Translation help needed please
Oct 16th 2008 | 8:02 pm
#16
¿Dónde estoy?
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,330
From: my paradise - Jávea
Re: Translation help needed please
Better than whom? It's "Standard English" which is just another dialect, and since English, unlike Spanish, doesn't have a standards body who's to say what's correct and what's not, apart from self appointed pedants who want to say 99% of the population are wrong and they are right.
and in your opinion the spanish in my area can't speak spanish
you seem to think that the english can't speak english
what hope is there for us mere mortals?
Last edited by lynnxa; Oct 16th 2008 at 9:41 pm.
Oct 16th 2008 | 9:35 pm
#17
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 711
From: spain
Re: Translation help needed please
Morning all,
Just a word about speaking like the Spanish in a broader sense. Dont go TOO FAR. What I mean is I hear a lot of "joders" and suchlike being bandied about by Brits who speak some Spanish, when a simple SI???? would do. I hate it. Try to imitate the higher level of Spanish.
I remember as a child listening to Spanish friends of my parents in the UK.
I would feel "verguenza ajena" listening sometimes.
It sounds bad enough when a native English speaker uses "bird" for woman. For example when a foreigner says "I went out with a bird last night" it sounds 10 times worse.
You dont need to use "low level slang" in order to be fluent and fit in.
Try listening to the refined ladies who play cards and have hair like crash helmets. Their conversations are usually very informative and funny, without being crass.
Just a word about speaking like the Spanish in a broader sense. Dont go TOO FAR. What I mean is I hear a lot of "joders" and suchlike being bandied about by Brits who speak some Spanish, when a simple SI???? would do. I hate it. Try to imitate the higher level of Spanish.
I remember as a child listening to Spanish friends of my parents in the UK.
I would feel "verguenza ajena" listening sometimes.
It sounds bad enough when a native English speaker uses "bird" for woman. For example when a foreigner says "I went out with a bird last night" it sounds 10 times worse.
You dont need to use "low level slang" in order to be fluent and fit in.
Try listening to the refined ladies who play cards and have hair like crash helmets. Their conversations are usually very informative and funny, without being crass.
Anyway, i would better stop writing in this thread, i thought the purpose of this forum was helping other people but i can see that some people just write to show off in front of the others.
Regards,
marisol
Oct 16th 2008 | 9:42 pm
#18
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 711
From: spain
Re: Translation help needed please
That's right! Interpretar can be applied to many things, for example art, when used in the general sense (explicar o declarar el sentido de una cosa), but when used specifically for language it means the source is spoken.OK, but that's the verb though, not the noun. Also "this" would always be a text; you wouldn't use "this" to refer to a person. As for the job title most people use traductor and interprete interchangably. The Ministry of Foreign affairs uses interprete (interprete jurado). Who knows best? I don't know.It's not always clear to me when it can be omitted. I tried a google search for "si usted esta interesado" and it turns up 685,000 results so it seems normal use for some people in some situations. In other situations it is mandatory because the antecedent is ambiguous, for example on a road sign, "Usted no tiene prioridad". That is completely different. There I was talking about when to use ser or estar. Normally that is a question of right and wrong. Here though we are talking about subtle stylistic differences of two grammatically correct sentences.
Oct 16th 2008 | 9:43 pm
#19
¿Dónde estoy?
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,330
From: my paradise - Jávea
Re: Translation help needed please
I just wanted to clarify that i don't use low level slang when i speak Spanish. I work as a secretary of the managing director in the Company and i can guarantee that if i did't speak properly i wouldn't be his secretary.
Anyway, i would better stop writing in this thread, i thought the purpose of this forum was helping other people but i can see that some people just write to show off in front of the others.
Regards,
marisol
Anyway, i would better stop writing in this thread, i thought the purpose of this forum was helping other people but i can see that some people just write to show off in front of the others.
Regards,
marisol
you at least know what you're talking about
Oct 16th 2008 | 9:43 pm
#20
¿Dónde estoy?
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,330
From: my paradise - Jávea
Re: Translation help needed please
but I have to spread it a bit - remind me
Oct 16th 2008 | 10:13 pm
#21
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 711
From: spain
Re: Translation help needed please
I have tried to be kind at first, but as i can see you are very interested in speaking Spanish even better that the Spaniard, i can tell you that "como" is very bad in this sentence. "As", in English, means "porque", but in Spanish you should have said "ya que" o "porque" o "debido a que"... but never "como" unless you put it in other place, for instance, "... por favor, como no hablamos castellano, pida a un interprete de Inglés que se ponga en contacto con nostros" due to "como" doesn't have any sense in the place you have put it, well, this is just my opinion you'll know it better
Oct 16th 2008 | 11:24 pm
#22
Banned
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 110
Re: Translation help needed please
Why have you got such a chip on your shoulder. At no time did I suggest you were wrong about anything. I said: unfortunately I can't tell what sounds best [...] How do you decide what is more appropriate? [...] It's not always clear to me when it can be omitted. Are these really comments of someone trying to prove how clever they are?
Oct 16th 2008 | 11:28 pm
#23
¿Dónde estoy?
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,330
From: my paradise - Jávea
Re: Translation help needed please
Why have you got such a chip on your shoulder. At no time did I suggest you were wrong about anything. I said: unfortunately I can't tell what sounds best [...] How do you decide what is more appropriate? [...] It's not always clear to me when it can be omitted. Are these really comments of someone trying to prove how clever they are?
Oct 17th 2008 | 12:08 am
#25
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 711
From: spain
Re: Translation help needed please
Why have you got such a chip on your shoulder. At no time did I suggest you were wrong about anything. I said: unfortunately I can't tell what sounds best [...] How do you decide what is more appropriate? [...] It's not always clear to me when it can be omitted. Are these really comments of someone trying to prove how clever they are?
