cabeceras comarcales

English translation: district/local administrative capital

08:25 May 11, 2019
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Tourism & Travel / Smart cities
Spanish term or phrase: cabeceras comarcales
SPAIN. This is from an article on "Smart cities". I know what it means, but I'm not sure how to best express it. (Posting as a non-pro query to save anyone else the trouble of downgrading it).


"Desde la Estrategia Territorial Europea (1999), se ha venido advirtiendo la importancia de desarrollar un sistema urbano europeo más equilibrado y ordenado, capaz de generar un desarrollo policéntrico en aras de asegurar a la mayoría de la población de los recursos, los servicios, el empleo y la innovación a través de las redes de ciudades, con la finalidad de procurar también una mayor cohesión territorial (Romero y Farinós, 2004). Así pues, las ciudades intermedias que cumplen funciones de ***cabeceras comarcales*** adquieren un esencial protagonismo en estas regiones y constituyen importantes centros de desarrollo de actividades industriales y de servicios, investigación y tecnología, turismo y ocio (Comisión Europea, 1999).
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 20:25
English translation:district/local administrative capital
Explanation:
1. Avoids counties, shires, hundreds, boroughs, parishes, townlands and any other of the many variations out there
2. Uses "district", a neutral but universally comprehensible term
3. Seems to fit the excellent definitions in Stuart and Aida's references
4. Reflects the fact that there are local authority offices etc. there

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Note added at 8 hrs (2019-05-11 16:59:43 GMT)
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WOOPS, I forgot to acknowledge Charles - devoted as ever
Selected response from:

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:25
Grading comment
I actually ended up using both region/district to refer to the area, and "hub" as well at one point. I think the finished article reads quite well. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this query - I really appreciate it.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2district/local administrative capital
AllegroTrans
4regional head
Marina56
3 +1county towns
Isabel Peralta
4regional capital cities
Francois Boye
4regional hub
philgoddard
3chief town
Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
3capitals of comarcas
Helena Chavarria
Summary of reference entries provided
Capital Comarcal - Comarca
Stuart and Aida Nelson

Discussion entries: 31





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
regional head


Explanation:
Espero te ayude


Marina56
Local time: 20:25
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: head of what?
4 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
county towns


Explanation:
If you are translating into UK English. Also county heads or administrative centres are possible, and if you are translating into US English, maybe clearer.


    https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_town
Isabel Peralta
Spain
Local time: 20:25
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: This really is MUCH too localised to E&W, needs to be more "country neutral"; I don;t think there is any direct comparison
2 hrs

agree  Jessica Noyes: The asker doesn't state which English he is translating into, but since it is an article about Europe, I think an official UK English term is 100% fine. Otherwise, she suggests "administrative centres" which also works.
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Jessica

neutral  Helena Chavarria: A county town is the most important town of any county in Britain and Ireland. Barcelona province, for example, has 12 comarcas (12 county towns?).
5 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
regional capital cities


Explanation:
my take

Francois Boye
United States
Local time: 15:25
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
chief town


Explanation:
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/chief-t...

Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
Mexico
Local time: 14:25
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: The problem with this solution is that it needs to be linked to a geographical entity in order to be clear and unambiguous
1 hr
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
district/local administrative capital


Explanation:
1. Avoids counties, shires, hundreds, boroughs, parishes, townlands and any other of the many variations out there
2. Uses "district", a neutral but universally comprehensible term
3. Seems to fit the excellent definitions in Stuart and Aida's references
4. Reflects the fact that there are local authority offices etc. there

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2019-05-11 16:59:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------


WOOPS, I forgot to acknowledge Charles - devoted as ever

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:25
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 48
Grading comment
I actually ended up using both region/district to refer to the area, and "hub" as well at one point. I think the finished article reads quite well. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this query - I really appreciate it.
Notes to answerer
Asker: The town is described as "capital" of the "comarca" in several references.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Charles Davis: This would still be my choice (and thanks for the acknowledgement!)
33 mins

agree  Stuart and Aida Nelson: I was actually thinking of posting a similar answer with administrative capital.
37 mins

neutral  philgoddard: I think this is overtranslation, and too specific. It implies that the town or city has some kind of official status, but it's just the biggest and most important in the region.
12 hrs
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20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
regional hub


Explanation:
How about this?
hub
2a : a center of activity : FOCAL POINT

The island is a major tourist hub.

philgoddard
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 55
Notes to answerer
Asker: Promising. I've actually used "hub" to translate "cabeceras de áreas funcionales" (principal hubs of functional areas), although that may get tweaked once I get the first draft done...


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: "hub" strikes me a vague term; I think the fact that the town or city concerned is an administrative centre needs to be expressed
21 hrs
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2 days 4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
capitals of comarcas


Explanation:
I've discussed this question with members of my family and I've come to the conclusion that I wouldn't translate 'comarca'.

