Spanish: "cantar" temasEnglish translation: to show their stuff / present topics orally 
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| GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW) | | Spanish term or phrase: | "cantar" temas | | English translation: | to show their stuff / present topics orally | | Entered by: | Wil Hardman |
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Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Government / Politics | | Spanish term or phrase: "cantar" temas | From an article about Spain's diplomatic school. This exert is about a corridor where students wait to take the exams to gain entrance to the Spanish diplomatic corps.
Uno de ellos es, al menos para los diplomáticos, el pasillo al final del cual se encuentra la “temible” sala en la que se reúne el tribunal de la oposición de acceso al cuerpo diplomático, pasillo por el que retumban durante horas las nerviosas pisadas de quienes aguardan a que les convoquen a “cantar” temas.
It's the final part I am struggling with, students are summoned to "cantar" temas-
Thanks for any help.
I suppose it must have some kind of figurative meaning. |
| | Clarification request(s) and responseSteven Capsuto: 3:41pm Jun 22, 2008: It's a play on the word "temas" which literally refers to the "topics" on which they will be grilled by the panel, but which also can refer to the "tracks" on a music album. Like a rehearsed song, they will be "performing" rehearsed material.
Wil Hardman: 3:47pm Jun 22, 2008: Hi Steven, I was thinking along the same lines. Its a difficult one, one idea I had was 'jump through hoops'...
teju: 4:22pm Jun 22, 2008: They have to sing like a bird because they need to be very well prepared to be questioned about many different topics, it's figurative language. I too believe that they are grilled in some sort of oral exam.
Henry Hinds: 4:48pm Jun 22, 2008: It's obviously a rather intimidating experience, making them "jump through hoops" would certainly describe it.
aceavila - Noni: 5:02pm Jun 22, 2008: I'd never thought of it as a play on words: "cantar un tema" is the expression used for opositores when they hold forth before the examining board on the topic that has come up. When they're training up for the test, they also use "cantar" - "tengo que...
aceavila - Noni: 5:03pm Jun 22, 2008: ...cantar en Madrid el viernes por la mañana, no puedo ir a la fiesta el jueves".
Marina Menendez: 5:06pm Jun 22, 2008: Creo que la expresión está relacionada con el sistema de bolillero (sorteo del tema a exponer) por comparación con el bolillero de los juegos de azar (cantar Bingo). Es más, a quienes tienen como ocupación 'decir' los números que van saliendo en los sorte
Marina Menendez: 5:07pm Jun 22, 2008: sorteos de la lotería se les llama 'cantores'.
aceavila - Noni: 5:07pm Jun 22, 2008: "Lunes por la mañana voy a mi preparador y le canto temas" boards5.melodysoft.com/app?ID=marylin-soledad&msg=221&DOC=61
aceavila - Noni: 5:09pm Jun 22, 2008: Marina's right about the bingo like system for selecting the topic you have to expound on, but again I think it may just be coincidence that the word cantar is used....
aceavila - Noni: 5:22pm Jun 22, 2008: Apart from the above comments, I must add that a one/few-words translation is always going to feel inadequate. In fact I'm tempted by Dave's "recite" since it is so often a case of spouting off what has been committed to memory, partic if it's legal stuff
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| | Selected response from:
Henry Hinds
United States
| Note from asker to answererThanks everyone, I went for this because it is nice and ambiguous and also works well within the text. However, I don't think it fully captures the meaning of the original.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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38 mins confidence:  |
40 mins confidence:  |
| to show their stuff
Explanation:
One possibility anyway.
| Henry Hinds
United States
Works in field
Native speaker of:  English, Spanish
PRO pts in category: 497
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| Note from asker to answerer| Thanks everyone, I went for this because it is nice and ambiguous and also works well within the text. However, I don't think it fully captures the meaning of the original. |
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43 mins confidence: |
| to deliver/recite their lines (in this context maybe)
Explanation:
Really not sure if this fits!
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Note added at 44 mins (2008-06-22 15:53:43 GMT)
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Or even "reel off"
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Note added at 46 mins (2008-06-22 15:55:48 GMT)
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Just thinking of the idea that they are "performing"
|  Dave 72
United Kingdom
Works in field
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 8
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2 hrs confidence: |
| recite topics
Explanation:
Decided to go for this - but with the proviso that the expression is used in complete seriousness. Nothing flippant here. People spend years holed up in libraries and at home, shelling out great quantities of money to their "preparadores" to get these exams.
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4 hrs confidence: |
| awaiting to be called up for their oral examination
Explanation:
One of them is, at least for diplomats, the hallway at the end of which lies the "feared" hall in which the jury examining applicants for admission to the diplomatic corps convenes, hallway which for several hours echoes with the nervous steps of those awaiting to be called up for their oral examination.
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Note added at 4 hrs (2008-06-22 19:26:57 GMT)
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also:
hallway which echoes to the steps of those awaiting to be called up
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Note added at 4 hrs (2008-06-22 19:27:40 GMT)
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slight typo there:
hallway which echoes to the nervous steps of those awaiting to be called up for their oral examination
| andres-larsen
Venezuela
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 40
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5 hrs confidence: |
| tell their stories/sing their songs/tell tales
Explanation:
In my humble opinion, I think the author is using figurative language and it should be translated the same way too.
| Carmen Smith
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 10
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The translation workplace 
