Somaro

English translation: Dunce

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Italian term or phrase:	Somaro
English translation:	Dunce
Entered by:	sara viscardi

10:26 May 21, 2018

Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

Italian term or phrase: Somaro

Dear colleagues,

I am translating a book review where I need to translate the term Somaro (or Asino), with the specific meaning of a boy (or girl) being lazy at school and generally not making any effort in school.

Here is the context:

“Anche se oggi ci sono tanti acronimi per definirli (DSA, BES, ADHD ecc.), il pensiero comune li considera dei somari, cioè alunni (Treccani, definizione di )” (p.7).

I've found these entries:
somaro nm figurato (scolaro non brillante) (not a bright person) ass, dunce, moron, idiot n

I'm thinking to go with ass, as it seems to me the most fitting one, still retaining a link with the original Italian figure of speech - also, given the context of a book review, alternatives as moron or idiot don't seem fit to me.

Could anyone UK EN native speaker confirm me if this is the best choice, please?

Many thanks!
Sara

sara viscardi KudoZ activity Questions: 6 (none open) Answers: 1 United Kingdom
Local time: 02:34

Dunce

Explanation:
Naturally, as Tom points out, it is considered offensive and not politically correct nowadays but this term was used in the past.

Selected response from:

Lisa Jane
Italy
Local time: 03:34

Grading comment

very useful and accurate. many thanks for your quick help!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +4

Dunce

Lisa Jane

4 +1

donkey

BdiL

pupils with learning difficulties

Tom in London

loafer

Maria Pat Scarpetta

Discussion entries: 3

sara viscardi

United Kingdom

ASKER

11:11 May 21, 2018

thanks Lisa, I think "dunce" is exactly what I was looking for:

https://www.google.com/search?q=the boy is a dunce&client=fi...

I take it would be understood by a British audience in the old-fashioned way and not offensive as such. I think the authors' point is to oppose an old-fashioned and not up-to-date vision of these pupils to a more informed view on the subject, so this term seems perfect to me.

Also: "If you say that someone is a dunce, you think they are rather stupid because they find it difficult or impossible to learn what someone is trying to teach them". https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dunce

sara viscardi

United Kingdom

ASKER

further point

10:51 May 21, 2018

Hi Tom,
thanks a lot for your help.

Actually, the book is exactly about your point, and the use of Somaro, which in Italian is a sort of old-fashioned way of saying "lazy boy" (so, not offensive in itself), is to be opposed to children with special needs. Therefore, I need a common term that I can use to be opposed to "student with special needs". I am pasting here the entire paragraph:

Questo libro non parla di alunni con DSA come categoria diagnostica, ma cerca di raccontare le persone che stanno dietro a queste sigle, le loro vite e le loro paure.
Il testo si compone di quindici toccanti storie raccontate da alunni, genitori, nonni e insegnanti che hanno parlato delle loro esperienze.
“Anche se oggi ci sono tanti acronimi per definirli (DSA, BES, ADHD ecc.), il pensiero comune li considera dei somari, cioè alunni "di scarsa intelligenza e capacità […] che non traggono profitto dagli studi" (Treccani, definizione di "Somaro")” (p.7).
Purtroppo, a volte, anche la scuola si allinea all'immaginario collettivo e prende atto delle difficoltà dell'alunno, rimandando la soluzione del problema ai genitori, proponendo - in assenza di miglioramenti - la bocciatura.

sara viscardi

United Kingdom

ASKER

Sorry, punctuation messed up the quote

10:33 May 21, 2018

“Anche se oggi ci sono tanti acronimi per definirli (DSA, BES, ADHD ecc.), il pensiero comune li considera dei somari, cioè alunni "di scarsa intelligenza e capacità […] che non traggono profitto dagli studi" (Treccani, definizione di "Somaro")” (p.7).

Answers

11 mins confidence:

pupils with learning difficulties

Explanation:
The literal translation of the term Somaro is offensive in modern pedagogy and is factually incorrect. I would not use it.

Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:34
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 155

28 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

Dunce

Explanation:
Naturally, as Tom points out, it is considered offensive and not politically correct nowadays but this term was used in the past.

Lisa Jane
Italy
Local time: 03:34
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Italian
PRO pts in category: 136

Grading comment

very useful and accurate. many thanks for your quick help!

Notes to answerer

Asker: thanks Lisa, I think that "dunce" is exactly what I was looking for https://www.google.com/search?q=the+boy+is+a+dunce&client=firefox-b-ab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiSvYSJ05bbAhUNKuwKHcZqBI0QsAR6BAgBEDQ&biw=1408&bih=688 I take it it would be understood by a British audience in the old-fashioned way and not offensive as such. Also: If you say that someone is a dunce, you think they are rather stupid because they find it difficult or impossible to learn what someone is trying to teach them. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dunce

32 mins confidence:

loafer

Explanation:
this means "scansafatiche" which could work, since it is not offensive in itself. since if I am not mistaken the issue is that these pupils are blamed rather than helped, shifting the meaning on being lazy rather than active could work

Maria Pat Scarpetta
Italy
Local time: 03:34
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Italian

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks Maria, this is a really good suggestion. I am still finding "dunce" more appropriate though, as (I think) the authors' point is to oppose an old-fashioned and not up-to-date vision of these pupils to a more informed view on the subject.

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

donkey

Explanation:
I would refrain from "ass" as it would appear equivocal in US EN.
I think that the use of the simple word "donkey" (as in Italian "someone stubbornly refraining from studying") expresses the idea the common people have in their imagination about such pupils, not the psychologists, of course.

In the modern usage (and I mean in the recent centuries) "dunce" (and the dunce cap) have been used to set apart (by the "pensiero comune") such pupils. However, its etimology can be traced back to philosopher Duns (whence "dunce") Scotus. At some point in history, opposers of Duns Scotus' ideas started using dunce to tag his supporters giving "dunce" a negative and abusive connotation. This happened towards a man who had previously been highly esteemed, thus reverting the sentiment to a wholly negative one.
This is why I would prefer a simpler word like donkey. By doing so we are not commending the idea that such pupils are "seen" like donkeys; we are describing how it goes in the common people's minds.
Maurizio

BdiL
Italy
Local time: 03:34
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Italian
PRO pts in category: 8

Notes to answerer

Asker: thanks Maurizio, very useful

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English translation: Dunce

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