Junta's New Webpage
Oct 8th 2010, 10:08 am
#31
Not Banned (yet)
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Madrid
Posts: 6,400
Re: Junta's New Webpage
Are you saying there is nothing to hold back foreigners? Are the Spanish so much better than all the immigrants? 
We frequently see quoted the huge numbers of immigrants in Spain, but I think the almost complete absence of black/immigrant MP's, police, people on TV, funcionarios etc means that Spain is still very much a rascist country, very much jobs for the boys. Yes, there'll be a few, a very few, but compared with UK, it's no contest. They don't mind having a few as canon fodder in The Forces though.
We frequently see quoted the huge numbers of immigrants in Spain, but I think the almost complete absence of black/immigrant MP's, police, people on TV, funcionarios etc means that Spain is still very much a rascist country, very much jobs for the boys. Yes, there'll be a few, a very few, but compared with UK, it's no contest. They don't mind having a few as canon fodder in The Forces though.
Oct 8th 2010, 10:09 am
#32
Not Banned (yet)
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Madrid
Posts: 6,400
Re: Junta's New Webpage
You know that is a bit daft to compare a post with a mistake (more a typo, due to haste really) on a forum that has been done on the hoof, with a carefully thought out, expensive, time consuming project, such as the website we are discussing.
I still consider my English level to be good, even though I often make mistakes.
So stop splitting hairs.
I still consider my English level to be good, even though I often make mistakes.
So stop splitting hairs.
Oct 8th 2010, 10:12 am
#33
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,008
Re: Junta's New Webpage
I've been here forty years and speak Spanish. I've written articles in Spanish for various newspapers and, what I do, is I make sure a Spanish friend checks them for mistakes or poor flow. That way, it's readable. That way, no one is going to laugh at my work and say 'what a wally'.
Yet, here we have a 5.4 million euro cock-up with any tourist who reads it in English saying - 'Cor, what a loada plonkers'. Is this what the Junta de Andalucía really wants with its tourist site (sorry, 'portal')?
A technical translation is one thing, but an article or a story needs to be parsed rather than reduced to its English equivalent.
So much for translation.
As far as native anglosaxon Europeans who live in Spain, second or third generation, of course there are a few who are integrated and work in white collar jobs. Generally in Madrid and other cities.
But they are as rare as hen's teeth in the pueblos. How many of your town hall employees, or local cops, or bank managers, or taxi drivers or school teachers or even Butano delivery men are British? A fair and balanced proportion?
And so what, you say, it's their country. And I say, no its not. It's ours too.
Yet, here we have a 5.4 million euro cock-up with any tourist who reads it in English saying - 'Cor, what a loada plonkers'. Is this what the Junta de Andalucía really wants with its tourist site (sorry, 'portal')?
A technical translation is one thing, but an article or a story needs to be parsed rather than reduced to its English equivalent.
So much for translation.
As far as native anglosaxon Europeans who live in Spain, second or third generation, of course there are a few who are integrated and work in white collar jobs. Generally in Madrid and other cities.
But they are as rare as hen's teeth in the pueblos. How many of your town hall employees, or local cops, or bank managers, or taxi drivers or school teachers or even Butano delivery men are British? A fair and balanced proportion?
And so what, you say, it's their country. And I say, no its not. It's ours too.
This is a site that will be viewed by a large number of people, and it does nothing to enhance their reputation at all.
If it was a traslation about how to change a lightbulb in the glove compartment of a Seat Cordoba for example, the bad translation would go unnoticed.
But it is not, it is not hidden away on page 45 of a manual, it is out there for all the world to see, I ASK MYSELF HOW WAS IT ALLOWED TO HAPPEN??
Oct 8th 2010, 10:34 am
#36
Not Banned (yet)
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Madrid
Posts: 6,400
Re: Junta's New Webpage
I know an English/Italian girl who works for an translating agency, who have contracts with lots of big companies.
She has Italian parents, and has studied Italian, but as her native tongue is english, the only work the agency ever give her to do, is to translate from Italian INTO ENGLISH.
They have someone equally as competent as her to translate from English INTO ITALIAN.
She said that any translation agency worth their salt only lets translators translate INTO their native language, as slogans etc, cannot be done by "foreigners" and achieve the same impact in correctness and meaning as a native speaker.
She has Italian parents, and has studied Italian, but as her native tongue is english, the only work the agency ever give her to do, is to translate from Italian INTO ENGLISH.
They have someone equally as competent as her to translate from English INTO ITALIAN.
She said that any translation agency worth their salt only lets translators translate INTO their native language, as slogans etc, cannot be done by "foreigners" and achieve the same impact in correctness and meaning as a native speaker.
In fact I wonder if a further requirement should be imposed - the translator should live in their home country. Languages change, and the meanings of words/expressions may sometimes be the opposite to what it meant 10 years ago. EDIT It's also amazingly easy to forget words in your native language when you don't use them on a regular basis. I only worked a couple of years in Madrid, but there were times when I couldn't remember the English word or expression I was looking for.
