Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
a la brava
English translation:
without planning permission
Added to glossary by
Lydianette Soza
Nov 11, 2012 19:47
11 yrs ago
5 viewers *
Spanish term
Belize
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
a la brava
Spanish to English
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
newspaper
Source text:
http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/nacionales/269088-roberto-fu...
La mayor parte de Managua está hecha a la brava. De repente hay una casa de un piso, luego de tres meses le pusieron otro piso. Urbanismo no deja de ser un factor de retraso. Le ha faltado visión, puede ser más rentable de lo que es”, reflexiona sentado en su oficina, un lugar donde se cuela la luz, pintado de verde menta y blanco, en cuyas paredes ha colgado un cuadro de su madre y billetes históricos, que circulaban a finales de los 80 y principio de los 90, de medio peso y de un peso.
http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/nacionales/269088-roberto-fu...
La mayor parte de Managua está hecha a la brava. De repente hay una casa de un piso, luego de tres meses le pusieron otro piso. Urbanismo no deja de ser un factor de retraso. Le ha faltado visión, puede ser más rentable de lo que es”, reflexiona sentado en su oficina, un lugar donde se cuela la luz, pintado de verde menta y blanco, en cuyas paredes ha colgado un cuadro de su madre y billetes históricos, que circulaban a finales de los 80 y principio de los 90, de medio peso y de un peso.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | without planning permission |
Charles Davis
|
| 4 +2 | haphazardly/any old how |
Richard Hill
|
| 4 +1 | thrown together |
Lisa McCarthy
|
Change log
Nov 11, 2012 19:47: changed "Kudoz queue" from "In queue" to "Public"
Proposed translations
+1
3 hrs
Selected
without planning permission
From the context, it would seem to mean shoddily built or unplanned, but the basic meaning of "a la brava" is "por la fuerza" (DRAE), and in this context it means that the buildings were put up illegally; people just went ahead and built whatever they felt like without getting planning permission first. Here are a couple of examples from Nicaragua to illustrate the meaning of this phrase:
"“Construyen pista a la brava sobre nuestra propiedad”
Señalan que personas involucradas se ufanan de vínculos con funcionarios del FSLN y han roto cercos y pasado sobre propiedades privadas. [...]
Un grupo de habitantes de la comarca San Isidro de Bolas, integrado por Félix Rosales, Antonia Gallard Prío y familiares de Teodora del Carmen Delgado, Carlos Aguilera, Clarisa Barahona y Tomás Soza, todos ellos dueños de propiedades en la zona, denunció la apertura de una trocha que atraviesa sus propiedades sin el permiso de los dueños y sin autorización de las autoridades municipales."
http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/imprimir.php/9355
"Hace ocho años que la Urbanización La Campanera, en Soyapango, El Salvador, experimentó una migración masiva de los propietarios de casas a raíz de que el cabecilla de la Mara 18, Carlos Ernesto Mojica Lechuga (Viejo Lin) hizo de esa comunidad su base de operaciones, argumenta la Policía.
Pese al abandono de los verdaderos dueños de las casas, La Campanera no está deshabitada [...] Las fuentes policiales también indican que hay, al menos, una docena de nicaragüenses viviendo "a la brava" en varias casas de esa urbanización."
http://www.trincheraonline.com/archivo/2011/diciembre/dic_9/...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2012-11-11 23:09:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"Urbanismo no deja de ser un factor de retraso" means, I think, that it takes so long to get municipal approval for building that people just go ahead and build without it.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2012-11-11 23:09:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
You could also say "without official approval".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2012-11-12 06:27:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"Without planning consent", the phrase Phil uses in his comment on Rich's answer, is a good alternative.
"“Construyen pista a la brava sobre nuestra propiedad”
Señalan que personas involucradas se ufanan de vínculos con funcionarios del FSLN y han roto cercos y pasado sobre propiedades privadas. [...]
Un grupo de habitantes de la comarca San Isidro de Bolas, integrado por Félix Rosales, Antonia Gallard Prío y familiares de Teodora del Carmen Delgado, Carlos Aguilera, Clarisa Barahona y Tomás Soza, todos ellos dueños de propiedades en la zona, denunció la apertura de una trocha que atraviesa sus propiedades sin el permiso de los dueños y sin autorización de las autoridades municipales."
http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/imprimir.php/9355
"Hace ocho años que la Urbanización La Campanera, en Soyapango, El Salvador, experimentó una migración masiva de los propietarios de casas a raíz de que el cabecilla de la Mara 18, Carlos Ernesto Mojica Lechuga (Viejo Lin) hizo de esa comunidad su base de operaciones, argumenta la Policía.
Pese al abandono de los verdaderos dueños de las casas, La Campanera no está deshabitada [...] Las fuentes policiales también indican que hay, al menos, una docena de nicaragüenses viviendo "a la brava" en varias casas de esa urbanización."
http://www.trincheraonline.com/archivo/2011/diciembre/dic_9/...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2012-11-11 23:09:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"Urbanismo no deja de ser un factor de retraso" means, I think, that it takes so long to get municipal approval for building that people just go ahead and build without it.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2012-11-11 23:09:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
You could also say "without official approval".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2012-11-12 06:27:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"Without planning consent", the phrase Phil uses in his comment on Rich's answer, is a good alternative.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
18 mins
Lisa McCarthy
Spain
Spain
Native in English
Works in field
Spain
Especialista de marketing
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, Catalan to English
Related KudoZ points
:
152
thrown together
"Most of Managua is just thrown together.."
www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g54726-d622050-r1...
