aun cuando tuviese agua

English translation: even with water at hand/even with water available

01:31 Sep 8, 2020
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - History
Spanish term or phrase: aun cuando tuviese agua
La siguiente es una cita de una carta de Simón Bolívar, en la que se refiere a su travesía de Venezuela a Curazao en el buque Jesús, María y José, la cual duró más de lo previsto, por lo que se quedaron sin agua y comida a bordo:

"Y si insiste en que yo vaya a morir al mar en un buque que no puede remontar aun cuando tuviese agua, yo quiero que me mande pasar por las armas y no sufro que se me ordene morir de hambre y sed."

Mi duda radica en que, si "aun cuando tuviese agua" se refiere a agua para beber, por qué mencionaría luego lo de "morir de sed"?
Manuel Maduro
Local time: 11:30
English translation:even with water at hand/even with water available
Explanation:
Puede parecer contradictorio pero mi interpretación lo considera enfático: su actitud estoica de lucha sería la misma incluso con mejores condiciones (con agua disponible). Sí, sobreentiendo que se refiere a agua potable (drinking water). Espero haber resultado de ayuda.
Selected response from:

Elisenda Palau
Local time: 16:30
Grading comment
Muchísimas gracias!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
1 +3[worthless boat] even if water were available
Muriel Vasconcellos
4even with water at hand/even with water available
Elisenda Palau


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +3
[barco que no puede remontar] aun cuando tuviese agua
[worthless boat] even if water were available


Explanation:
I agree that it's illogical, but people make mistakes when they write, especially back in the day before word processing. I think his main point is that the boat is intolerable. Maybe he's saying that the boat is in such a despicable state that he would rather die in battle than continue to tolerate the insufferable conditions.

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 08:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 50
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you so much. I ended up using "even with water at hand," but the feedback you both gave me was equally valuable.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sara Fairen: I think "remontar" here means "navegar" https://dle.rae.es/remontar Perhaps it is useless, even on calm waters
8 hrs
  -> Thank you, Sara!

agree  Robert Copeland
21 hrs
  -> Thank you, Robert!

agree  Yvonne Gallagher: your answer was first?
23 hrs
  -> Thank you, Yvonne! I guess you can't win them all :)
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
even with water at hand/even with water available


Explanation:
Puede parecer contradictorio pero mi interpretación lo considera enfático: su actitud estoica de lucha sería la misma incluso con mejores condiciones (con agua disponible). Sí, sobreentiendo que se refiere a agua potable (drinking water). Espero haber resultado de ayuda.

Elisenda Palau
Local time: 16:31
Native speaker of: Native in CatalanCatalan, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Muchísimas gracias!
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