lived in the so called “Hole”, the excavation of a ...

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Note added at 16 mins (2012-06-26 20:27:55 GMT)
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it should be capital letter "HOLE"

this is what it seems to be called in various articles. You could also possibly call it a "refugee/asylum seeker squatters' camp".

It looks a bit like a shanty town but I think that that and "ghetto" might be over-translating

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Note added at 19 mins (2012-06-26 20:31:35 GMT)
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the 1st link again. p 5

http://www.rc21.org/conferences/amsterdam2011/edocs/Session ...

http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/31487/italy-greece-refuge...

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Note added at 22 mins (2012-06-26 20:34:13 GMT)
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another thought would be to add "Black" as in the infamous "Black Hole of Calcutta"

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Note added at 16 hrs (2012-06-27 12:44:53 GMT)
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Hi Lara, the reason I chose "Hole" rather than "pit" or anything else is that I understand this was an excavated site for construction i.e a large hole in the ground that the refugees set up camp in. The camp was closed several times and refugees were moved on, but more kept arriving into the area.
As is clear from the first link above, it is known as a "Hole" in a scholarly paper (where it is also listed under "shanty town type development").

http://www.micheleaudisio.com/in-the-news/afghan-refugees-bn...
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