Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.
You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
Spanish to English translations [Non-PRO] Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Spanish term or phrase:"los perros están para el asilo"
This comes from a contemporary Spanish novel. The whole sentence is "A mi edad los perros están para el asilo." She's talking about adolescence and stupid choices and how her parents view her.
I've tried to find this as a frase hecha, but haven't had any luck. Is this a known phrase? Is this current slang?
Explanation: "At my age, dogs are over the hill." "Estar para el asilo" is a set phrase, of sorts, implying past it, too old to be any use any more, ready to be pensioned off or put into a home (for the elderly). Of course an "asilo" can be a home or shelter for animals, but it doesn't mean that here; it specifically implies an old people's home, so it's somewhat humorous applied to dogs.
I think the point here is simply age. To me, the phrase, in context, expresses the frustration of a sixteen-year-old at being treated like a child, at lacking power, including the power to express your rage. The reference to dogs means that age is relative; you can feel older than your age in years, like a dog. As is well known, a dog year is roughly equivalent to seven human years, so a sixteen-year-old dog is very old, the equivalent of about 102 in human terms.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2011-10-31 21:47:21 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Sorry, my arithmetic let me down: a sixteen-year-old dog is theoretically equivalent to a person of 112.
I don't think it is slang or an idiom. I think it is saying exactly what she is saying: that age is relative. She is 'only' 16 but if she was a dog she would be about to be put down and if she was in America she would be able to drive and hence be dangerous/powerful.
That is helpful to know that it's used as an expression, although it's not used here in regard to sexual activity. She's had argument with her dad and said something hurtful:
Le sentó fatal. Yo no sé si quería que le sentara
tan fatal. Pero tengo dieciséis años. A mi edad los
perros están para el asilo. Y dicen que en Estados
Unidos te dejan conducir. Llevar un coche es como
llevar una pistola cargada. Te da un ataque de
rabia: bang, disparas a alguien que te está
molestando. Pues con el coche puedes hacer lo
mismo: estás ahí, en el paso de cebra, y ves al
típico padre de familia con un paquete de pasteles
y cara de que sus hijos han ganado todos los
torneos y han sacado las mejores notas, o sea, con
cara de no haberles mirado a los ojos en toda su
vida, y sueltas el freno y aceleras: se acabó, lo has
arrollado junto con sus pasteles, adiós. Con
dieciséis años, si él dice Martina, yo digo Juan.
Perhaps it's as simple as saying all teenagers should be locked up since they are a menace to society?
I have heard the expression used regarding teenage boys that are entering puberty and thus sexual awakening. I would say something like "... all dogs need neutering" assuming it's referring to sexual activities of adolescents.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
2 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +3
los perros están para el asilo
dogs are over the hill
Explanation: "At my age, dogs are over the hill." "Estar para el asilo" is a set phrase, of sorts, implying past it, too old to be any use any more, ready to be pensioned off or put into a home (for the elderly). Of course an "asilo" can be a home or shelter for animals, but it doesn't mean that here; it specifically implies an old people's home, so it's somewhat humorous applied to dogs.
I think the point here is simply age. To me, the phrase, in context, expresses the frustration of a sixteen-year-old at being treated like a child, at lacking power, including the power to express your rage. The reference to dogs means that age is relative; you can feel older than your age in years, like a dog. As is well known, a dog year is roughly equivalent to seven human years, so a sixteen-year-old dog is very old, the equivalent of about 102 in human terms.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2011-10-31 21:47:21 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Sorry, my arithmetic let me down: a sixteen-year-old dog is theoretically equivalent to a person of 112.
Charles Davis Local time: 07:21 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 80
Grading comment
Thank you for your help - I appreciate the discussion.
KudoZ™ translation help
The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +3
