Machine Translation

So, here I am. Studying for my Spanish final. And my book is talking about the pros and cons of machine (computer) translation, and if it's even worth putting money into, b/c it's so darn complicated. And it's talking about how it's especially hard with words that have various meanings, and how they might be translated.

This one is my favorite

"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."=
"The vodka is good but the meat is rotten."

Perhaps we should do our translations by hand....

Phraseology

So, a lot of our idioms don't translate word for word into other languages. Spanish is no exception.

Perhaps my favorite phrase I've learned yet:

English phrase- to let the fox guard the hen house
Spanish phrase- poner la iglesia en manos de Lutero
Literal English translation- to put the Church in Luther's hands

:-D

Mira!

I'm working on my Spanish translation, which I figure I'll be pretty proud of when all is said and done.

This is my word of the day. And perhaps of my life. Alfajores. It doesn't really translate, but if I had to guess, I'd say it means "love and happiness."

Random tidbits

~According to the middle school kids I work with, I'm gay. Because when I have a cup in my hand I have a tendency to swirl it subconsciously (because I do that to my coffee in the morning to mix it better.) I'm not sure what they have found in their extensive amounts of scientific and psychological research that has lead them to this conclusion, but I think they need to double-check their data. (Or just stop calling everyone and their mom "gay".)

~In England the expression "everyone and their brother" (or mom, as I tend to modify it) is "everyone and their dog."

~"Potable": def. suitable for drinking. Good to know. I was thinking that it was an alternate pronunciation of "portable."

~I may actually get an A in Spanish this semester! It would be the only A I've gotten in a college Spanish class. I'm pretty excited!

From "Introduction to Spanish Translation" by Jack Child

'The translator has another problem...whether to make his/ her translation so pleasing and beautiful in the target language...that it begins to lose faithfulness to the deeper meaning in the source language. The French express this "translator's dilemma" [as such:] "Translations are like lovers: the faithful are not beautiful and the beautiful are not faithful."'

Nada te turbe

Simply beautiful. And so much better in Spanish. But it's no good if you don't understand it...

Nada te turbe,
nada te espante,
todo se pasa;
Dios no se muda.
La paciencia
todo lo alcanza;
Quien a Dios tiene,
nada le falta;
Solo Dios basta.
~Santa Teresa


Translation...
Let nothing disturb you,
nothing surprise you,
all things pass;
God does not change.
Patience
it wins everything;
whoever holds onto God
lacks nothing;
God alone is enough.