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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

mala mano

English translation: devastating effect

21:24 Oct 27, 2020
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Spanish term or phrase: mala mano
This is a text by a Chilean environmentalist, I understand that it means "to do harm" but don't quite get the nuance. Thanks:
Este río ha sostenido y sostiene toda la actividad humana de la zona, incluyendo: agricultura, ganadería, minería, industrias y poblados varios. Muchas de ellas han ido devolviendo una mala mano al río y la cuenca, con contaminantes, drenajes, destrucción de la vegetación de sus laderas, masivos y sedientos monocultivos de paltas, embalsamiento, entre muchas otras mezquindades.
Wendy Gosselin
Argentina
Local time: 19:15
English translation:devastating effect
Explanation:
Could be an option. The activities have had a negative effect on the river, leaving it in a parlous state.

"Many of them have had a devastating effect on the river and basin, with pollution, drainage…"

Muchas de ellas han ido devolviendo una mala mano al río y la cuenca
Selected response from:

neilmac
Spain
Local time: 00:15
Grading comment
thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3devastating effect
neilmac
3 +2detrimental practice
Lisa Rosengard
4bad effects
Francois Boye
4destruction
Leagh Gallegos
2 +1have dealt a (potentially) destructive blow
Barbara Cochran, MFA


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
have dealt a (potentially) destructive blow


Explanation:
One possible option.

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 18:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: would prefer 'devastating blow' but OK
15 hrs
  -> Thank you, Yvonne, but environmentalists talk about destruction.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
bad effects


Explanation:
Many of those have kept on returning bad effects


https://vibra.co/famosos/la-mala-mano-existe-mira-como-tiene...

Francois Boye
United States
Local time: 18:15
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 12
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
devastating effect


Explanation:
Could be an option. The activities have had a negative effect on the river, leaving it in a parlous state.

"Many of them have had a devastating effect on the river and basin, with pollution, drainage…"

Muchas de ellas han ido devolviendo una mala mano al río y la cuenca

Example sentence(s):
  • ... finding the source of the pollution, which has had a "devastating effect" on the river
  • ...and had a devastating effect on the river and surrounding ecosystem

    Reference: http://https://twitter.com/natreswales/status/12903129808701...
    https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/18626876.hundreds-fish-die-officials-investigate-river-pollution/
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 00:15
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 82
Grading comment
thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: best in class so far.
5 hrs
  -> Cheers :-)
agree  EirTranslations
9 hrs
  -> Thanks for your support :)
agree  AllegroTrans
1 day 4 hrs
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1 day 4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
destruction


Explanation:
Considering the context and the wording of the sentence, I believe the best translation would be "Many of them have been returning destruction to the river..."

Leagh Gallegos
United States
Local time: 18:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: "returning destruction" doesn't sound like natural English
10 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
detrimental practice


Explanation:
It describes a long standing area's well-being which has been put at risk of endangered area deterioration, causing destruction of vegetation, arid plantations as well as ambush among other badness.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 22 hrs (2020-10-29 19:30:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Detrimental practice is one which is not advantageous and is damaging; a practice which is detrimental causes detrimental or harmful effects (results or outcomes).

English is the official language of Britain, the U.S., most of the Commonwealth, and certain other countries.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2020-11-01 08:59:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

https://www.deepl.com/translator#es/en/mala mano

https://www.deepl.com/translator#en/es/detrimental pracice

Example sentence(s):
  • "Ese río ha sostenido toda la actividad humana de la zona, incluyendo agricultura, ganadería, minería, industrias y poblados varios. Mucho ha ido declinando una mala mano al río con contaminantes, drenajes, destrucción de la vegetación árida."
  • "That river sustained all human activity in the area, including agriculture, farming, mining industries and town-ships. A lot has returned goodness with detrimental practices leading to damaging effects on the river's enclosure with contamination."
Lisa Rosengard
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:15
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Hollywood: "detrimental" is perfect "have been producing a detrimental effect on"
55 mins
agree  Muriel Vasconcellos: Nice!
1 hr
agree  Sergio Kot: Perhaps... "many of them have been detrimentally affecting"? Agree with Yvonne. However, the above suggested adjustment voids her argument.
5 hrs
disagree  Yvonne Gallagher: "A lot has returned goodness with detrimental practices" is not English. A particular practice can have detrimental effects but no such thing as "detrimental practice"
10 hrs
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