Knotted Silks

Knotted Silks
 

Hola!


I am very excited to have joined this forum.


I'm a magician living in Nottingham and moving to Spain. I am learning Spanish using a book, but I also want to jump ahead by translating the patter for some of my magic routines into Spanish. I can then perform them when holidaying in Spain this summer, and of course it will help speed up my learning.


I have a magic routine where two hankies are tied together and the knots disappear. If you look on a certain well known video posting site for SLYDINI SILKS you'll see a similar routine.


At the beginning of the routine I start tying a knot and then ask the spectator to 'tie the knot' or 'complete the knot' or 'finish the knot'; so, I am doing the first part of the tying and they are doing the second part.


What might be the best way to make this polite request in Spanish? Google Translate suggests "por favor ata el nudo" which seems to use a very general verb, though I'm new to verbs!


Thank you for any help.


Laurence

In Latin America, you are more likely to hear the word amarrar used for knots, but perhaps it is interchangeable with atar which I think is more often used to mean to tie up. You may also want to verify if you would commonly address the crowd in formal or informal tenses. On this side of the Atlantic you are more likely to he hear Ud, but I think in Spain tú may be used.

In México we say "Amarra tus agujetas, por favor". You don't need to say that very polite. You can say "ata tus agujetas" or "amarra las cintas de tus zapatos" or "amarra tus agujetas". We can understand you very fine.

Bienvenida, aguiucha21.
I agree with your proposals when talking about shoelaces. :)

Just to avoid confusion for the OP, who is asking about handkerchiefs, the magician may ask: "Amarre/ate los pañuelos, por favor". Also, when handing over the handkerchiefs: "haga un nudo, por favor", or "¿puede amarrarlos, por favor?".
In Mexico one might also use the word "mascada" for a silk handkerchief or scarf. :)