Five Questions

ookami

September 02, 2009, 09:51 PM

Another hand over of questions, please don't shoot me!

1.
'Wilfrid the Gunner' ... 'Wilfrid from xxxx' ... 'Thieving Wilfrid' (labels)
How would you translate that? Wilfrid el Ladrón?

2.
'We must have a sharp look-out, that's all.'

I understand it clearly, but when translating something lacks.
~Debemos estar alertas, eso es todo.
~Debemos tener una mirada aguda, eso es todo.
The first one will be the correct for me, but I'm not using the adjetive "sharp", so I think it's not perfectly accurate. What do you think about it?
*is correct that underlined will?

3.
a- 'This is rather an awkward time to have a person with his problem in the house: ...'

How would you translate it?

4.
'... was like a cat whose newly born babies are being handed around for inspection.'
I understand it well enought, but when trying to do the translation, I'm having problems to find the exact words for handed around.

... era como un gato cuyas crías recién nacidas están siendo manoseadas/toqueteadas/siendole quitadas por inspección.

5.
Since some days ago I'm interested in finding a way of saying:
'Desde ya, muchas gracias.' in English, any idea?
something like 'Since now, thank you alot.' but this way sounds a little bland.

6.
I have decided to start learning some English grammar, but I don't know wich kind of books are good for me. Any suggestion?(titles) Or is it better to just continue learning by reading storys(exactly: one short story a day) as I'm doing now?

Thanks.

pjt33

September 03, 2009, 02:13 AM

Another hand over of questions, please don't shoot me!

1.
'Wilfrid the Gunner' ... 'Wilfrid from xxxx' ... 'Thieving Wilfrid' (labels)
How would you translate that? Wilfrid el Ladrón?
Sí.

2.
'We must have a sharp look-out, that's all.'

I understand it clearly, but when translating something lacks.
~Debemos estar alertas, eso es todo.
~Debemos tener una mirada aguda, eso es todo.
The first one will be the correct for me, but I'm not using the adjetive "sharp", so I think it's not perfectly accurate. What do you think about it?
*is correct that underlined will?Depende un poco del contexto. Sin contexto entendería que "look-out" es una persona, "Necesitamos un centinela alerto/inteligente, eso es todo." Si se trata de estar alertas, entonces "sharp" lo intensifica, así que "Debemos estar muy alertas, eso es todo."

"The first one seems correct to me."

4.
'... was like a cat whose newly born babies are being handed around for inspection.'
I understand it well enought, but when trying to do the translation, I'm having problems to find the exact words for handed around.

... era como un gato cuyas crías recién nacidas están siendo manoseadas/toqueteadas/siendole quitadas por inspección.¿Se pasan de persona en persona?

irmamar

September 03, 2009, 02:19 AM

About 5, in Spain we don't say "desde ya", but "gracias por adelantado". It's the same in English, "thanks in advance" :)

poli

September 03, 2009, 06:05 AM

irmamar

September 03, 2009, 08:16 AM

#3 Es un momento inoportuno para una person con sus problemas estar
en nuestra casa.
o
Ya no es la hora tener en la casa un huesped con estos(or is it estes?:thinking:) problemas..

o
Es inconveniente alojar en nuestra casa una persona eses problemas.

No es el momento adecuado para tener en casa una persona con sus problemas.

No es hora / tiempo (mejor "momento") de tener en casa un huésped con estos problemas (si dices "ya" se supone que ha estado en tu casa antes hasta ese momento -cuando tomas la decisión-)

No es conveniente alojar en nuestra casa una persona con sus problemas (o con ese tipo de problemas, parece que ya sabes cuáles son). También puedes decir "una persona con problemas" (cuando éstos son de varios tipos)

:)

ookami

September 03, 2009, 11:00 AM

Excellent! all doubts sealed.
Thanks to everyone.

ookami

September 04, 2009, 08:51 PM

Another one :P :

I understand the first sentence but I'm having trouble finding the literal meaning of:
"A king that is conquered must see strange looks.
So bitter a thing is the heart of a man."

Thanks in advance.

Rusty

September 04, 2009, 10:11 PM

I believe in this sentence, bitter means rencoroso (resentful).
so bitter a thing is the heart of a man = qué rencoroso es el corazón del hombre

ookami

September 04, 2009, 11:31 PM

Thanks Rusty. What I don't understand is the usage of "a thing" here.

bobjenkins

September 05, 2009, 12:04 AM

Thanks Rusty. What I don't understand is the usage of "a thing" here.

El corazón es una cosa tal amargo (no estoy seguro de que tenga sentido esa frase)

So bitter a thing is the heart of a man
=
The heart of man is a thing which is so bitter (es una opción más común, pero menos poético)

ookami

September 05, 2009, 01:10 AM

El corazón es una cosa muy amarga
tendría sentido

Ahora que hiciste esa ecuación entiendo :)
Gracias.

------------------------------------------

Así creo que sería literalmente entonces:
So bitter a thing is the heart of a man

Tan amarga cosa es el corazón del hombre
or
Una cosa tan amarga es el corazón del hombre

laepelba

September 05, 2009, 05:49 AM

Another hand over of questions, please don't shoot me!
6.
I have decided to start learning some English grammar, but I don't know which kind of books are good for me. Any suggestion?(titles) Or is it better to just continue learning by reading storys(exactly: one short story a day) as I'm doing now?

Thanks.

Isn't this THE place to ask questions? If not, I'm in BIG trouble! :)

Anyway - no one has addressed your question #6, so let me try. If you go to Amazon.com, and search on "English grammar", you'll find lots of entries, but I'm not sure how many are available in Argentina....

There is a podcast and related website with daily grammar tips e-mail that I can recommend. The name of the website is "Grammar Girl": http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ - and the podcast (free) is found under "Grammar Girl" or "Quick and Dirty Tips", then Grammar Girl. The podcast comes out about once a week (I think) and at the website you can sign up for daily e-mails. I find the e-mails especially interesting, because each one contains a single grammar concept that is oft confused, even by native English speakers. But because it's just one concept per day (and a quick read), it's easy enough to remember. Give it a try!

I have also found that when there are questions about specific English grammar issues, you can google the issue (for example, you can Google "toward vs. towards") and get several good quality answers.

¿Esto ayudar?

bobjenkins

September 05, 2009, 12:16 PM

Isn't this THE place to ask questions? If not, I'm in BIG trouble! :)

Anyway - no one has addressed your question #6, so let me try. If you go to Amazon.com, and search on "English grammar", you'll find lots of entries, but I'm not sure how many are available in Argentina....

There is a podcast and related website with daily grammar tips e-mail that I can recommend. The name of the website is "Grammar Girl": http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ - and the podcast (free) is found under "Grammar Girl" or "Quick and Dirty Tips", then Grammar Girl. The podcast comes out about once a week (I think) and at the website you can sign up for daily e-mails. I find the e-mails especially interesting, because each one contains a single grammar concept that is oft confused, even by native English speakers. But because it's just one concept per day (and a quick read), it's easy enough to remember. Give it a try!

I have also found that when there are questions about specific English grammar issues, you can google the issue (for example, you can Google "toward vs. towards") and get several good quality answers.

¿Esto ayudar?
Me parece unos buenos consejos laepelba:)

También querría añadir algo. Hay libros aquí que se llaman 'Idiots guide to .xxx.'
Así
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NqT2O4A2L._SS500_.jpg

Tengo un que se llama , Complete idiot's guide to Spanish

Quizás lo puede aprender mucho de la gramática consigo:)

bobjenkins

September 05, 2009, 12:18 PM