South Dakota's Original 1880 Town: Interesting town but kind of 'thrown' together - See traveler reviews, 38 candid photos, and great deals for Murdo, SD, ...
Bagtown Complex :: Pioneer Park
www.griffith.nsw.gov.au/page.asp?p=DOC-PTR-04-88-50
The rapid influx of construction gangs required emergency housing and facilities to be literally **thrown together**. ... The only drawback with this material seems to have been the foul odour of the tallow ... The construction of stores, offices and housing opposite the commercial activities ensured the town was able to serve the ...
Due to the population boom, it’s easiest to find new construction or renovated townhouses, duplexes, and larger apartment or condominium communities that are being rented out rather cheaply. These places can be a good deal because of their updated interiors and looks, but some of them have a habit of being pretty shoddily crafted due to how quickly they were **thrown together**.
http://www.apartmentlist.com/ca/santa-rosa
www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g54726-d622050-r1...
South Dakota's Original 1880 Town: Interesting town but kind of 'thrown' together - See traveler reviews, 38 candid photos, and great deals for Murdo, SD, ...
Bagtown Complex :: Pioneer Park
www.griffith.nsw.gov.au/page.asp?p=DOC-PTR-04-88-50
The rapid influx of construction gangs required emergency housing and facilities to be literally **thrown together**. ... The only drawback with this material seems to have been the foul odour of the tallow ... The construction of stores, offices and housing opposite the commercial activities ensured the town was able to serve the ...
Due to the population boom, it’s easiest to find new construction or renovated townhouses, duplexes, and larger apartment or condominium communities that are being rented out rather cheaply. These places can be a good deal because of their updated interiors and looks, but some of them have a habit of being pretty shoddily crafted due to how quickly they were **thrown together**.
http://www.apartmentlist.com/ca/santa-rosa
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Richard Hill
: I like the combination, "haphazardly thrown together" http://tiny.cc/nvkmnw
7 mins
|
|
Yeah, that works :) Even though 'thrown together' gives that impression in itself. Good for emphasis though.
|
+2
9 mins
haphazardly/any old how
Most of Managua is haphazardly put together/constructed
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2012-11-11 19:59:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Once build as residences for the foreigners who lived and worked in Beyoglu area, buildings of Tarlabasi, with generations of increasingly less affluent residents, have accumulated haphazardly put together layers
http://superpool.org/index.php/tarlabasi-apartment
Part of the city looks haphazardly put together
http://www.skyride.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/during_bui...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2012-11-11 20:13:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Having seen Lisa's suggestion, if it was my question/translation, I'd mix the two and go with "haphazardly thrown together" http://tiny.cc/nvkmnw
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2012-11-11 23:33:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
As the previous paragraph of the asker's source text is: "La Alcaldía no tiene los recursos para capacitar, entonces la gente construye sin permiso, sin arquitecto, sin ingeniero estructural y sin supervisión en la obra.", i'm not sure the first sentence of the next paragraph refers to "planning permission" alone, but rather the intention of his phrase, "a la brava", may be to encompass all the above, and possibly related to his earlier turn of phrase, "A su criterio, Managua ha crecido a la carrera."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2012-11-11 19:59:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Once build as residences for the foreigners who lived and worked in Beyoglu area, buildings of Tarlabasi, with generations of increasingly less affluent residents, have accumulated haphazardly put together layers
http://superpool.org/index.php/tarlabasi-apartment
Part of the city looks haphazardly put together
http://www.skyride.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/during_bui...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2012-11-11 20:13:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Having seen Lisa's suggestion, if it was my question/translation, I'd mix the two and go with "haphazardly thrown together" http://tiny.cc/nvkmnw
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2012-11-11 23:33:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
As the previous paragraph of the asker's source text is: "La Alcaldía no tiene los recursos para capacitar, entonces la gente construye sin permiso, sin arquitecto, sin ingeniero estructural y sin supervisión en la obra.", i'm not sure the first sentence of the next paragraph refers to "planning permission" alone, but rather the intention of his phrase, "a la brava", may be to encompass all the above, and possibly related to his earlier turn of phrase, "A su criterio, Managua ha crecido a la carrera."
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
philgoddard
: I've come round more to Charles's answer, but I think there may be some of this in it too - perhaps "haphazardly and without planning permission". My "papas a la brava" may look a bit of a mess on the plate, but they don't need planning consent.
4 hrs
|
|
Yes, perhaps it should encompass the whole thing, "A su criterio, Managua ha crecido a la carrera." and "...la gente construye sin permiso, sin arquitecto, sin ingeniero estructural y sin supervisión en la obra."
|
|
| agree |
Cristina Gonzalez
: Of course the lack of planning permission is a factor, but I think in this sentence they mean to say that things are built "sobre la marcha," that is, without ANY type of planning
12 hrs
|
Something went wrong...