Oct 17th 2008 | 12:17 am
#26
Banned
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,081
Re: Translation help needed please
I just wanted to clarify that i don't use low level slang when i speak Spanish. I work as a secretary of the managing director in the Company and i can guarantee that if i did't speak properly i wouldn't be his secretary.
Anyway, i would better stop writing in this thread, i thought the purpose of this forum was helping other people but i can see that some people just write to show off in front of the others.
Regards,
marisol
Anyway, i would better stop writing in this thread, i thought the purpose of this forum was helping other people but i can see that some people just write to show off in front of the others.
Regards,
marisol
I was saying that it is best to listen to Spanish women as they tend to raise the bar a little bit.
As far as I am concerned it was a compliment. If I have upset you in any way I am sorry that was not my intention, and you will be missed on here if you stop posting.
Surly things can be discussed, a language is not maths 2 and 2 is always 4.
There are endless versions of RIGHT. Instead of thinking it is an insult, think of it as a TIP.
I thought I was giving helpful advice to EXPATs
I was remembering when I was a child, my mum had lot of Spanish friends and they all learnt English together. As I got older I realised that most of them spoke a low level English, “Wheres me fags†etc. My mum never did and she was considered more of a lady than her friends and was treated with more respect, because of this.
My brother only knew Spanish when he arrived, and my parents were mortified when he told the school nurse that he had “the sh*tsâ€, instead of the runs. He just copied what he heard and did not realise there is a time and place when this type of language is correct but not appropriate.
Oct 17th 2008 | 12:31 am
#27
Banned
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 110
Re: Translation help needed please
If you visit a language forum some time you'll see that's how they are. Participants learn through extended discussion. Non-natives learn from natives and vice versa.
Oct 17th 2008 | 12:36 am
#28
¿Dónde estoy?
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,330
From: my paradise - Jávea
Re: Translation help needed please
My brother only knew Spanish when he arrived, and my parents were mortified when he told the school nurse that he had “the sh*tsâ€, instead of the runs. He just copied what he heard and did not realise there is a time and place when this type of language is correct but not appropriate.
I taught her to ask politely for the the bathroom - that was the only thing I was worried about! funny what worries us mums
a couple of weeks later I asked her what she said if she needed the loo
'tengo pis!' she said - that's what all the other kids say! I was horrified - we just don't say p!$$ in my house!
I asked her teacher & she said yes, that's what the kids all say - not so bad when they're 5, but 'tengo pipi' would be more polite - so my dd started saying that......................
Oct 17th 2008 | 12:42 am
#29
Banned
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,081
Re: Translation help needed please
actually that reminds me of when my 5 year old started in spanish school.
I taught her to ask politely for the the bathroom - that was the only thing I was worried about! funny what worries us mums
a couple of weeks later I asked her what she said if she needed the loo
'tengo pis!' she said - that's what all the other kids say! I was horrified - we just don't say p!$$ in my house!
I asked her teacher & she said yes, that's what the kids all say - not so bad when they're 5, but 'tengo pipi' would be more polite - so my dd started saying that......................
I taught her to ask politely for the the bathroom - that was the only thing I was worried about! funny what worries us mums
a couple of weeks later I asked her what she said if she needed the loo
'tengo pis!' she said - that's what all the other kids say! I was horrified - we just don't say p!$$ in my house!
I asked her teacher & she said yes, that's what the kids all say - not so bad when they're 5, but 'tengo pipi' would be more polite - so my dd started saying that......................
Oct 17th 2008 | 1:14 am
#30
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 711
From: spain
Re: Translation help needed please
I cannot see why you have taken offence Marisol… I think you should read my post again. I have never said that you use Low Level Spanish or that you don’t speak properly.
I was saying that it is best to listen to Spanish women as they tend to raise the bar a little bit.
As far as I am concerned it was a compliment. If I have upset you in any way I am sorry that was not my intention, and you will be missed on here if you stop posting.
Surly things can be discussed, a language is not maths 2 and 2 is always 4.
There are endless versions of RIGHT. Instead of thinking it is an insult, think of it as a TIP.
I thought I was giving helpful advice to EXPATs
I was remembering when I was a child, my mum had lot of Spanish friends and they all learnt English together. As I got older I realised that most of them spoke a low level English, “Wheres me fags†etc. My mum never did and she was considered more of a lady than her friends and was treated with more respect, because of this.
My brother only knew Spanish when he arrived, and my parents were mortified when he told the school nurse that he had “the sh*tsâ€, instead of the runs. He just copied what he heard and did not realise there is a time and place when this type of language is correct but not appropriate.
I was saying that it is best to listen to Spanish women as they tend to raise the bar a little bit.
As far as I am concerned it was a compliment. If I have upset you in any way I am sorry that was not my intention, and you will be missed on here if you stop posting.
Surly things can be discussed, a language is not maths 2 and 2 is always 4.
There are endless versions of RIGHT. Instead of thinking it is an insult, think of it as a TIP.
I thought I was giving helpful advice to EXPATs
I was remembering when I was a child, my mum had lot of Spanish friends and they all learnt English together. As I got older I realised that most of them spoke a low level English, “Wheres me fags†etc. My mum never did and she was considered more of a lady than her friends and was treated with more respect, because of this.
My brother only knew Spanish when he arrived, and my parents were mortified when he told the school nurse that he had “the sh*tsâ€, instead of the runs. He just copied what he heard and did not realise there is a time and place when this type of language is correct but not appropriate.
I must have misunderstood your post, sorry
it is due to my poor English. maybe, i have been susceptible, so forgive me. I thought you have said that i didn't speak Spanish properly and it drove me mad, so, sorry again 
