Soy un gafapasta cuando nadie me ve

21:01 Mar 20, 2012 

It's a general audience. All ages. The target audience is professionals.

18:26 Mar 20, 2012 

It's an entertaining little plant that talks to people who visit the website of my client, who provides professional services. The character doesn't provide any information, just sort of silly, funny banter. It's not terribly deep, just silliness.

18:05 Mar 20, 2012 

So are you not going to give us the full context?

17:49 Mar 20, 2012 

Yes, that's exactly what I'm after. I'm going to see if I can work the "new leaf" in somewhere.

16:37 Mar 20, 2012 

Do you have any bad habits? I used to, but I turned over a new leaf.
Does sunshine make you happy? No, but watering can.

In other words, it might be OK to completely ignore what the Spanish says and make up a whole new set of jokes. But that's why I'm asking for more context - for example, would risqué jokes be appropriate, or is it a website for children?

16:18 Mar 20, 2012 

I'd still like to know more about this website - what it's advertising, why they're using a plant as opposed to anything else, why they're asking all these questions. Also, provided there are not too many questions, it might be possible to translate them all with plant-related jokes, such as the "earthy sense of humour" answer to one of your other questions, or Carol's probably unintentional pun, "having a gentle dig".

15:10 Mar 20, 2012 

I know that political correctness has gone quite mad, but this is after all what is in the text, and the character (plant) is saying this about himself, so he isn't insulting anyone, even if he is having a gentle dig at himself - which I guess may be the case, hence his efforts to conceal the fact. A lot of people, including my husband, refuse to admit they need to wear glasses, but it isn't an insult to suggest this might nevertheless be the case - unless of course you're implying something about some silly mistake thay may have made on account of not being able to see/read clearly. Then again, I wouldn't really call this insulting, merely gentle banter - if that!

14:58 Mar 20, 2012 

and things have changed since I was small. No one dares to comment about braces on teeth, glasses, being fat or thin. Or maybe I'm just being too careful.

14:46 Mar 20, 2012 

"Four-eyes" would be in the least insulting to anyone. You often hear "I'm a regular four-eyes" or similar, without there being any negative connotations. It just means you wear specs - a bit like Manolito Gafotas

14:39 Mar 20, 2012 

I need to know more about the plant to be able to be more helpful. People who wear horn-rimmed glasses in private can mean they are intellectual, or vain. Ben wanted to know what "gafapasta" meant. Once he knows more about the plant, then he can choose how he wants to translate the word. A couple of suggestions: "I'm not just a pretty face", I'm not just a dumb beauty", "I'm really as blind as a bat, (I can't see what's going on under my nose)", etc. I don't think "Four-eyes" meaning "nerd" is right, for the simple reason that even when publicists are joking, they have to be so careful nowadays about hurting people's feelings.

14:21 Mar 20, 2012 

This is my understanding of the word for what it's worth... of course, that doesn't really help with the plant joke. But maybe it can be of some use to spark ideas.

14:10 Mar 20, 2012 

I have a good suggestion: something along the lines of making a spectacle of oneself.