Translating a simple paragraph (Exercise 12-4)

[laepelba]

I am continuing to work 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 chapter covering the "passive voice and passive constructions" asks me to translate a simple paragraph from English to Spanish.

I want to ask a couple of questions, though. So I'm going to include here (1) the original English paragraph, (2) my original translation, and (3) the "corrected" translation. I will indicate my questions at the bottom of this post.




My Questions:
(1) I went back and forth about this one while I was translating. If, at the time of writing, the gender of the driver (or whatever) is known, do you use the feminine version of the noun (and modifiers, etc.)? Or do you leave it neutral/male until after introducing the person as a female?
(2) Are dama and mujer interchangeable?
(3) I ought to understand this one by now, but I'm still tripped up from time to time. Why imperfect and not preterit?
(4) This is the one that really bothers me. Maybe it's because when I was reading about the compound tenses, I read that you cannot separate the verb elements. But is it really okay to place a modifier between the two verb elements here? If it is "okay", is it actually better than placing it elsewhere in the sentence?

That's all this time. Many thanks in advance for your help with my questions!!

[ookami]

Well, I don't know much, but let's try...

1) It's very common to use the neutral version of "driver"... but here you can use the feminine version and it will still be ok. I would have used it here, it sounds better for me, less extravagant than saying "conductor" and then talking about a woman, your brain has to work more :P

2) In this kind of text, yes. But formaly, a "dama" is a "woman" with distinction (refined woman) I mean, a lady.

3) With "fue", you are saying that the car was drove by a woman in the past. With "era" you are saying it was drove at that particular situation. This is all I can say about this, better to wait for other members with more knowledge.

4) For me is right, I think that you've reason, it sounds a little bit more proper and tidy to use it like you do, but either way seems ok to me, and both are used.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by ookami

2) In this kind of text, yes. But formally, a "dama" is a "woman" with distinction (refined woman) I mean, a lady.

Thanks, Guido! That all makes sense to me and is helpful. Funny that "dama" is more of a woman of distinction. And that they use it to refer to a woman in a circus who puts a lion in the back of her car.

One tiny spelling correction for you...

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by ookami

2) In this kind of text, yes. But formaly, a "dama" is a "woman" with distinction (refined woman) I mean, a lady..

So surely totally inappropriate for somebody working with a circus ....

[laepelba]

Well, Perikles, it makes me think that maybe it's kind of tongue-in-cheek - it's supposed to be the news, right? And so maybe they're exaggerating, "the lady with the lion in her car...."

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Well, Perikles, it makes me think that maybe it's kind of tongue-in-cheek - it's supposed to be the news, right? And so maybe they're exaggerating, "the lady with the lion in her car...."

Yes, it's tongue-in-cheek, but this means you are just as entitled to use mujer if you choose to translate literally.

[laepelba]

Gracias!

[chileno]

Dama, as lady is formal way to address a woman, btw.

[ookami]

Originally Posted by Perikles

So surely totally inappropriate for somebody working with a circus ....

Why? you can be a lady an work with a circus...

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by ookami

Why? you can be a lady an work with a circus...

Theoretically yes, but very unlikely. I've met quite a few circus people, and they tend to be their own interesting and distinct social class, separate from the normal structure of high, middle and working class, but definitely more working class than anything else. I just can't imagine that any 'lady' would fit in.

[ookami]

Ah, es que una persona trabajadora, puede ser una dama también No siempre el término se basa en algo socio-económico, sino que también puede sustentarse en los "principios" (ej: moral). Al menos así es como lo veo usado muchas veces. "Martina estará rodeada de un ambiente maligno, pero es toda una dama/señorita"

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by ookami

Ah, es que una persona trabajadora, puede ser una dama también No siempre el término se basa en algo socio-económico, sino que también puede sustentarse en los "principios" (ej: moral). Al menos así es como lo veo usado muchas veces. "Martina estará rodeada de un ambiente maligno, pero es toda una dama/señorita"

I agree, and as ever, it depends on a definition of 'lady' and whether this is an exact translation of 'dama'. The original point was that the translation of woman as mujer, in context, would just as correct as dama, depending on the kind of translation you wanted.

[Lady Gin]

Originally Posted by laepelba

(2) Are dama and mujer interchangeable?

No, but I think the translation "mujer" to the word "woman" is perfect.

"Dama" is a formal way to calling a important woman... It's like "Lady". Not all women are ladies... But anyway, usually they say "Dama" as an expression of respect to any woman, whether or not someone important. Sales assistants, waiters, etc., are generally those who use this form.

Well, I hope I have helped a little.

Good Luck!

[laepelba]

Thanks, Lady Gin!