This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
demanda en la instalación
firma funcionarial

Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

por aburrirme hasta el infinito con el cine de este hombre

English translation:

after being bored to death with his films

Added to glossary by Robert Forstag
May 22, 2017 14:06
6 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Spanish term

por aburrirme hasta el infinito con el cine de este hombre

Spanish to English Other Journalism Article in today\'s edition of *El País* (Spain) / film criticism
The Spanish film critic Carlos Boyero opens his review of a new biopic about Jean Luc Godard (*Redoubtable*) by essentially saying that he has never been a great admirer of the latter's work. Continuing in that vein, he writes:

Tampoco capté el transparente genio de su cine antes de su radical transformación. Me gustó Al final de la escapada y me enamoré de la forma en la que fotografiaba a la hermosísima Anna Karina en Vivir su vida. Poco más. Y confieso que no me ha ocurrido nada grave en mi existencia cinéfila **por aburrirme hasta el infinito con el cine de este hombre.**

To me, it seems like “con” is an error here for “como.” The latter would logically follow what has preceded while the former seems to make no sense. Yet usually such errors are caught and corrected in the online edition, and yet what I have cut and pasted is from the online edition that was posted as of five minutes ago.
Or am I missing something?
Thanks.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +7 after boring myself to death with this man's films
4 +7 as a result of finding this man's films utterly boring
4 +5 ...despite having bored myself rigid with this man's cinematic oeuvre

Discussion

Robert Forstag (asker) May 22, 2017:
"Bored to tears," "bored silly," and the ever-popular "bored shitless."
12316323 (X) May 22, 2017:
No, not standard in US English. Bored out of my mind, bored stiff... found the movies a total snoozefest, like watching paint dry.
Robert Forstag (asker) May 22, 2017:
@neilmac As a native English speaker, I have a general awareness of the structure, and certain verbs with that structure are common in American English (e.g., "to talk oneself hoarse," "to work oneself into a frenzy"). My specific question had to do with the use of "boring oneself to death," which is not common in US English and which sounds awkward to my ear.
neilmac May 22, 2017:
@Robert To (verb) onself (adjective) is a common structure. Think "Dance yourself dizzy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC939SwIsuE
neilmac May 22, 2017:
Agree about JL Godard And ditto A. Tarkovsky. I don't usually go to the movies to be baffled and perplexed.
12316323 (X) May 22, 2017:
I understood it that way as well (indeed, it was the first and most intuitive way of understanding it). Your phrase is perfect: "lasting emotional damage."

I just thought that "existencia cinéfila" (as opposed to just existence, life, emotional wellbeing) might very well mean something more specific about his inclusion in the cinephile ingroup, or even his own personal enjoyment of films and self-regard as a movie fan/snob.

Either way, I'd translate "por" as "for," and (as a non-native Spanish speaker) I don't find any fault in the sentence.
Robert Forstag (asker) May 22, 2017:
@Kathryn Your reading (which seems entirely plausible) is different from Simon's, as it has more to do with him not being drummed out of the corps of respectable film critics for not worshipping at the altar of Godard than not having suffered lasting emotional damage (or whatever) as a result of being bored by his films.
12316323 (X) May 22, 2017:
It doesn't come off as a mistake to me- I read it as being perfectly natural. I agree with Simon, but "for," not "after" or "because." Maybe it would make more sense to you if you read it as "por haberme aburrido..."

And just for the record, I've never had other film snobs call for my head / haven't had my film snob membership card revoked / etc. ... for finding the films of this one man insufferably boring.

Proposed translations

+7
5 mins
Selected

after boring myself to death with this man's films

I really don't think it's an error, the meaning seems quite clear:

"I admit that nothing terrible has happened to me after boring myself to death with this man's films/movies"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2017-05-22 14:14:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or, perhaps more accurately:

"I admit that nothing terrible has happened to my movie-going existence because I've bored myself to death with this man's films."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2017-05-22 14:25:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Exactly! Or perhaps even something along the lines of "his cultural life as a movie buff hasn't been impoverished by seeing Godard's films".
Note from asker:
In your reading then, he is saying, "Though I've found (most of) Godard's films unendurable, having to watch them has not dampened my enthusiasm for films in general." Right?
I think that with your added comment, you seem to have captured the intended meaning, although it is unclear whether Boyero was referring to his standing as a film critic, his enjoyment of movies, or just how he sees himself as an a cinephile. As I side question, is "to bore oneself" (as in your suggested answer and neilmac's comment) entirely natural in UK English? To my American eye, it looks odd (I would write "after being bored to death..."
Peer comment(s):
agree Francois Boye : for boring ...
6 mins
agree neilmac : Or "despite having bored myself stiff with..."
32 mins
agree Andrew Bramhall : With Neil, ' stiff', ( or rigid);
1 hr
agree Neil Ashby
2 hrs
agree Andrew Campbell
2 hrs
agree peter jackson
2 hrs
agree Muriel Vasconcellos : stiff
3 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Maybe it's a US vs. UK thing, but I find "boring myself to death" awkward. Otherwise, Simon's suggestion and explanation seem right on. The other responses strike me as minor variations of Simon's, and he responded well before anyone else, so I am awarding him the points. Many thanks to all who responded and commented. Just in case anyone is curious, I would translate "no me ha ocurrido nada grave en mi existencia cinéfila" along the lines of "my reputation as a film critic seems not to have suffered terribly." In other words, I think that "mi existencia cinéfila" here refers to Boyero's *professional work and reputation* as a film critic, and not to his general love/appreciation of movies."
+5
41 mins

...despite having bored myself rigid with this man's cinematic oeuvre

... there are been no serious/lasting consequences

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 42 mins (2017-05-22 14:48:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"And I must confess there HAVE BEEN/ARE no serious consequences, despite having bought myself rigid with this man's cinema.."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 42 mins (2017-05-22 14:49:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I fully agree with Simon's interpretation of the text, in fact I don't see how it could be taken to mean anything else.
Peer comment(s):
agree 12316323 (X)
6 mins
agree patinba
28 mins
agree Andrew Bramhall : Yes, ' stiff' or ' rigid';
1 hr
"Bored myslef silly" gets 1400 odd hits on Google. "stiff" gets only 65... and that's as far as I went :)
agree Iseult Harrington
4 hrs
agree Marcelo González : I'd say 'bored stiff' or even 'bored to tears'
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
+7
45 mins

as a result of finding this man's films utterly boring

No typo in the Sp version: That is the meaning, whichever way you choose to say it.
You could also turn the phrase round and say:
"Being bored to death with this man's films has not damaged my love affair with the cinema one bit."
Peer comment(s):
agree 12316323 (X)
1 min
Thanks Kathryn!
agree Adoración Bodoque Martínez
5 mins
¡Gracias Adoración!
agree philgoddard
14 mins
Thanks Phil!
agree Beatriz Ramírez de Haro : Eso es. Saludos Cecilia
15 mins
¡Gracias Beatriz! Saludos!
agree Jessica Noyes
50 mins
Thanks Jessica!
agree Phoenix III
56 mins
Thanks Phoenix!
agree Marcelo González
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search