Discussion about 2014 annual ProZ.com translation contest: "Celebrations" in Spanish to English - Entry #16483

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James Peel
James Peel  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:53
Member (2013)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Congratulations! Nov 14, 2014

Many congratulations to acaja - after a somewhat dubious process, I am so pleased that the correct entry won this contest - a really good rendition of the text which reads very well and is faithful to the original. Good job!

 
Emma Martinez
Emma Martinez  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 22:53
Member (2012)
Spanish to English
Blasted mention of Quevedo! Nov 27, 2014

Congratulations on winning! I share jamespeel's doubts about the validity of the process, but what the hey, competitions are ever thus!

That blasted reference to Quevedo still doesn't seem right to me, even in this winning translation. Surely if the writer were referring to Quevedo he would have written 'para pegarlo', and not 'para pegarles' which clearly refers to the plural?

The original doesn't say that Quevedo arrived at that party either, which would have been imposs
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Congratulations on winning! I share jamespeel's doubts about the validity of the process, but what the hey, competitions are ever thus!

That blasted reference to Quevedo still doesn't seem right to me, even in this winning translation. Surely if the writer were referring to Quevedo he would have written 'para pegarlo', and not 'para pegarles' which clearly refers to the plural?

The original doesn't say that Quevedo arrived at that party either, which would have been impossible anyway since he was dead before Larra was born! The text says 'que se parecía de noche', it does not say 'que apareció de noche'- neither does it say que 'apareció esa noche' which would suit the winning entry ......

The temptation to take the reference to be about Quevedo being beaten up is hard to resist, but has nothing whatsoever to do with the story line, other than the historical fact that Quevedo wore cloaks similar to the 'domino' of the carnaval. It seemed more likely to me, after researching the piece and the history of the writer that this referred to how the party goers were mostly intent on the immoral hunt for casual sleeping partners and thus risked being beaten up by innumerable cuckolded husbands.

Also, in the short dialogue: "he doesn't suspect a thing" it makes more sense to assume that "como era posible" means "how could he?", referring to a possible future (the husband couldn't suspect anything because he thought he'd left his wife home alone, and yet she's right there, disguised and with another man). "Como es posible" could be translated as "how could that be", and changes the meaning of the exchange.

A very difficult text, given the historic period and the style of the writer and the removing from context of the whole thing.
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Discussion about 2014 annual ProZ.com translation contest: "Celebrations" in Spanish to English - Entry #16483






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