Ask a Question(Create a thread) |
|
Are any of these Spanish translations wrong?Translate a sentence or longer piece of text. For single words or idioms, use the vocabulary forum. |
![]() |
|
Thread Tools |
Get rid of these ads by registering for a free Tomísimo account.
|
#2
|
||||
|
||||
Some hints and explanations below:
Quote:
__________________
♪ ♫ ♪ Ain't it wonderful to be alive when the Rock'n'Roll plays... ♪ ♫ ♪ |
#3
|
||||
|
||||
Thanks. Here is how I would summarize your statements:
---------- (2) [English] You find me foolish. [Spanish] Me encuentras tonto. (This is not exactly wrong, but it's artificial. Try an alternative sentence to express an opinion.) Wording convention violation. (3) [English] I found the film childish. [Spanish] Encontré la película infantil. (Same as previous. Try using the construction "parecerle algo a alguien", and it might sound more natural.) Wording convention violation. (5) [English] I consider his math ability weak. [Spanish] Considero que su habilidad matemática es débil. (Again, not wrong, but kind of unnatural. Some other adjective might work better.) Wording convention violation. (12) [English] The students consider the homework a pain. [Spanish] Los estudiantes consideran que la tarea es un dolor. (We don't say this. Try some synonym. "Un dolor" is something really dramatic or serious.) Wording convention violation. (14) [English] The security desk considers a nail file a weapon. [Spanish] El escritorio de seguridad considera una lima de uñas como un arma. ("Escritorio" in Spanish is just the piece of furniture, but you're talking here about an office. Also, try a "que" sentence instead, so the idea will flow less artificially.) Wrong meaning of the word used. (16) [English] The audience considered the concert a success. [Spanish] El público consideró que el concierto era un éxito. (For reasons of tense agreement with "consideró", you need "fue" here.) Tense mismatch. (17) [English] The president declared the city a disaster area. [Spanish] El presidente declaró a la ciudad un área de desastre. (We don't keep the article here, because the disaster area is the whole city, so the noun works as the whole universe here.) Wrong article usage. (18) [English] The governor declared the county a disaster area. [Spanish] El gobernador declaró el condado un área de desastre. (Same as previous. Despite the fact that the county is just a part of the state, there is a specific county we're talking about and this is our universe.) Wrong article usage. (19) [English] The pedestrian called the driver an idiot. [Spanish] El peatón llamó al conductor un idiota. (When we call someone a name, we get rid of the article. There is only one name given to the other person.) Wrong article usage. ---------- The problems that interest me the most are the "Wording convention violation" problems, because those are difficult to detect. Those translations do not violate any common rule of grammar, so it is difficult for a non-native speaker to know about those conventions. |
#4
|
||||
|
||||
It can be summarized like that, I suppose.
Yet, a language is a living thing that depends much more on the meaning than on the rules. All of the sentences may be understood in context and probably nobody will tell the foreign speaker they're wrong, but the advanced speaker might want to know why they don't sound better. ![]()
__________________
♪ ♫ ♪ Ain't it wonderful to be alive when the Rock'n'Roll plays... ♪ ♫ ♪ |
![]() |
Link to this thread | |
|
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Which one of these translations is correct for Spanish Literature? | Joystar1977 | Practice & Homework | 3 | July 28, 2013 11:59 AM |
Spanish texts and their english translations | lingos | Practice & Homework | 11 | November 27, 2010 10:30 PM |
Introductory Spanish E-books with translations | mlun | Teaching and Learning Techniques | 25 | January 08, 2010 11:56 AM |
Possible Spanish/English translations | Cecile83 | Translations | 15 | August 04, 2009 04:27 AM |