Translating a simple paragraph (Exercise 1-18)

Originally Posted by laepelba (Post 70629)

My questions are as follows:
(1) Does "salir" always have to be followed by "de" or "a" (leaving "from" or "to" somewhere)? YES
(2) In English I would say "my car", but I thought in Spanish that if it's obvious whose car I'd be driving, you use the definite article instead of the possessive. ?? You can use el carro
(3) Hasta? Really? o puedes decir a la oficina, como Perikles dijo, en dirección a la oficina
(4) I'm not sure why they dropped this phrase. Is it okay to be there? :thinking: It should be there as per original phrase in English
(5) Ditto question #4 - why did they not use "el suelo"? There are lots of things in a house that one can vacuum... Is it okay to be there? Usualmente se usa la aspiradora en el suelo, pero también se puede usar en los muebles, no?
(6) Luego o después ... does it matter which? Cualquiera de los dos, incluso "más tarde" también puede ser usada.
(7) "la pone en ..." or "pone la rope en..." Are they also the same? Does it matter? depende de la frase.
(8) Someone once told me that you "entrar" a room, but they use "venir". Is there a difference? Come to the room is different to Come in to the room, no?
(9) Favorito o preferido? The same in this context? Yes
(10) I had to look up the word for dishwasher. The original English made it sound like "cargar" was an appropriate word. But their translation is quite different. Are both okay? Yes, although you could use "meter=put in"
(11) Ver el televisor or mirar el televisor? Does it matter? It does matter, ves televisión is correct.
(12) Again, I'm not sure why they left out this entire phrase. Is what I wrote okay? Does it work? You are correct with what you wrote.

Answers to these questions and all other thoughts/comments are most welcome!

As always, thank you immensely!!

Originally Posted by laepelba (Post 70629)

I have been working through a book of basic Spanish grammar exercises, in an attempt to fill in some of the "holes" in the learning that I've done so far. It has been (I believe) very fruitful so far. :)

One of the exercises in the section on "present tense verbs" asks me to translate a simple paragraph from English to Spanish. I did okay for the most part - only needed to look up a small handful of words, and the majority of the errors I made (according to their "answer" in the back of the book) were prepositions, etc.

Answers to these questions and all other thoughts/comments are most welcome!

As always, thank you immensely!!

Originally Posted by Here4good (Post 70650)

Very interesting - such a simple basic text, but so many questions that come from it!

I tried translating the text myself and would like to know if these phrases are right (taking into account I’m using Spanish from Spain and English from the UK!!)

I drive my car to the office = I don’t think people here normally say I drive my car (conducir mi coche) . I would translate that as conduzco hasta la oficina. (If we were going to include car I would say el coche) I agree :)
Los quehaceres domésticos = Las tareas domésticas/ de casa?? Los quehaceres o las tareas (to me is the same, more common here: el trabajo de casa).
Mis hijos y mi esposo = Marido is more usual in Spain?? Yes, it is.
The microwave is Rob’s favorite appliance= Can we use favorito in the translation? Preferido can be more common, but favorito is equally good.
Load the dishwasher = Here we say poner el lavavajillas I agree

I used
Pasar la aspirardora = el suelo is redundant Bueno, yo paso la aspiradora por los sofás, por las ventanas, por algunos muebles, por los sillones, por los colchones, por los aparatos de aire acondicionado,... (well, I have five hoovers:love::D )
entrar en la cocina Why not? :thinking:

I would live to hear your comments if you have time!

Originally Posted by ookami (Post 70641)

(4) "a ayudarme" for me is correct, if not is quite and inexact translation. Not clear at all.
(7) The same in meaning. (if you want, while saying twice "ropa" you are giving it more emphasis, but they are the same practically)
(9) Same.
(10)
lavavajilla.
1. amb. Arg. lavaplatos (‖ máquina).

As you see, for me is ok your phrase, I would translate it as you have done (but here we use it with masculine gender and in plural, "el lavavajillas"). But I think in other countrys would be more common to say lavaplatos or even to explain it as the book has done. So "cargar", if you don't know how the machine is, maybe would be confusing. In conclusion, I belive that yours is a more accurate translation than the book one, but it depends on the country and if you want to be neutral or not, taking in account that is a relative "new" machine.
(12) Yours.

Edit: chileno won, but I left my post equally all the same. (how can I say "pero dejo mi mensaje de todas maneras"?) "but I left/leave my post anyway"

Originally Posted by irmamar (Post 70651)

Chileno, ¿lees los programas de la tele? :thinking: :)
:)

Originally Posted by irmamar (Post 70651)

Why not "después de la cena"? :thinking: - I didn't mark it as a question, because I figured that it's okay with or without it, so I don't have an issue with what I wrote vs. what they have in the "answer".
Other things have been already commented.

:)

Originally Posted by chileno (Post 70639)

y leo mis programas favoritos en el televisor!

Originally Posted by chileno (Post 70662)

No se por qué lo dices, pero leo la programación de la tele como también la veo en la misma tele.

Tú no?

Originally Posted by ookami (Post 70641)

(how can I say "pero dejo mi mensaje de todas maneras"?)

Originally Posted by Perikles (Post 70694)

But I left my post (there) :?: anyway. :)

Originally Posted by Perikles (Post 70694)

But I left my post there anyway. :)

Originally Posted by chileno (Post 70777)

;););)

Originally Posted by Perikles (Post 70808)

there is optional, but I would put it in. :)

Originally Posted by laepelba (Post 71108)

I need stuff that's really systematic!!

Originally Posted by chileno (Post 71170)

Funny you say this. I took life itself as being systematic. :);)