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
Astigmatismo miopico compuesto con la regla
situación de dependencia o de comunidad

Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

el papel aguanta cualquier cosa

English translation:

everything may seem great in theory/on paper

Added to glossary by Marie Wilson
Feb 26, 2021 09:29
3 yrs ago
48 viewers *
Spanish term

el papel aguanta cualquier cosa

Spanish to English Bus/Financial Business/Commerce (general) Internship programme
This is from a company's staff attraction and recruitment policy, specifically referring to its internship programme

"Todos sabemos que el papel aguanta cualquier cosa: como en todas las relaciones hay que ver qué tal nos llevamos en la realidad."

A strange turn of phrase (to me, at least) that seems to be basically saying that having something on paper is not the same/as good as actually doing them...?

What do others think please?

Thanks
Proposed translations (English)
3 +8 everything may seem great/fine in theory
3 the role involves any number of things
2 Apperances can be deceiving
Change log

Mar 3, 2021 19:42: Marie Wilson Created KOG entry

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (1): Carol Gullidge

When entering new questions, KudoZ askers are given an opportunity* to classify the difficulty of their questions as 'easy' or 'pro'. If you feel a question marked 'easy' should actually be marked 'pro', and if you have earned more than 20 KudoZ points, you can click the "Vote PRO" button to recommend that change.

How to tell the difference between "easy" and "pro" questions:

An easy question is one that any bilingual person would be able to answer correctly. (Or in the case of monolingual questions, an easy question is one that any native speaker of the language would be able to answer correctly.)

A pro question is anything else... in other words, any question that requires knowledge or skills that are specialized (even slightly).

Another way to think of the difficulty levels is this: an easy question is one that deals with everyday conversation. A pro question is anything else.

When deciding between easy and pro, err on the side of pro. Most questions will be pro.

* Note: non-member askers are not given the option of entering 'pro' questions; the only way for their questions to be classified as 'pro' is for a ProZ.com member or members to re-classify it.

Discussion

Príamo Jiménez Mar 2, 2021:
Just a (late) side note This is very used where I come from (DR) as "el papel aguanta todo" in the sense Marie described, but also implying in some way that paper, even though fragile, is strong enough to bear the weight of (or contain) anything that's written on it, heavy lies, deep falsehoods (or deepfakes, as some are calling them now), poor quality text, etc.
Hope that makes sense =)
Carol Gullidge Feb 26, 2021:
No doubt a PRO question...! In which case, I apologise for my hastiness in voting it NON-PRO! Fortunately it takes three votes for a question to be downgraded.

However, this would never have happened in the first place if we had had the benefit of the Asker's own previous research, in particular, what alternatives he had already considered (other than simply "Paper"), and his grounds for rejecting these.
Marie Wilson Feb 26, 2021:
This expression does seem to exist, or at least a similar one:
https://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish-to-english/slang/1182832-...
https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/el-papel-aguanta.257...
Toni Castano Feb 26, 2021:
@Comunican Have you thought by any chance of a possible typo? Not "papel", but "panel" (= staff, committee). Without the benefit of the full context, it is difficult to say, but your source sentence seems nonsensical to me.
Ah, surely a PRO-question in this case.
Carol Gullidge Feb 26, 2021:
Collins dictionary: papel (3): => role, part in this case, the role of the successful applicant, the role s/he would be fulfilling (i.e., the job description?)
HOWEVER, I CAN see that this might not be as clearcut as I first imagined :) !
Marie Wilson Feb 26, 2021:
I've never heard this expression, and if I saw it out of context, its meaning would not be clear.
Carol Gullidge Feb 26, 2021:
Sorry, but this seemed so obvious to me... ...that it simply looked to me as though you hadn’t researched this! And in my own defence, it would have helped if you had posted ALL your ideas and research, and your reasons for discarding these possibilities! This would of course save us from making incorrect assumptions and also avoid duplicating research on our part
Comunican (asker) Feb 26, 2021:
I don't think it is role You may be right but I don't think it is. Assuming you are a professional and experienced translator like myself, the fact that we disagree is reason enough not to vote to reclassify my question as non-Pro!
Carol Gullidge Feb 26, 2021:
Papel Hmmmh, surely this is to do with the “role” to be fulfilled by the successful applicant rather than anything connected with “paper”!

Proposed translations

+8
20 mins
Selected

everything may seem great/fine in theory

Some discussions here:
https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/el-papel-aguanta.257...
https://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish-to-english/slang/1182832-...

I think here it means that things might seem one way in theory, and are a different matter in practise.

Todos sabemos que el papel aguanta cualquier cosa
We all know everything may seem great in theory ...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2021-02-26 11:07:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another option on the same lines:


look good on paper
To seem plausible, acceptable, or adequate in theory, though it may not prove to be so in reality.
Your idea looks good on paper, but I don't think it would work in a real-world environment.
The strategy looked good on paper, but it proved to be much more complicated and time consuming than we had expected.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 days (2021-03-03 19:41:36 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks, and glad to be of help!
Example sentence:

Like many changes, they seem great in theory, but it is implementation that always sets the greatest hurdle

Plenty of ideas seem great in theory, but don't pan out in the real world

Note from asker:
I like that! Thanks Marie!
Peer comment(s):
agree Shilpa Baliga : I especially like the "it looks good on paper" rendering
1 hr
Thanks, Shilpa! Was an afterthought but closer to ST.
agree Carol Gullidge : And I especially like "looks good on paper" (and no longer think this is NON-PRO!)
1 hr
Thanks, Carol, and as you say, need 3 votes so doesn't matter :-)
agree AllegroTrans : "looks good on paper" is also good
2 hrs
Thanks!
agree Wordrow (X)
2 hrs
Thank you!
agree Andrew Bramhall : Yep, 'on paper' or ' in theory'; both mean the same thing.
3 hrs
Thanks, Oliver!
agree James A. Walsh : Definitely think "looks good on paper" is closer to the ST.
3 hrs
Thanks, James, that seems to be most popular :-)
agree Melany Klinec
9 hrs
Thanks, Melany :-)
agree neilmac
21 hrs
Thanks, Neil :-)
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks so much Marie and agreers!"
3 hrs

Apperances can be deceiving

I feel my rendition conveys the same, although in a more direct way.
Example sentence:

That person seems charming, but appearances can be deceiving

Peer comment(s):
neutral ormiston : Mistakes in your English though!
1 day 8 hrs
Sí. Se “me falló” el inglés. I like how Spanish almost gives me an out ;)
Something went wrong...
15 hrs

the role involves any number of things

It says that everyone knows that any number of things are possible in the role, or on paper, but as in all relationships the reality of practice is yet to be seen.
Example sentence:

Dice que todos saben que cualquier número de cosas es posible en el papel, o entre los papeles (entre los trámites), pero, como en todas las relaciones la realidad de la práctica queda por conocer.

Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search