PDA

Translating dialogue from a stage play

View Full Version : Translating dialogue from a stage play


Esteban Leavell
July 16, 2012, 10:52 PM
I am having trouble translating the following dialogue from a stage play. I am have particular problems with the word - mochos. I am spelling it correctly from the script it is not muchos.

Demetrio: Ya les cantamos la de los “Liberales”; a ver, doña Julia, aquella de los mochos que dice de las Torres de Puebla.

Julia: Qué mochos ne qué nada. Ésa es de los soldados que andaban con el General Zaragoza.

Demetrio: Bueno, cántela y que le ayade doña Pachita.

I have roughly translated the dialogue as:

Demetrius: Now let’s sing about "Liberals"; to see, Mrs. Julia, who is of mochos who sings of Torres of Puebla.

Julia: What mochos and nothing. That‘s of the soldiers who are with General Zaragoza.

Demetrius: Well, sing it and help Mrs. Pachita.

Thank you for taking time with my request.

Esteban

JPablo
July 17, 2012, 12:19 AM
Well, I believe “mocho” is used in México and the Caribbean to refer to a “reactionary” (politically speaking, I believe, -and that’s a guess-, due to the short haircuts?)

Per RoyalAcademy, “mocho” means “santurrón” (goody-goody/sanctimonious) in Mexico, but I tend to think that the sense of “reactionary” fits better here, as opposed to “Liberals”.
Check below, if that helps (I was not very thorough, so I may have missed something, but let me know if any question.)

Demetrio: Ya les cantamos la de los “Liberales”; a ver, doña Julia, aquella de los mochos que dice de las Torres de Puebla.

Julia: Qué mochos ni qué nada. Ésa es de los soldados que andaban con el General Zaragoza.

Demetrio: Bueno, cántela y que le ayude doña Paquita.

Demetrius: We already sang the one about the “Liberals”; let’s see, Mrs. Julia, [sing] the one about the mochos [reactionaries/conservatives] that talks about the Torres of Puebla.

Julia: What “reactionaries” are you talking about? [The expression is like she is not willing to sing about the “mochos”]. That one is about the soldiers who are with General Zaragoza.

Demetrius: Well, sing it and let’s have Mrs. Paquita help you.

AngelicaDeAlquezar
July 17, 2012, 05:52 AM
I agree with Pablo's corrections and explanations (except for the possible origin of the word, about which I know nothing).

"Mocho" is right the opposite to liberal.

Just adding a note: General Zaragoza was the victorious leader of "la Batalla de Puebla" against the French army, on the 5th May, 1862.

JPablo
July 17, 2012, 12:36 PM
Apparently, "mocho" comes from one of the military leaders who was "mocho" or "mochado" (desmochado), i.e., amputee, but still kept fighting despite his crippled condition... (The followers of this man, were then dubbed as "mochos"... as they would tend to follow similar fate.)