Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
cobrar por jugar de comparsa
English translation:
to make somebody pay/to take an indirect swipe at (someone)/to show (someone) up for playing the puppet to (someone)/for sucking up to (someone)
Added to glossary by
María Teresa Taylor Oliver
Aug 31, 2018 14:13
5 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Spanish term
Panama
Synesthete with a flair for tasty words!
Native in: Spanish (Variants: Costa Rican, Panamanian, Nicaraguan, Mexican, Peruvian, Venezuelan, Cuban, Honduran, Argentine, US, Guatemalan, Salvadoran, Latin American, Colombian) 
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish
cobrar por jugar de comparsa
Spanish to English
Social Sciences
Government / Politics
I'm translating an opinion column, "Mintieron Trump y gobierno mexicano," by Ricardo Raphael on the statements made by Trump earlier this week that the US and Mexico had reached a "bilateral agreement" leaving Canada out: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/columna/ricardo-raphael/nacion...
I can't quite find the way to render "cobrar" here (in fact, the whole phrase; I understand what "jugar de comparsa" might mean, but I don't know how to render it):
"Esto quiere decir que Canadá nunca estuvo fuera por motivos propios, sino por razones relacionadas con la problemática de sus socios.
Por esto fue que, una vez atendidas tales cuestiones complicadas —que estaban fuera de su órbita de decisión— el gobierno canadiense decidió volver a la mesa de negociaciones ayer miércoles a las nueve de la mañana.
Un día antes Freeland ********cobró a los negociadores mexicanos por haber jugado de comparsa******** con el habitante de la Casa Blanca. Con una sonrisa ingenua y un discurso preciso la ministra declaró el martes pasado: gracias a que México hizo concesiones significativas y difíciles en temas laborales y de la industria automotriz es que este próximo viernes podrá firmarse el TLCAN modernizado.
Many thanks in advance!
I can't quite find the way to render "cobrar" here (in fact, the whole phrase; I understand what "jugar de comparsa" might mean, but I don't know how to render it):
"Esto quiere decir que Canadá nunca estuvo fuera por motivos propios, sino por razones relacionadas con la problemática de sus socios.
Por esto fue que, una vez atendidas tales cuestiones complicadas —que estaban fuera de su órbita de decisión— el gobierno canadiense decidió volver a la mesa de negociaciones ayer miércoles a las nueve de la mañana.
Un día antes Freeland ********cobró a los negociadores mexicanos por haber jugado de comparsa******** con el habitante de la Casa Blanca. Con una sonrisa ingenua y un discurso preciso la ministra declaró el martes pasado: gracias a que México hizo concesiones significativas y difíciles en temas laborales y de la industria automotriz es que este próximo viernes podrá firmarse el TLCAN modernizado.
Many thanks in advance!
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | to make somebody pay for playing puppet |
Francois Boye
|
| 4 | pay for sucking up to |
David Hollywood
|
| 3 | exact payment on - for playing puppet / second-rater in a puppet show |
JohnMcDove
|
Proposed translations
+1
2 hrs
Francois Boye
United States
United States
United States
An economic geek with social skills
Native in: French
Works in: English to French, French to English, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
40
Spanish term (edited):
cobrar a alguien por jugar de comparsa
Selected
to make somebody pay for playing puppet
Freeland made the Mexican negotiators pay for playing puppet with the White House resident
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you so much for your contributions! Sadly, I can only give points to one answer, but everyone was very helpful. I appreciate the discussion. Since I had to deliver this before I could see some of the answers, I had to leave it as:
"took an indirect swipe at the Mexican negotiators for having acted as co-conspirators""
8 hrs
exact payment on - for playing puppet / second-rater in a puppet show
2 days 12 hrs
David Hollywood
Native in English
worked for int. orgs (IMF, OAS, IDB)
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
223
pay for sucking up to
Un día antes Freeland ********cobró a los negociadores mexicanos por haber jugado de comparsa******** con el habitante de la Casa Blanca.
The day before Freeland .... made the Mexican negotiators pay for sucking up to the White House tenant
The day before Freeland .... made the Mexican negotiators pay for sucking up to the White House tenant
Discussion
comparsa: The meaning must be this one:
"Persona que acompaña a otra, sin tener participación activa en sus acciones."
http://dem.colmex.mx/moduls/Default.aspx?id=8
The implication, it seems to me, is along the lines of "puppets". In this particular case, I would consider "useful idiots".
Quizás:
Freeland tried to get back at the mexican negotiators for their supporting role… (“to get back at” es más suave que “revenge”)
Quizá algo como "made the Mexican negotiators pay for..." o "passed the bill"? Algo así podría funcionar, el sentido es que "castigó" a los negociadores mexicanos, se "vengó" de ellos, o así lo entiendo yo. Seguro que a alguien se le ocurre algo mejor :-)
Something to do with playing as extras in a film?
http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/comparsa