poco serio

English translation: unprofessional

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:poco serio
English translation:unprofessional
Entered by: Isabelle Johnson

16:45 Feb 4, 2012
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Journalism / poco serio
Italian term or phrase: poco serio
Is there a way we'd say "poco serio" in English, besides "not very serious"? Here's the phrase:

"Si definisce anche "risibile", la notizia, definita "debitrice di un certo giornalismo assai poco serio"...etc (poi da la notizia, etc.)"

Any ideas?

ie, "He defined as 'laughable', the news, defined also as "owing much to a style of journalism that's hardly serious"...etc.

Thanks,

Peter
unitracen
Italy
Local time: 11:07
unprofessional
Explanation:
This is an option
Selected response from:

Isabelle Johnson
Italy
Local time: 11:07
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4unprofessional
Isabelle Johnson
4 +3less than serious/professional
Giles Watson
4 +1not to be taken seriously
trsk2000 (X)
4risible
Yvonne Gallagher
4facile / superficial / light-weight
Michael Korovkin
3light-hearted
Lisa Jane
3unreliable
Erika Di Dio
4 -2Frivolous
Andrew Bramhall


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
unprofessional


Explanation:
This is an option

Isabelle Johnson
Italy
Local time: 11:07
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Andrew Bramhall: I doubt it. By saying it's unprofessional, you're somehow making a judgement about it.//NO! You're making the value judgement with your translation, which simply isn't needed
1 min
  -> I think it is a value judgement myself

agree  texjax DDS PhD: I agree
19 mins
  -> Thank you. Appreciate it! Have a good weekend.

agree  Katia DG: È proprio un giudizio quello che viene espresso. Nel contesto, unprofessional può andare bene.
1 hr
  -> Thanks Katia

agree  Lorraine Buckley (X): Definitely has the right meaning and register... not much context, maybe it goes on to use expressions that could be translated as 'gutter press' if that is the kind of journalism it refers to
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Lorraine

agree  darwilliam
1 day 6 hrs
  -> Thanks

agree  Thomas Roberts
10 days
  -> Thanks Thomas
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -2
Frivolous


Explanation:
A frivolous style of journalism, which he took light-heartedly, i.e, without taking it seriously.

Andrew Bramhall
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:07
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Maria Panizzi: Un giornalismo assai poo serio potrebbe essere frivolo, ma anche scandalistico, fazioso, politicamente scorretto e quant'altro; dunque 'frivolo' in questo contesto è iponimo di 'assai poco serio' e in quanto tale non ne copre l'intero campo semantico
5 hrs
  -> Don't think you'ver understood the nuance of meaning of frivolous in English.

disagree  Thomas Roberts: I think you're barking up the wrong tree here, something which is poco serio is by no means also frivolous
10 days
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
light-hearted


Explanation:
another possibility

Lisa Jane
Italy
Local time: 11:07
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  James (Jim) Davis: Doesn't fit the style and context properly
12 hrs
  -> yes, I was too hasty..realized that soon after..see discussion

agree  Andrew Bramhall: No, you weren't too hasty. You were too weak willed in concurring with the comments of JD above.
1 day 41 mins
  -> was I?
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
not to be taken seriously


Explanation:
...

trsk2000 (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Katia DG: Mi dispiace ma non è questo il significato della locuzione "poco serio", almeno non in questo contesto.
1 hr
  -> I still stand by my suggestion

agree  James (Jim) Davis: I think that this is precisely the meaning, except that "assai" has not been translated.
16 hrs
  -> thank you Jim

agree  Yvonne Gallagher: I agree with Jim's comment //but this should not have got a "disagree" so will agree
21 hrs
  -> thank you gallagy2

agree  Andrew Bramhall: Yes, that's it.
1 day 39 mins
  -> thank you Oliver

disagree  Thomas Roberts: poco serio means more like something not done with a professional or respectful attitude
10 days
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
unreliable


Explanation:
una possibilità

Erika Di Dio
Local time: 11:07
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
risible


Explanation:
would seem to work well here

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2012-02-04 22:44:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/risible


risible

If you describe something as risible, you mean that it is ridiculous and does not deserve to be taken seriously.
FORMAL adj
(disapproval) (=ludicrous)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2012-02-04 22:48:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

politicalscrapbook.net/2011/.../steve-coogan-paul-mcmullan-newsnig...

9 Jul 2011 – “This guy sat outside my house. It's just a risible, deplorable profession that you're in.” “You're not a journalist. You know you're not, deep down.

you could use "ludicrous" as well


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2012-02-04 22:49:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://politicalscrapbook.net/2011/07/steve-coogan-paul-mcmu...

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 10:07
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  James (Jim) Davis: Yes, but then how on earth do you translate "risibile" just a few words away. Laughable followed by risible is not really on.
7 hrs
  -> hmm, I take your point about the two together...
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
less than serious/professional


Explanation:
"Unprofessional" gets the negative notion across but the Italian uses the rhetorical device of litotes, highlighted by inverted commas in the original, and this really needs to be reflected in the English. One equivalent litotic negative is "less than".

"Owing much to a certain less than serious style of journalism".

Giles Watson
Italy
Local time: 11:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  James (Jim) Davis: Don't know whether to agree of not, because you haven't addressed the context of "assai". "Far from serious" I think would do it. I don't think recourse to "professional" is necessary. Professional journalism doesn't seem to coincide with accurate today.
59 mins
  -> "Far from serious" is lexically closer to the Italian but "less than serious" is more sarcastic (meiosis), which is the intended effect of the phrase. I agree that there is no real need to substitute "serious" with "professional".

agree  Yvonne Gallagher: a somewhat less than serious approach to/style of
4 hrs
  -> Thanks. IMO "somewhat" detracts from the force of the interpolation.

agree  Umberto Cassano
6 hrs
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1 day 57 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
facile / superficial / light-weight


Explanation:
...

Michael Korovkin
Italy
Local time: 11:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 24
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