Last edited by steviedeluxe; Oct 8th 2010 at 10:41 am.
Oct 8th 2010, 10:43 am
#37
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2009
Location: Alicante province
Posts: 5,753
Re: Junta's New Webpage
I’ve always heard that the Junta in Seville is made up of old men, mostly former mayors from rural towns, who don’t know what’s going on in their far flung outposts like Almeria, or even Marbella. Some of their autonomous laws are totally crazy, especially when it comes to house building.
95 people just like them, mayors, police chiefs, bankers etc are currently crowding into number one court in Marbella charged with corruption. Didn’t the Junta know what was going on?
I think they did but ignored it, just like the silly website they paid a fortune for.
(One lady mayoress of Marbella was overheard on a police intercepted telephone conversation saying that she never even looked at any papers unless she was paid, and if she signed anything she would have been paid first. All the defendants are millionaires.)
95 people just like them, mayors, police chiefs, bankers etc are currently crowding into number one court in Marbella charged with corruption. Didn’t the Junta know what was going on?
I think they did but ignored it, just like the silly website they paid a fortune for.
(One lady mayoress of Marbella was overheard on a police intercepted telephone conversation saying that she never even looked at any papers unless she was paid, and if she signed anything she would have been paid first. All the defendants are millionaires.)
Oct 8th 2010, 10:45 am
#38
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,008
Re: Junta's New Webpage
When she knew we were goint back to the UK for a visit, she asked us to bring her some "sack-ettes (that is how she said it) of tea.
You can have all the titles you can shake a stick at, but still be a moron.
And this forum only adds weight to that theory.
Just because you have a title or degree does not prevent you from being a moron,
And not having a title or degree does not mean that you are a moron.
Oct 8th 2010, 10:47 am
#39
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 7,749
Re: Junta's New Webpage
I've just had a look through the site - and I think the translation looks fine. This page for example..
http://www.andalucia.org/gastronomia/
It looks rather wordy, but that is the Spanish style. It would be very difficult for a translator to rejig the content completely to make it run better for English speakers.
The tricky thing when translating is making the langauge read well in that language without changing the essence of what was written in the original language.
In that way, it is often better to completely rewrite in the second language, but just make sure that the same 5 key concepts (for example) from the original text are mentioned. It's actually very tricky and requires the translator to have a lot of autonomy and knowledge about what they are writing about.
http://www.andalucia.org/gastronomia/
It looks rather wordy, but that is the Spanish style. It would be very difficult for a translator to rejig the content completely to make it run better for English speakers.
The tricky thing when translating is making the langauge read well in that language without changing the essence of what was written in the original language.
In that way, it is often better to completely rewrite in the second language, but just make sure that the same 5 key concepts (for example) from the original text are mentioned. It's actually very tricky and requires the translator to have a lot of autonomy and knowledge about what they are writing about.
Oct 8th 2010, 10:49 am
#40
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 7,749
Re: Junta's New Webpage
Oct 8th 2010, 10:56 am
#41
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,008
Re: Junta's New Webpage
I admit I am quite a lazy sod, I dont have to be on the job much at all, but if I had a more hectic work life (like yourself) I would be concerntrating on that and not fitting in the running of my "very important, dealing with loads of international clients making LODSA MONAEY" market research business, with the MAIN job which seems to be posting on BE.
Oct 8th 2010, 10:57 am
#42
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 7,749
Re: Junta's New Webpage
FEEL FREE.......
I admit I am quite a lazy sod, I dont have to be on the job much at all, but if I had a more hectic work life (like yourself) I would be concerntrating on that and not fitting in the running of my "very important, dealing with loads of international clients making LODSA MONAEY" market research business, with the MAIN job which seems to be posting on BE.
I admit I am quite a lazy sod, I dont have to be on the job much at all, but if I had a more hectic work life (like yourself) I would be concerntrating on that and not fitting in the running of my "very important, dealing with loads of international clients making LODSA MONAEY" market research business, with the MAIN job which seems to be posting on BE.
Working at home means you dont have anyone to spar with like in the office
Oct 8th 2010, 10:59 am
#43
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 985
Re: Junta's New Webpage
Grilloman, Grilloman
Points a bit absurd
Grilloman, Grilloman
Takes the final word.
Shoots from the hip
Never lets one slip,
Grilloman, Grilloman, Grilloman
Sorry - these things just write themselves.
Points a bit absurd
Grilloman, Grilloman
Takes the final word.
Shoots from the hip
Never lets one slip,
Grilloman, Grilloman, Grilloman
Sorry - these things just write themselves.
Oct 8th 2010, 11:01 am
#45
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,368
Re: Junta's New Webpage
As you well know, the start of major Commonwealth migration to the UK started in the 50s, so Spain is around 40-50 years behind the loop as regards second generation kids making it in society. Even in the UK it's very rare to see a black football manager, even though a good proportion of top players are black. Still rare to see a black cabinet minister too, yet the UK's had 40 years head start.