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Spanish to English translations [PRO] Tourism & Travel / History
Spanish term or phrase:cantos
This is the context :
AL OTRO LADO DE LA RÍA SE ENCUENTRA EL CASTILLO DE LA PALMA, formando entre los dos los mejores recintos militares de cantos en España para defender la entrada de la ría.
Sorry cgowar, but that is all the information I have as this is a simple indication of what can be visited in Galicia but with no in depth information. That was why I was not able to post any more context, etc.
Of course "canto" can be many things, as is the case with so many words. But the meaning has to fit the context provided. In the one originally published I --along with three other colleagues-- believed stone was the right one.
After reading the original version (I don't think there can be any doubt here) it would seem the initial term was the result of a badly concocted abridgement. But that is a different matter.
Yes "canto" is many things: the side of something, i.e. a box / book; thickness of say shelves or counter top; or sharp edge of, i.e. knife /stone ; or corner of i.e. table...etc.; and several expressions: "darte con un canto en los dientes" = be happy with the result of things; "dar la cantonada a alguien"=excluding someone from the loop, etc...
Hi everyone, it seems that "canto" can also refer to a "corner" of a building, or a building on the corner of a street or a block of buildings, initially that is what it appears to be, although I am still awaiting full confirmation from the person who wrote the text. As soon as I have 100% answer I will let you all know. Many, many thanks for all of your help, you have all been great!! :-0))
Hello Eileen and Everyone:
I just searched in google and found a page that I'm not sure I can post, since it seems to be the source text, but from reading it -quickly-I think it is not CANTOS, but "cuantos" quote from page: "...constituyen dos de los mejores recintos militares de cuantos se levantaron en la España de su tiempo" From the page it seems that part of the text is missing... Eileen please let me know...
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
36 mins confidence:
paired strategic defences to (guard entrance to the river)
Explanation: Is this where there is a castle on either side of the river?
cantos refers to the Sirens stones the hero Odysseus passed between on his way back from Troy
I don't think Sirens stones would work here unless it were used as metaphor/simile for the military defences which are of strategic importance
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 38 mins (2010-11-30 00:22:06 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
by the way, the Sirens sang seductively to try to get Odysseus to wreck his ship on the rocks. (James Joyce tells the 20th century version in Ulysses).
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 41 mins (2010-11-30 00:25:34 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
just saw your answer to Monica, so two castles either side defending the entrance
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 54 mins (2010-11-30 00:37:54 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Castillo de La Palma en CastillosNet. Monumento que se encuentra en el ... En tiempos pasados su posición estratégica para la defensa de la entrada en la ... www.castillosnet.org/lacoruna/C-CAS-005.html -
Odysseus has been warned about the Sirens and knows that they are dangerous, so his men put wax in their ears, but Odysseus is tied to a mast.
ancienthistory.about.com/od/.../ss/062508POdyssey
just google Odysseus and Sirens and there are lots more refs
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 56 mins (2010-11-30 00:40:06 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 58 mins (2010-11-30 00:42:12 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
one translation of canto in Collins is Siren
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-11-30 01:02:04 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Eileen, the way I see it is that the two castles either side of the rvier are likened to the stones the Sirens sat on but the main element (and translation) is that the castles are strategic defenses for the river entrance
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-11-30 01:03:28 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
yes, canto can also be translated as stone
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-11-30 01:08:55 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
so, in other words, you could say the castles are like Siren stones either side of the river if you like but still think the main point is the military defence. Hope I've made it a bit clearer!!
gallagy2 Ireland Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Gallagy, I did know about the Siren in the story of Odysseus but I am not sure if you are saying that the term "Canto" refers to the story or it refers to the type of constructions on either side of the Ria!! Canto may possibly be the type of construction used, i.e. stone? Sorry but your answer is rather confusing at the moment.
cgowar Specializes in field Native speaker of: Spanish PRO pts in category: 28
Grading comment
Many thanks
Notes to answerer
Asker: I am told by the client that it is simply the typical construction of that time and not to go into more detail, thus I am accepting stone as the answer, many thanks for all of your help.
The translation workplace 
