piano, pianoforte

English translation: Don't worry, you'll hear me! I'll be at the piano!

17:34 Jul 27, 2016
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Italian term or phrase: piano, pianoforte
This one has been driving me crazy all day.

At a "riunione di condominio", one of the residents invites everyone else round for a party.

One replies: "Lei a che piano sta?"

The host says: "Io? Saro' al pianoforte!"

Any suggestions on how to handle this while maintaining some humour?
I've got to keep a reference to "piano" in there as it's crucial to what happens next.
David Turnbull
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:52
English translation:Don't worry, you'll hear me! I'll be at the piano!
Explanation:
Maybe you could get round it with something like this?

"What floor are you on?"
"Don't worry, you'll hear me! I'll be at the piano!"

Obviously you can "play" (see what I did there??!) with the first part, according to your text and your own creativity :-)
Selected response from:

Fiona Grace Peterson
Italy
Local time: 00:52
Grading comment
Thanks for the suggestion.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +5Don't worry, you'll hear me! I'll be at the piano!
Fiona Grace Peterson
3 +3What floor are you on? I'll be on the dance floor!
Jasmina Towers
4what floor? on the stage!
Claudia Wuester
3"Are you on the board?" "I'm on the keyboard!"
Raph Torrance


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Don't worry, you'll hear me! I'll be at the piano!


Explanation:
Maybe you could get round it with something like this?

"What floor are you on?"
"Don't worry, you'll hear me! I'll be at the piano!"

Obviously you can "play" (see what I did there??!) with the first part, according to your text and your own creativity :-)

Fiona Grace Peterson
Italy
Local time: 00:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 18
Grading comment
Thanks for the suggestion.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  EleoE
1 hr

agree  philgoddard: This loses the wordplay, but fits the context.
1 hr

agree  Barbara Carrara: Snap!
11 hrs

agree  BrigitteHilgner
12 hrs

agree  Yvonne Gallagher
16 hrs
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47 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
what floor? on the stage!


Explanation:
'what floor? on the stage!' if the piano guy wanted to say 'who cares? let's have fun!'- alternatively, if the piano guy was about to move in, he may have found a way to let everybody know that he'll have the better/bigger appartment and/or considerable say in future condominio assemblies, be it because of the size of his appartment, be it because he's a dominant personality, in which case 'what floor? the executive floor!'

Claudia Wuester
Italy
Local time: 00:52
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
Notes to answerer
Asker: Honourable mention. Thanks. I proposed this as an alternative for the client.

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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
What floor are you on? I'll be on the dance floor!


Explanation:

.

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Note added at 52 mins (2016-07-27 18:27:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oops I hadn't noticed the last bit about keeping the piano reference!

Jasmina Towers
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tom in London: I wouldn't worry about the piano. I like this. It has the same zip as the Italian and you could always add something like "on the dance floor, at the piano"
1 hr

agree  EleoE: With Tom.
1 hr

agree  Anna Amisano: not easy to solve...I like this way!
15 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
"Are you on the board?" "I'm on the keyboard!"


Explanation:
Bearing in mind the extended context... if it's important for him to be at the piano then we could use a different way to reference it (keys, ivory, keyboard etc.) and change the original question.

A lot of blocks of flats have a homeowner's board or association, so what if the guy asks the stranger if he's on the board?

Raph Torrance
Local time: 00:52
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
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