KudoZ home » Spanish to English » Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.

su alma de cambalachero en la “viridita”

English translation: sideway-pavement

18:35 Nov 7, 2009

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.

Spanish term or phrase: su alma de cambalachero en la “viridita”

El artículo que estoy traduciendo se trata de un retrato de un corredor de autos de los años 50. Es español argentino. Sé que con esta frase el escritor quiere decir que el hombre mencionado a veces comerciaba en cosas de orígen cuestionable. Lo que no he encontrado es "viridita". Esto es jerga porteña, de Buenos Aires.

Surges KudoZ activity Questions: 1 (none open) Answers: 0 Argentina
Local time: 04:36

English translation:sideway-pavement

Explanation:
viridita es una pronunciaci'on for'anea de la palabra veredita. Adem'as, cambalache no significa que las cosas que vende son de origen cuestionable, sino que son cosas usadas y muy variadas.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2009-11-07 18:48:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Perdón por los acentos raros.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 mins (2009-11-07 18:49:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Otra nota: vereda=acera

Selected response from:

MonicaSLS
United States
Local time: 22:36

Grading comment

Mónica, muchísimas gracias por tu respuesta. ¡Me ayudó! Suerte en el lindo estado de Washington. Jim
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +1

sideway-pavement

MonicaSLS

Soul of a sidewalk junk man / junkman / junk seller

Jenniferts

'sordid sexual exchanges'?

Amy Lucas

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

sideway-pavement

MonicaSLS
United States
Local time: 22:36
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Mónica, muchísimas gracias por tu respuesta. ¡Me ayudó! Suerte en el lindo estado de Washington. Jim

1 day34 mins confidence:

Soul of a sidewalk junk man / junkman / junk seller

Explanation:
Notice that one translation for "cambalache" on wordreference is "junk shop". So perhaps "cambalachero" could be translated as either "junk man" or "junkman" - apparently an alternate spelling - or "junk seller" or "junk vendor". There's alliteration in soul-sidewalk-seller, but I think I prefer the overall sound of "soul of a sidewalk junk man".

dohttp://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=cambalache
a. (fam) (trueque) swap (colloq);
hacer ~s to swap (colloq)
b. (RPl fam & pey) (tienda) thrift store (AmE), junk shop (BrE)
http://www.retroland.com/retrotalk/viewtopic.php?p=81262
Ms.Kazan plays"Natty's"not too kindly landlady and Mr.Crothers is a kindly old sidewalk junkman.

www.roncesvallesvillage.ca/?p=60 –
The new sidewalk areas will just become new permanent havens for the street beggars and sidewalk junk sellers.

www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsL/lewis-donald.html -
While exploring an alley and collecting treasures, a junkman is forced to confront the demons of his trade.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day37 mins (2009-11-08 19:13:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I left out "his". Including it, the phrase could be either:

his soul of a sidewalk junk man (junkman)
his sidewalk junkman's soul

Jenniferts
Ecuador
Local time: 01:36
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English

1 day19 hrs confidence:

'sordid sexual exchanges'?

Explanation:
viridita, from verde (spanish equivalent of 'blue' or 'dirty')could be an allusion to some kind of sexual exchange?

Reference: http://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/Imagenes/P0011_05/P0011_05_224...

Amy Lucas
Spain
Local time: 07:36
Native speaker of: