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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

Victoria no canta.

English translation: And Alejandro is no chicken.

23:03 Apr 26, 2021
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Spanish term or phrase: Victoria no canta.
Some friends are talking about a potential project.
But they don't know if the project will be approved.
This is a play on words related to the saying: No cantes victoria antes de gloria.

This is the dialogue:

No canten victoria antes de gloria.

No nunca es bueno cantar victoria.

No, no, no. Sobre todo que el que canta es Alejandro.

Victoria no canta.

Thank you!
Liliana Garfunkel
Argentina
Local time: 10:15
English translation:And Alejandro is no chicken.
Explanation:
Here's my answer, following David's suggestion in the discussion.
Selected response from:

Pablo Waldman
Argentina
Local time: 10:15
Grading comment
Thanks again, Pablo and David:)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2And Alejandro is no chicken.
Pablo Waldman
4 +1Alejandro isn't celebrating anything [just] yet.
Robert Forstag
4he does not sell the skin before he´s caught the bear
Marcelo Viera
1It is not victory he is singing
patinba


Discussion entries: 10





  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
And Alejandro is no chicken.


Explanation:
Here's my answer, following David's suggestion in the discussion.

Pablo Waldman
Argentina
Local time: 10:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks again, Pablo and David:)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Hollywood: maybe "And Alejandro doesn't chicken out/is no quitter"
2 mins
  -> Many thanks, David
agree  Susana Monsalve Antoranz
16 hrs
  -> Thank you, Susana
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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Alejandro isn't celebrating anything [just] yet.


Explanation:
Or, alternatively:
"No, Alejandro isn't celebrating anything [just] yet.

I read this sentence as if "Alejandro" is the implied subject, and "victoria" is the object (and which refers to the set expression "No cantes victoria antes de gloria.").

In English, my suggestion would seem to make more sense than the previously offered translation, not only in purely semantic terms, but also because it preserves something of a connection with the maxim previously cited in the dialogue.

Accordingly, I would think about translating "No canten victoria antes de gloria." along the lines of: "We shouldn't be celebrating just yet."

I suppose that previous comments here referred to the plausible translation of the Spanish proverb as "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched." Nonetheless, I think that "Alejandro is no chicken" strays so far from the intended meaning of the original as to create massive confusion.

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 09:15
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 318
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Robert!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  patinba: Certainly fits the context
1 hr
  -> Thank you, patinba.
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
he does not sell the skin before he´s caught the bear


Explanation:
La idea de "No cantes victoria hasta tanto la misma sea un hecho"


Don't sell the skin before you've caught the bear.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 hrs (2021-04-27 14:29:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or

Don´t count your chickens before they hatch

Marcelo Viera
Uruguay
Local time: 10:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 6
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Marcelo!

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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
It is not victory he is singing


Explanation:
Evidentemente falta contexto, entendible porque nos tendrías que contar toda la historia. Sin embargo, en el contexto de este dialogo, cuando alguien dice "Victoria no canta" en ese orden de palabras (en vez de "no canta victoria" por ejemplo) se entiende que sí canta otra cosa. ¿Podría ser un delator por ejemplo (canta como un canario)?.

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 10:15
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 170
Notes to answerer
Asker: Sí, es difícil contar todo, pero tenía que poner por ejemplo: "Don't count your chickens" y terminar con un chiste con la palabra Alejandro, y la sugerencia de Pablo quedó perfecta. Gracias, patinba!!

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