Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: Over one's shoulder

Dear All,
ecco, questa è un'espressione che *mai* mi riesce di tradurre in modo 
decente. Nella fattispecie abbiamo il piccolo Frank che osserva il suo 
lugubre zio recarsi nel misterioso laboratorio in cui si dedica 
all'attività di imbalsamatore. Frank ne ha già sentito parlare, ma non 
ha mai visto la famosa "back room" in cui lo zio Gordon lavora.
"Frank *watched him over his shoulder*. He'd heard more than a few 
things about Gordon's activities..."
E qualche riga più giù:
"So Frank was left *looking over Gordon's shoulder* as his uncle let 
himself into the shadowy room..."
"Guardare da sopra le spalle"? Ma come è possibile che Frank guardi "da 
sopra le spalle" *dello zio*, che è in piedi ed è molto più in alto di lui?
Aiuto, oggi ho troppa nebbia in testa!
Ciao
Anna

 Aiuto, oggi ho troppa nebbia in testa!
Beh, se lo zio č lontano... No?
Ciao, FB
-- 
"Che cos'č un fallo da tergo? E non stiamo parlando della tua vita
privata."
(Intervista della Gialappa's Band a Elisabetta Canalis)

 Beh, se lo zio è lontano... No?
Forse!
Ciao
Anna



La prima frase dice che guarda dietro le sue spalle (di Frank), altrimenti
se Frank guarda oltre le spalle di Gordon, chi è "him" ("watched him over
his shoulder")? 
Non può essere che Frank guardi da dietro le sue proprie spalle oltre le
spalle di Gordon? Che famiglia!
Ciao, FB
-- 
"Golden orb... The golden orb... The golden orb..."
(Cold Comfort Farm, the film)

 che *mai* mi riesce di tradurre in modo decente.
... "sbirciare da dietro le spalle / la schiena di"...?
... "sbirciare alle spalle di"...?
Coraggio!
HTH
--
Gnomo
(...any way the wind blows...)

> Beh, se lo zio č lontano... No?
Hi Anna!
To look over someone's shoulder is an idiom so you shouldn't try to translate
it  literally. It means that you are trying to look at someone doing something
while the person is not aware of it.  It's a little difficult to explain as
most idioms are.  
bye
Ari

 Ari
Ciao (a presto?)
Anna

 che in italiano sarebbe "guardarsi le/alle spalle".
You are confusing two different expressions. 'To look over your shoulder' is 
to be wary, or paranoid that someone is watching you or is following you. 
'To look over someone's shoulder' is to watch or monitor someone's activity. 
It may be for several reasons. For example, you could be observing the 
person while undetected, you could be supervising the person's work because 
you don't trust that it will be done properly, or you could be an apprentice 
who is learning to do a task.

 who is learning to do a task.
Effettivamente, l'interpretazione letterale dava l'impressione che Frank
fosse strabico.
Ciao, FB
-- 
Mrs. Palmer, in her way, was equally angry. 'She was determined to drop his
acquaintance immediately, and she was very thankful that she had never been
acquainted with him at all'. (Jane Austen)

 fosse strabico.
O Frank, o l'autore.
Joe from Massachusetts


ROFL!!

Ciao (a presto?)
Yes, spring break for sure!
bye
ari

 most idioms are.  
mmm...can we say Frank was peeping Gordon?
-- 
Yeah, whatever...


As far as I know peep is an intransitive verb and doesn't take a direct object.
Besides, "peep" brings to mind "peeping Tom".
bye
ari

 'To look over someone's shoulder' is to watch or monitor someone's activity.
Eureka!
Finalmente ci sono arrivata: Frank guarda sempre le spalle di Gordon, 
mai le proprie!
Grazie!
Anna

 Besides, "peep" brings to mind "peeping Tom".
it's a transitive verb too, but in that case it means "to emerge" you're
right.
by the way I didn't know "peep" brings to mind "peeping Tom" :)
-- 
Yeah, whatever...

 right.
No, it's always intransitive.
-- 
Mary

 No, it's always intransitive.
I found this on 
dictionary.com
peep
v. tr.
To cause to emerge or become partly visible: He peeped his head through the
door. 
maybe it's no longer used.
-- 
Yeah, whatever...

 maybe it's no longer used.
Dunno.
-- 
Que ton vers soit la bonne aventure
Eparse au vent crispé du matin
Qui va fleurant la menthe et le thym...
Et tout le reste est littérature.

 maybe it's no longer used.
It's commonly used but while you can say 'Frank was peeping his head' you
can't say 'Frank was peeping Gordon'.

 can't say 'Frank was peeping Gordon'.
what about "to spy" then?
-- 
Yeah, whatever...



Si possano dire:
'Frank was spying Gordon'. = Frank stava scorgendo Gordon.
'Frank was spying on Gordon'. = Frank stava spiavando Gordon.

 'Frank was spying on Gordon'. = Frank stava spiavando Gordon.
thank you :)
-- 
Yeah, whatever...

 'Frank was spying on Gordon'. = Frank stava spiavando Gordon.
Secondo 
http://dictionary.cambridge.org
, "spy" quale verbo transitivo è
"old-fashioned or humorous". 
C'è il verbo transitivo "espy", ma anche questo è desueto.
-- 
Xakero
There's a word for it. Timophilia: turned on by gold or wealth.