wreck a country

One sees more and more, Mont, that the really dangerous people...are the big business men... They know their own minds; and if we don't look out they'll wreck the country. (J. Galsworthy, ‘The Silver Spoon’, part III, ch. II) — Становится совершенно ясно, Монт, что действительно опасными людьми... являются крупные дельцы... Уж они-то знают, чего хотят; и если дать им волю, - они погубят страну.

She is a woman who knows her own mind and has no hesitation in speaking it. (W. S. Maugham, ‘The Unknown’, act 1) — Эта женщина твердо знает, что ей нужно, и, не стесняясь, говорит об этом.

The girl is young, she does not know her own mind. (W. S. Maugham, ‘Catalina’, ch. XXV) — Это молодая девушка, и она еще сама себя не знает.

le ha destrozado el que no quisiera casarse con él — her refusal to marry him has devastated o shattered him

la bomba destrozó varios edificios — the bomb destroyed o wrecked several buildings

su muerte la destrozó — she was devastated o shattered by his death

la bomba destrozó varios edificios — the bomb destroyed o wrecked several buildings

su muerte la destrozó — she was devastated o shattered by his death

Ex: Her feeling of well-being was soon rudely shattered.

la región quedó sumida en la ruina — the area was left in ruins o was devastated

estar hecho una ruina — (fam) to be a wreck (colloq)

la región quedó sumida en la ruina — the area was left in ruins o was devastated

estar hecho una ruina — (fam) to be a wreck (colloq)

Ex: In the event of a serious accident (a fire, deliberate destruction, or a computer error) nothing will happen to the records vital to the operation of the library.

• tierra adentro — inland

• por tierra — overland, by land

atravesar un país por tierra — to go overland o by land across a country

• tomar tierra — to reach port, get in

• tocar tierra — to touch down

• tomar tierra — to land

tierra firme — (=no aire) solid ground; (=no agua) land

• caer a tierra — to fall down

• caer por tierra — [persona] to fall to the ground; [argumento, teoría] to fall apart

• dar con algo en tierra — to knock sth over

• echar a tierra — [+ construcción, rival] to knock down

• echarse a tierra — to throw o.s. on o to the ground

con los zapatos llenos de tierra — (=polvo) with his shoes covered in dust; (=barro) with his shoes covered in mud

viviendas con suelo de tierra — houses with earth o dirt floors

• sacudir la tierra — Cono Sur, Méx to dust

le vienes a echar tierra a mi carro con tu descapotable — your convertible makes my car look ridiculous o really bad

tierra caliente — LAm land below 1000m approximately

tierra fría — LAm land above 2000m approximately

tierra quemada — (Pol) scorched earth

tierra templada — LAm land between 1000m and 2000m approximately

todo refugiado siente nostalgia de su tierra — every refugee feels homesick for or misses his native land o homeland

• de la tierra — [vino, queso] local, locally produced; [fruta, verduras] locally grown

la expropiación de tierras palestinas — the expropriation of Palestinian land o lands

conectar un aparato a tierra — to earth o (EEUU) ground an appliance

tierra labrantía or de cultivo — arable o cultivated land

poner tierra de por medio — to make oneself scarce (colloq)

ésta es muy buena tierra — this is very good land o soil

un camino de tierra — a dirt road o track

cuerpo a tierra! — hit the ground! (colloq)

echar algo por tierra — <edificio/monumento> to pull o knock down; < planes> to wreck, ruin; < argumentos> to demolish, destroy; < esperanzas> to dash

echarle tierra a algo/alguien — (Col fam) to put something/somebody to shame, make something/somebody look bad

echar tierra a or sobre algo — ( ocultarlo) to cover o hush something up; ( olvidarlo) to forget about something

tragarse la tierra a alguien: como si se lo hubiera tragado la tierra as if he'd vanished off the face of the earth; deseé que me tragara la tierra — I just wanted the earth to open and swallow me up

estar conectado a tierra or (AmL) hacer tierra — to be grounded o earthed

tierra a la vista! — land ho o ahoy!

viajar por tierra — to travel overland o by land

decidió volver a su tierra — he decided to return to his homeland o to his native land

costumbres de aquellas tierras — customs in those places o countries

tierra labrantía or de cultivo — arable o cultivated land

poner tierra de por medio — to make oneself scarce (colloq)

ésta es muy buena tierra — this is very good land o soil

un camino de tierra — a dirt road o track

cuerpo a tierra! — hit the ground! (colloq)

echar algo por tierra — <edificio/monumento> to pull o knock down; < planes> to wreck, ruin; < argumentos> to demolish, destroy; < esperanzas> to dash

echarle tierra a algo/alguien — (Col fam) to put something/somebody to shame, make something/somebody look bad

echar tierra a or sobre algo — ( ocultarlo) to cover o hush something up; ( olvidarlo) to forget about something

tragarse la tierra a alguien: como si se lo hubiera tragado la tierra as if he'd vanished off the face of the earth; deseé que me tragara la tierra — I just wanted the earth to open and swallow me up

estar conectado a tierra or (AmL) hacer tierra — to be grounded o earthed

tierra a la vista! — land ho o ahoy!

viajar por tierra — to travel overland o by land

decidió volver a su tierra — he decided to return to his homeland o to his native land

costumbres de aquellas tierras — customs in those places o countries

Ex: Until recently all libraries and some architects have maintained that an academic library should be capable of extension and that land should be reserved for future expansion.

causar o provocar destrozos — to cause o wreak havoc (en in)

Ex: Finally, a few copies of an edition seem generally to have slipped through with their cancellanda uncancelled, so that examples of the original settings may sometimes be found (occasionally slashed by the warehouse keeper's shears, deliberate defacement which escaped notice).