there is no accounting for good tastes

Question

Hi friends .... How will we translate this sentence into Spanish.. I would translate it as "no hay ninguna contabilidad de buenos gustos ...... now this was just my literal translation and I am not too sure if it makes any sense in Spanish .. now, having said so .. let us look at a really scary translation given in the book .. my book says " hay gustos que merecen palos " which if literally translated to English would mean .there are tastes which deserve sticks .... first of all the Spanish translation (in the book) employs a different sentence altogether (which I think, doesnt do justice to the original english sentence) and secondly ,, I am not too sure as to why the word palos (sticks) has been used ..

So I request all my friends to share your views please..

Thanks

"For good taste" good tastes implies food or drink tasting. Good taste implies a standard , how are you mate? - ray76, May 7, 2014

I am fine Sir .. thanks for asking, how about yourself? - 00b055e0, May 7, 2014

Living loving and dancing my way out of trouble , thanks mate. - ray76, May 7, 2014

In Englsish you would just say: There is no accounting for taste ( the good or bad is not stated). - annierats, May 7, 2014

Annierats is quite correct , however it is in common usage , which does not make it correct , merely acceptable. - ray76, May 7, 2014

thank u friends - 00b055e0, May 7, 2014

Answer 1

hay gustos que merecen palos is one translation. Here are a few more:

Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito, sobre gustos y colores no discuten los doctores, sobre gustos y colores no han escrito los autores

Attempting to translate idiomatic expressions will almost always end up completely wrong.

And trying to make sense of them can be just as fruitless. It's best to just learn them and accept them as is, no questions asked.

Very good. Sobre gustos hay nada escrito is a common expression. - annierats, May 7, 2014

haha .. these are so funny ... I really hate this idiomatic aspect of any language ... but thanks for ur help my friend.. - 00b055e0, May 7, 2014

:) I found Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito in my Oxford Spanish Dictionary, too :) - FELIZ77, May 7, 2014

I agree with what you said, Rodneye, more often than not these idiomatic expressions do not have a direct equivalent in English and literal translations are usually a disaster and vica versa, so all we can do is learn them - FELIZ77, May 7, 2014

but in English these idioms are relatively simpler and many of them do make sense if translsted .. for example .. a bird in hand is better than two in the bush ... un pajero en la mano es más mejor que dos en arbusto hahahahahahahahaha - 00b055e0, May 7, 2014

another one for you Feliz .... it is raining cats and dogs ... está lluviendo perros y gatos ... hahahahahahahahaha - 00b055e0, May 7, 2014

you are right .. it doesnt make too much sense even if translated from English to Spanish .. hehe - 00b055e0, May 7, 2014

Answer 2

... .. a bird in hand is better than two in the bush ... un pajero en la mano es más mejor que dos en arbusto

I'm not sure if that would be understood or not. In Spanish it's:

más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando

ohh dear .. this one is even harder :( - 00b055e0, May 7, 2014