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- "Abbiamo prove che lui si tro…
"Abbiamo prove che lui si trovi in questa zona."
Translation:We have proof that he is found in this area.
19 Comments
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Instead of using "is" I tried to squeeze in "find" and ended up with "We have proof that he is to be found in this area." And I really liked it. Well, I liked it more than Duo did.
Not really. But Duo accepts "he is in the area". But why is it subjunctive and not indicative because it is not about wishing, believing, thinking but about a proof.
Edit There is a later sentence starting Ora non è chiaro... (Now it is not clear...) which Duo also puts in subjunctive. So maybe its an impersonal attitude to a sentence, like proof, unclarity, probability, that allows the subjunctive?
Further Edit No, it's not. Uncertainty, unclarity, doubt invite the subjunctive. But not proof.
why is "prove" translated as a singular? also accepted translation" finds himself" is not usual in English in this context. Finding oneself might suggest that the person was in search of a true identity, before I'd think of a particular location. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/find+oneself). Also, "finding oneself in" is more used in metaphorical language than in descriptions of exact location: e.i.: "he found himself in trouble", "somehow, I found myself there".
Yes, but also quite descriptive: "We went through the door and found ourselves in a very strange room." For example....Or, "I was knocked unconscious and regained consciousness to find myself on a boat in the Mediterranean!"
The Oxford Italian dict. renders I have proof as either ho la prova or ho le prove.
I would agree on "finds himself" and have changed it to "is found," though that is still perhaps less than ideal. For "prove," it is translated as singular because we do not usually use "proof" or "evidence" in the plural in English. It's just one of those things that is usually plural in Italian and almost always singular in English. If it helps, think of "prova" (singular) as "piece of evidence," so collectively it is "proof" or "evidence."
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I relied on my memories of "se trouver" in French and put "is in" which was marked correct.
I tried "we have proof that he is somewhere in this area" but it did not work. My reasoning was that we are looking for him, since we found some proof, rather than "he finds himself" there, which is obviously literally correct, but, I think, does not reflect the meaning of the phrase.
"Found himself" is past tense, and "si trovi" is present (present subjunctive, in this case). "Finds himself" is in the system, though.
English speaker here, and I just want to know, Duolingo -- WHO talks like this???????
Italians. It will accept 'he is in this area' as a close English equivalent.
The English translation is misleadingly "literal." The reflexive use of words for 'find' are also found in other languages, including French and German, but the meaning is "BE located" or simply "BE"...
Subjunctive is required after your beliefs, no matter how strongly held. I think this best translates to "We have evidence that he can be found here."
