Just one sentence

Just one sentence
 

This sentence came up in a text book this morning. I have translated it, but I'm not sure about

• dotcom companies
• struggling
• has been growing (I decided I liked it better in the simple not the continuous)

What do you think?

While many dotcom companies have been struggling, eBay has been growing by 40% a year.

Mientras muchas empresas de internet han tenido problemas, eBay ha crecido un 40% al año.

But struggle means 'luchar", aunque "han tenido problemas" me suena mejor. :thinking:

Mientras muchas empresas en Internet (Internet con mayúsculas) han estado luchando (:thinking:), eBay ha crecido un 40% en un año.

:)

Otra traducción:
"struggle" puede ser lucha/pelea pero también que cuesta trabajo hacer algo.
Mientras muchas empresas en Internet han tenido problemas.....
Mientras muchas empresas en Internet han estado luchando por mantenerse...
Mientras muchas empresas en Internet les ha costado trabajo mantenerse...

eBay has been growing by 40% a year - esta es la cifra de varios años no solo uno, sino la frase sería "eBay grew by 40% this/last/in one year. Por lo tanto "eBay ha estado creciendo un 40% al año.:)

Thanks to both irmamar and ambarina for your comments

¿Podría decirlo así?

...anualmente eBay ha crecido por 40%
....eBay ha crecido por 40% cada año:thinking:

Gracias, Ambarina, por aclararlo. Me parecía una barbaridad un 40% al año. :thinking: :)

No es incorrecto decir "cada año", pero es más habitual "al año". :)

I notice that Here4good used empresas de internet = dotcom or internet companies, but irmamar & Ambarina have both used empresas en internet.

I too would have used de.

Why is en better?

GRacias y me pareces correcta , un 40% al año es mucho!

I didn't notice :thinking: :D. That is because "una empresa en Internet" is a company that promote their products in Internet. "Una empresa de Internet" would be a company that writes software for another company. Or I think so. :thinking: :)

Pensaba en un estudio de varios años. Otra cosa es que una empresa crezca un 40% en un año debido, por ejemplo, a la crisis (por vender productos más baratos, etc.). Pero me parece una barbaridad un crecimiento de un 40% al año durante varios años. :thinking: :)

:thumbsup:

So, you say "in Internet", don't you? :thinking: (your prepositions! :() :)

I'd say "on the internet".


I think prepositions in any foreign language are the bane of the student's life!

correct except that I would say you need a definite article and a different preposition: on the internet. :D

In one of my books it gives two Spanish possibilities.

Estoy navegando en internet

Estoy navegando por internet

on the same page!

Another book doesn't use internet, but la red.

No wonder we get :confused:

¡Pero qué malo eres! :wicked: :lol:

Todos son correctos :D Although "Internet", with capital letters. :)

Internet/ internet
The Internet/ the internet
It's a kind of personal thing. I never say the internet because it just doesn't sound right to me. I hate giving capital letters to it. It seem to give it so much importance. Ok, a bit wierd I know, but "That's what it is" as student of mine always tells me...

Thanks for the input everyone...

So do you say

I'm going to search internet :bad::bad:

because it is grammatically incorrect without an article of some kind, and it can't be an internet because the total count if existing internets is exactly one. :thinking::)

Atually I say I'm going to do a search :D

Sorry - I'm going to do a search ON internet

Whether you like it or not, internet started out as an adjective (thus internet search) and is now recognised as a noun, and it requires a definite article. :)

(Television is a clear exception to distinguish between the medium and the equipment.)

I shall now get off high horse. :rolleyes:

Yes, I realise that whether I like it or not my use is wrong, but the more time I spend in this business (TEFL), the more I realise that what people say is one thing and what is recognised in the grammar books, the First Certificate exam, TOEFL, BULATS and anything else you want to bring up, is another.
However, I do think it's best to know "right" from "wrong" before deciding what's right for you and the environments in which you move.
Well, I could go on and on as no doubt you could too! I envisage many of this type of discussion as I reckon you're a stickler for the rules, and I'm not!:)

As you say, time to get off the high horse and walk around for a bit.:D