lo que suma y no lo que resta

English translation: what works and what doesn't

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:lo que suma y no lo que resta
English translation:what works and what doesn't
Entered by: AllegroTrans

00:05 May 26, 2023
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - International Org/Dev/Coop / Guatemala
Spanish term or phrase: lo que suma y no lo que resta
I'm wondering if there is a common phrase for this in English? Searching online I find plenty of examples in Spanish, but can't seem to come up with the English equivalent. Thanks in advance

Y nosotros lo que tratamos de ir haciendo fue revisando los distintos esquemas y consideramos que una buena recomendación era ante un poco de incertidumbre, porque hay muchas versiones a veces y uno tiene que ver qué es lo que suma y no lo que resta, entonces dijimos: "Vamos hacer una recomendación que se contrate una persona del área indígena".
jmf
United States
Local time: 01:38
what works and what doesn't
Explanation:
Communicating with Kids: What works and what doesn't
https://books.google.com › ... › Parenting › General

Communicating with Kids: What works and what doesn't. Front Cover · Stephanie Davies-Arai. Troubador Publishing Ltd, Jan 28, 2015 - Family & Relationships ...


Prudential Supervision
University of Chicago
https://press.uchicago.edu › books › book › chicago
The book Prudential Supervision: What Works and What Doesn't, Edited by Frederic S. Mishkin is published by University of Chicago Press.

Finding out 'what works and what doesn't' with ...
ADR UK
https://www.adruk.org › News & Publications
2 Dec 2022 — Finding out 'what works and what doesn't' with administrative data. Categories: Research using linked data, Blogs, ADR England, ...



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Note added at 13 hrs (2023-05-26 13:17:12 GMT)
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OR

"what adds up and what doesn't"
Selected response from:

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:38
Grading comment
Many thanks to all, I appreciate all of the great suggestions
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3what works and what doesn't
AllegroTrans
3 +1consider the positive rather than the negative (aspect)
Alexandra Straton
3Being part of the solution rather than part of the problem
Joss Heywood
3what makes a difference, what makes us move forward and not go backwards and some options more
O G V


  

Answers


18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Being part of the solution rather than part of the problem


Explanation:
A suggestion - some variation on this theme may help

Joss Heywood
Local time: 02:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
consider the positive rather than the negative (aspect)


Explanation:
From the context, I get the sense that the expression is saying to look on the bright side, see the glass half full, and be optimistic.

Because of the words ´suma´ and ´resta´, I would mention both positives and negatives, so I would translate it as ´consider the positive rather than the negative´ or even ´the positives have more weight than the negatives´

Alexandra Straton
Spain
Local time: 07:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  abe(L)solano
5 days
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
what makes a difference, what makes us move forward and not go backwards and some options more


Explanation:
you have to see what makes a difference
puede ser una forma de sintetizarlo muy típica del inglés

otra expresión habitual:
You have to see what makes us move forward and not go backwards.
como si dijera
uno tiene que ver qué es lo que nos hace avanzar y no retroceder

literalmente es
you have to see what adds up and not what subtracts

que se puede parafrasear así
what increases and not what decreases

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Note added at 7 horas (2023-05-26 07:24:32 GMT)
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las dos primeras opciones tienen mucho recorrido en inglés

las más literales no dan coincidencias pero transmiten el mensaje con los mismos conceptos

confío que alguna sirva

saludos

O G V
Spain
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
what works and what doesn't


Explanation:
Communicating with Kids: What works and what doesn't
https://books.google.com › ... › Parenting › General

Communicating with Kids: What works and what doesn't. Front Cover · Stephanie Davies-Arai. Troubador Publishing Ltd, Jan 28, 2015 - Family & Relationships ...


Prudential Supervision
University of Chicago
https://press.uchicago.edu › books › book › chicago
The book Prudential Supervision: What Works and What Doesn't, Edited by Frederic S. Mishkin is published by University of Chicago Press.

Finding out 'what works and what doesn't' with ...
ADR UK
https://www.adruk.org › News & Publications
2 Dec 2022 — Finding out 'what works and what doesn't' with administrative data. Categories: Research using linked data, Blogs, ADR England, ...



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2023-05-26 13:17:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------


OR

"what adds up and what doesn't"

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Many thanks to all, I appreciate all of the great suggestions

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Andrew Bramhall: Yes Chris, keep it simple!
2 hrs
  -> thanks

agree  Carolina Conejero Padial
4 hrs
  -> thanks

agree  O G V: What adds up and what doesn't. A perfect adaptation.
6 days
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