Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
o te sumas, o te resto
English translation:
you're either in (with us), or out (with you!)
Added to glossary by
karin förster handley
May 3, 2007 20:59
17 yrs ago
Spanish term
United States
ATA-certified Translator and Editor
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
Works in: Spanish to English, English
o te sumas, o te resto
Spanish to English
Social Sciences
Journalism
Cuba
From an article about censorship and intolerance in Cuba, and the closure of a magazine:
No importa que se esgrima la socorrida falta de presupuesto, el ya gastado ardid de "ahora no es el momento", ni la fiera sutileza de que sirves de abono al enemigo, pues la cuestión es sólo una: ***o te sumas, o te resto.***
Closest I have come up with is "you're either with us or against us" but I'm not sure if that quite captures it. Suggestions appreciated!
No importa que se esgrima la socorrida falta de presupuesto, el ya gastado ardid de "ahora no es el momento", ni la fiera sutileza de que sirves de abono al enemigo, pues la cuestión es sólo una: ***o te sumas, o te resto.***
Closest I have come up with is "you're either with us or against us" but I'm not sure if that quite captures it. Suggestions appreciated!
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
May 8, 2007 15:42: karin förster handley Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+7
10 mins
karin förster handley
Native in Spanish
&
English
Fast and accurate does it
Native in: Spanish 
, English
Works in: Spanish, English to Spanish, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
Selected
you're either in (with us), or out (with you!)
Maybe you can capitalize out to stress censorship and closure of the magazine.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "This option is closest to what I went with ("you are either with us, or you are out").
Thanks to all the respondents for your excellent options!"
+1
11 mins
Luis Javier Otoya
Native in Spanish
Works in field
Translations that speak your language
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
you are with us or else
ese "o te resto" es una amenaza... que equivaldría a "or else"
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Nicholas Ferreira
: "Either you're with us, or else..." I trust the judgment of a Columbian in these matters...!
29 mins
|
|
Thank you, I guess.
|
51 mins
Robert Forstag
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
Translating words, preserving meaning
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
87
You're either with us, or your nothing [at all].
Just like the Cubans and former Soviet Union have done with respect to their official histories, in which former high-ranking party officials have had their names disappear from texts, and their faces disappear from airbrushed photographs....
If you think about the context and the literal meaning of "restar" this would seem to capture well the sense.
Suerte.
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Note added at 52 mins (2007-05-03 21:51:49 GMT)
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ERRATUM:
...or you're nothing [at all].
If you think about the context and the literal meaning of "restar" this would seem to capture well the sense.
Suerte.
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Note added at 52 mins (2007-05-03 21:51:49 GMT)
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ERRATUM:
...or you're nothing [at all].
+4
1 hr
María Teresa Taylor Oliver
Panama
Panama
Native in Spanish
Panama
Synesthete with a flair for tasty words!
Native in: Spanish (Variants: Argentine, US, Guatemalan, Salvadoran, Latin American, Colombian, Costa Rican, Panamanian, Nicaraguan, Mexican, Peruvian, Venezuelan, Cuban, Honduran)
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish
Related KudoZ points
:
4
either you're in... or I take you out
The standard phrase would be "o te sumas o te restas", meaning "either you're in or out", as a voluntary action on the part of the person being talked to.
But here "te resto" means you yourself aren't doing the "restar" part, but rather someone else is doing it for you, and the way I understand this (rather aggresive, I might add) phrase, is "I kill you". That would be the most aggresive connotation. If you want to leave it more ambigous (although it does say "enemigos" in your document), I'd translate it as "I take you out".
Of course, it might very well be that no one is killing anybody, but just taking them out of the way (eliminating the competition, maybe?).
I hope that's clear...
But here "te resto" means you yourself aren't doing the "restar" part, but rather someone else is doing it for you, and the way I understand this (rather aggresive, I might add) phrase, is "I kill you". That would be the most aggresive connotation. If you want to leave it more ambigous (although it does say "enemigos" in your document), I'd translate it as "I take you out".
Of course, it might very well be that no one is killing anybody, but just taking them out of the way (eliminating the competition, maybe?).
I hope that's clear...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Lydia De Jorge
: yes!
47 mins
|
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Gracias, Lydia :)
|
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| agree |
Vanesa Camarasa (X)
7 hrs
|
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Thanks, Olga
|
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| agree |
Cinnamon Nolan
: ...or you'll be taken out. (leaves open the question of exactly who does the taking out. ;->)
14 hrs
|
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Thanks, spicy one! ;P It sure does leave it open, in fact, I like your option better! :)
|
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| agree |
Marsha Wilkie
1 day 5 hrs
|
2 hrs
Ivannia Garcia
Native in Spanish
26 years in the Translation Business
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
(Either you) Ship up, or ship out!
Another option...siempre me ha gustado como suena :)
5 hrs
Michael Brady
Spain
Spain
Native in English
Works in field
Spain
Professional quality, fair prices.
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, Portuguese to English, English
either join us, or beat it
You could make a nice twist on the traditional saying "if you can`t beat ´em, join ´em. I know you won`t use this, but it gave me a smile!!
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Note added at 5 hrs (2007-05-04 02:05:29 GMT)
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Or you could say, either join us, or we beat you!!!
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Note added at 5 hrs (2007-05-04 02:05:29 GMT)
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Or you could say, either join us, or we beat you!!!
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