Just one sentence

[Here4good]

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.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Here4good

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.

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

[Ambarina]

Originally Posted by irmamar

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

Mientras muchas empresas en Internet (Internet con mayúsculas) han estado luchando (), 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.

[Here4good]

Thanks to both irmamar and ambarina for your comments

[bobjenkins]

¿Podría decirlo así?

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

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Ambarina

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.

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

Originally Posted by bobjenkins

¿Podría decirlo así?

...anualmente eBay ha crecido por un 40%
....eBay ha crecido por un 40% cada año

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

[xchic]

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?

[bobjenkins]

Originally Posted by irmamar

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



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

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

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by xchic

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?

I didn't notice . 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.

Originally Posted by bobjenkins

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

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.

[xchic]

Originally Posted by irmamar

I didn't notice . 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.
Me too maybe it doesn't matter too much - we don't differentiate in English - I think


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.

[irmamar]

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

[xchic]

Originally Posted by irmamar

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

I'd say "on the internet".


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

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

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

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

[xchic]

Originally Posted by Perikles

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

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

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

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

¡Pero qué malo eres!

Originally Posted by xchic

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

Todos son correctos Although "Internet", with capital letters.

[Here4good]

Originally Posted by irmamar

¡Pero qué malo eres!



Todos son correctos 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...

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Here4good

I never say the internet because it just doesn't sound right to me. ...

So do you say

I'm going to search internet

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.

[Here4good]

Originally Posted by Perikles

So do you say

I'm going to search internet

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.

Atually I say I'm going to do a search

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

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Here4good

Atually I say I'm going to do a search

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.

[Here4good]

Originally Posted by Perikles

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.

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.