I know it's not the same, but we don't translate Swiss 'cantons' and we happily refer to French departments.

The 26 cantons of Switzerland (German: Kanton, French: canton, Italian: cantone, Romansh: chantun) are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swiss Confederacy in the form of the first three confederate allies used to be referred to as the Waldstätte.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantons_of_Switzerland

In the administrative divisions of France, the department (French: département, pronounced [depaʁt(ə)mɑ̃]) is one of the three levels of government below the national level ("territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the commune. Ninety-six departments are in metropolitan France, and five are overseas departments, which are also classified as regions. Departments are further subdivided into 334 arrondissements, themselves divided into cantons; the last two have no autonomy, and are used for the organisation of police, fire departments, and sometimes, elections.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Departments_of_France

I've provided references from Wikipedia because I think they sufficiently illustrate my answer.

I would probably use 'region' or 'district' if the term appeared once or twice and was not particularly relevant.

Several years ago I read that English is so popular around the world because there are no strict rules, not because it's an easy language to learn. I wish I could remember where I read it because I thought it was interesting.

As we all know, Spanish people are used to translating everything but that's not the case in English. Once my mother had come over to visit me and she was talking to someone who told her that my name was really Helen - she couldn't believe it! Incidentally, my name is 'Helena, wth stress on the first syllable ;-)

In conclusion, I'm sure that I would either add a note or write comarca and put a short definition in brackets afterwards.

Helena Chavarria
Spain
Local time: 20:25
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, BUT, both "canton" and "department" aleady exist in English. "Comarca" doesn't, and the Frenchified "comarque" just seems like a cop-out to me. I'm either going with "region" (small r) or district.

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Reference comments


8 hrs peer agreement (net): +2
Reference: Capital Comarcal - Comarca

Reference information:
Concepto sinónimo de lo que se entiende popularmente como " capital comarcal" , o más técnicamente " centro funcional" , coincide con el núcleo que en un entorno rural ejerce funciones terciarias o de servicios, sobre los núcleos rurales del área próxima. (P.R.V.).
http://unizar.es/geoatlas/GLOSARIO/19.htm

En Aragón, la elección de las cabeceras comarcales está adquiriendo un papel determinante en la nueva política de ordenación del territorio que, desde la D.G.A., se trata de impulsar mediante la Ley de Ordenación del Territorio, las Directrices Generales de Ordenación Territorial y la Ley de Comarcalización. Las características y complejidad de nuestro territorio: zonas de montaña, altiplanos, grandes extensiones de secano, unos y otros escasamente poblados, concentración demográfica en vegas y valles..., determinan que los núcleos urbanos capaces de organizar el territorio sean muy distintos en una u otra zona. Diversos estudios elaborados a partir de los años setenta insisten en que la distribución de cabeceras comarcales (o núcleos centralizadores de servicios) no puede ser arbitraria, ni siquiera fundamentarse en criterios teóricamente objetivos.
http://www.enciclopedia-aragonesa.com/voz.asp?voz_id=2722

Siempre se sitúa a Lorca como cabecera comarcal. Nadie parece ponerlo en duda a pesar de que desde ciertos sectores se miran con recelo las inversiones que llegan a los vecinos.
https://www.laverdad.es/murcia/v/20100815/lorca/cabecera-com...

La fusión de Cerdedo golpea a A Estrada como cabecera comarcal
En general, la elección de Cerdedo no tendría por qué hacer perder peso a A Estrada como cabecera comarcal, ya que en la práctica los cerdedenses ya han vivido hasta ahora hacia donde han querido.
https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/deza/a-estrada/2016/02...

En España, en el último cuarto del siglo XX, la aparición de disfuncionalidades en la estructura territorial formada por regiones históricas, provincias, partidos judiciales y municipios planteada en el XIX, y el nacimiento de las Comunidades Autónomas, que inicialmente buscan establecer formas de organización territorial propia, hace resurgir la idea de comarca, ahora con un sentido más técnico, como una entidad territorial que agrupa varios municipios y se articula sobre una cabecera de comarca, de manera que la Comunidad Autónoma pueda descomponerse en una serie de comarcas. Así, asociado a este nuevo sentido de la comarca, se pone en circulación el verbo comarcalizar y el resultado de aplicarlo que es la comarcalización.
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comarca

Stuart and Aida Nelson
United Kingdom
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
Note to reference poster
Asker: It's also described a a region (small "r) in this Spanish newspaper article: "3 oct. 2016 - Con gritos como “fuera fascistas” o “Cañizares fuera de la Safor [región de la que es capital Gandía]”


Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  AllegroTrans
12 mins
  -> Gracias Allegro :)
agree  Charles Davis: Very useful, thanks!
45 mins
  -> Gracias, Charles :)
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