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Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

exasperado

English translation:

overwrought, overworked

Added to glossary by Rachel Freeman
Nov 16, 2011 09:42
12 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Spanish term

exasperado

Spanish to English Art/Literary Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting Baroque painting
This is from an academic article on Castillian baroque painting. The authors would like this into US English. The article is focusing heavily on images of cucifixion. In this section it says:

Justamente, lo que veremos es cómo se produce, con extraordinaria minuciosidad, con gran primor, una enorme concentración de “híper-realización” de la materia: la piel de los pies exasperada en la dureza de sus callos y uñas, la madera exasperada en sus grietas y astillas, el hierro exasperado en su oscura densidad, el papel exasperado en su crujiente sutileza.

It's exasperating how much this author is using the term: exasperado. In some contexts I think exasperating works, in others I'm not sure. According to DRAE exasperar is:

Exasperar.
1. tr. Lastimar, irritar una parte dolorida o delicada.
2. tr. Irritar, enfurecer, dar motivo de enojo grande a alguien.

So here does it mean injured or simply exasperated? Any input would be appreciated. Thank you!
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 overwrought, agitated, exaggerated, emotionally (over)charged, affected,*
4 +1 tormented / anguished
3 exacerbated/augmented/hyperbolized/aggravated...
2 +1 distressed
3 intensified

Discussion

Rachel Freeman (asker) Nov 22, 2011:
Answer: overworked / overwrought Hi Folks, again I wanted to thank everyone tremendously for their wonderful work and suggestions. The author responded to my request for clarification and said that what they wanted to say was, indeed, overworked or overwrought. This became clearer throughout the text, now that I look back on it. The point was to compare one artists who "overworked" their subject and materials with another who had a more simple approach. In the end, after an "exasperating" search we got our answer for this context. Great job ProZ contributers!
Lucy Phillips Nov 17, 2011:
in the context, I get the impression that the idea is perhaps one of intensity, absolute, raw, incarnate etc. Your previous question seems to suggest that his ability to convey the absolute physicality of materials, as opposed to his draughtmanship (for example) was what dominated.
Christine Walsh Nov 16, 2011:
What could be said about iron and wood, then? Poetic licence, I suppose. What keeps coming into my mind is 'fretted' with its various meanings, but I just can't justify it.
Rachel Fell Nov 16, 2011:
it's skin it doesn't have emotions ;-)
Jenni Lukac (X) Nov 16, 2011:
Thanks for generating a lively discussion, Rachel. I find that this dilemma crops up quite often in translation work. Your question has provided a good opportunity to compare a lot of opinions.
Rachel Freeman (asker) Nov 16, 2011:
Thanks everyone Thanks everyone for your great suggestions. I am putting a translator's note for the client to ask them to clarify this term. I appreciate eveyone's input.
Rachel Freeman (asker) Nov 16, 2011:
Phil I posted the first entry "tejido exasperado" when I thought it was a one-off term the author was using. Now that I have found it several times throughout the text I posted a second entry with just exasperdo because I feel that the author is using the term to mean different things.
Charles Davis Nov 16, 2011:
I'm curious: how do you get from "exasperado" to "exaggerated"?
Christine Walsh Nov 16, 2011:
Although the term doesn't seem right in this context, I get the feeling that the attributes of skin, wood, iron and paper are 'overstated' by the painter.
philgoddard Nov 16, 2011:
Rachel Why on earth did you post this question twice? You've started two debates, both of which contain some valuable contributions to an answer.
philgoddard Nov 16, 2011:
"Exacerbated" means "made worse", which is not appropriate here.
Jenni Lukac (X) Nov 16, 2011:
Two other possibilities just occurred to me: the word tortured and the addition of "painfully" to any number of the other words that have been suggested here.
Jenni Lukac (X) Nov 16, 2011:
Consulting María Moliner on this could be useful. I always go there first on these sticky terms.
Christine Walsh Nov 16, 2011:
The resemblance of the words might help to achieve a similar effect, (and perhaps keep the author off your back)
Rachel Freeman (asker) Nov 16, 2011:
Maybe the author does want to say exacerbated, it does make a bit more sense. Ah nuances, nuances. Gotta love em.
Christine Walsh Nov 16, 2011:
I hadn't realised that 'exacerbar' and 'exasperar' have almost the same definition. Yes, I did get it off the web page. They evoke different ideas in me, but that may be the influence of English.
franglish Nov 16, 2011:
exacerbated had the same thought, Christine
Rachel Freeman (asker) Nov 16, 2011:
Thanks Jenni. I also have: histerizada de realidad so hysterical seems to fit there.
Jenni Lukac (X) Nov 16, 2011:
After assembling my long list, my Spanish husband (how happens to love the Baroque) added "hysterical."
Rachel Freeman (asker) Nov 16, 2011:
Thanks Christine, I wonder how I missed definition 3, it's not on the DRAE web page is it? Always good to have more suggestions.
Christine Walsh Nov 16, 2011:
Exacerbada? Perhaps this is what the author really means (meaning 3, DRAE):

exacerbar.
(Del lat. exacerbāre).
1. tr. Irritar, causar muy grave enfado o enojo. U. t. c. prnl.
2. tr. Agravar o avivar una enfermedad, una pasión, una molestia, etc. U. t. c. prnl.
3. tr. Intensificar, extremar, exagerar.

Proposed translations

+1
26 mins
Selected

overwrought, agitated, exaggerated, emotionally (over)charged, affected,*

A long list: *overworked, neurotic, frenetic, unquiet, uneasy, hyper-articulated, jittery, perturbed, distraught
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : I disagree with some of these words, like neurotic, jittery, perturbed and distraught. It means "exaggerated", and some of the other words are useful synonyms if you want to avoid repetition.
7 hrs
Thanks, Phil. That was my motive for listing so many. It seems to have been one of the author's favorite words.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks Jenni, in the end this was what the author wanted to say."
55 mins

exacerbated/augmented/hyperbolized/aggravated...

One of these might just do. Suerte!
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

tormented / anguished

"Exasperar" is a bit broader in meaning than "exasperate", I think: the latter means basically to irritate or annoy extremely, but "exasperar" is that but with a further element of inflicting suffering (see DRAE def. 1).

The (exasperating!) repetition of the word must be deliberate and I reckon that in the sentence quoted, at least, the same word should be used each time. I think "tormented" is the best word here, with "anguished" as an alternative. "Tormented" carries more a sense of mental suffering than "tortured", I think. These words certainly seem to fit with Baroque religiosity.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2011-11-16 11:46:09 GMT)
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"Torment" can be to inflict severe mental or physical suffering, but it is also used for annoying, provoking or goading someone. I think it's actually quite close to "exasperar" and doesn't grate in the context (which most of the alternatives do, to me).
Peer comment(s):
agree Rachel Fell : could be fine in some places, depending on how the rest is phrased
12 hrs
Thanks, Rachel :)
Something went wrong...
+1
3 hrs

distressed

Peer comment(s):
agree Rachel Fell : I was thinking of this too
10 hrs
Thanks, Rachel.
Something went wrong...
6 hrs

intensified

This fits the DRAE 3 and makes more sense when describing heightened aspects of paper and iron.
Something went wrong...
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