Fair is foul and foul is fair: Justo es falta y falta es justo?

Question

I read Macbeth this year in school and I was just wondering if that's how you say it en español. ¿Alguien sabe? ¡Estoy emocionada para aprender la respuesta, y le doy gracias por su ayuda!

• Creo que falta means foul in the context of sports such as basketball or tennis. - bmancornelio May 29, 2010

Answer 1

It is an awkward translation. Magaret's version of "Mal es bien..." works well, but does not convey quite the same meaning as the English original.

I would say "Lo justo es injusto y lo injusto es justo", since that's what "fair" and "foul" mean in the context given.

• I would have said the same thing. *vote* - bmancornelio May 29, 2010

Answer 2

Ok I think I found a credible translation, it is "El mal es bien, y el bien es mal". Shakespeare is pretty hard to translate.

Answer 3

I would have said "justo es grosero y grosero es justo". I am not too sure, however, whether this is a correct translation.

Answer 4

Fair is foul and foul is fair Well 'by fair means or foul' is 'por las buenas o por las malas' so from that it might be understood better....

Answer 5

Justo es falta y falta es justo? - this means fair is foul and no fair

Justo es asqueroso y sucio es justo - I think this one is somewhat correct

Answer 6

There's a whole range of possible meanings in the original. "Foul" for example from "he kicked my foot from under me" to "it stinks" while "fair" ranges from "blonde" to an "agricultural show". So:

1) decide what meaning you want to ascribe to "foul" and "fair" in this context.

2) choose the appropriate Spanish equivalents. Bingo!

However, you may need to choose those equivalents with care as they should convey at least some of the diversity of meaning of the original.

Item 1) is actually the difficult one. Scholars, almost since the time of Shakespeare, have debated this, often with raised voices, bad tempers and almost certainly violence. So take care.

Wish y'all luck.

• By fair means and foul! - ray76 May 29, 2010
• He meaneth well, but he is not well meaneth! - ray76 May 29, 2010
• Thanks. - june10 May 30, 2010