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Jul 4, 2011 16:35
13 yrs ago
4 viewers *
English term

pointed end of the tumb

English to Spanish Medical Medical (general)
Estoy traduciendo las instrucciones para colocar un óvulo. Mi duda es cómo decir POINTED END OF THE THUMB"... GSSS...

Separate the plastic wrap at the rounded end of the ovule using the pointed end of the thumb.
Proposed translations (Spanish)
4 +6 punta de su pulgar
2 +3 la uña del pulgar

Discussion

moken Jul 4, 2011:
Thanks for coming back. Providing it's clear, then both of the answers suggested look fine to me. At least none of them seem to suggest you might need a pencil sharpener if you thumb isn't pointy enough! :D :D
Maria Bruno (asker) Jul 4, 2011:
No "thumb" makes reference to the finger... since it is giving directions in order to insert an ovule and both fingers are used... it is supposed to be an English text...
Joseph Tein Jul 4, 2011:
Strange wording: ... normally we would say "the tip of the thumb". However, not everyone who writes English (even if a native speaker) knows how to write well. As moken says, it makes one suspect that the English source wasn't written by a native English speaker.
Rosa Paredes Jul 4, 2011:
@asker with moken,; very odd wording...
moken Jul 4, 2011:
Very strange wording Personally, I've never heard of the 'pointed end' of a thumb. Something like "with the tip of your thumb" would be so much more straightforward and natural. Do you know whether the English text is in turn a translation from another language or whether it's been written by a non-native English speaker? Otherwise we might just be missing something here. Could this 'thumb' possibly be something else?
Maria Bruno (asker) Jul 4, 2011:
Yes, sorryy :)
Joseph Tein Jul 4, 2011:
THUMB ... not "tumb"

Proposed translations

+6
6 mins
Selected

punta de su pulgar

Separe la envoltura plástica en el extremo redondeado del óvulo usando la punta de su pulgar.

una opción. saludos.
Peer comment(s):
agree Joseph Tein : ¡excelente!// and as isabel and rosa say: "del" pulgar.
8 mins
agree isabelmurill (X) : la punta del dedo pulgar (mejor obviar el posesivo)
32 mins
neutral Rosa Paredes : Sin posesivo en español.... 'del pulgar'
1 hr
agree Mónica Algazi : del
3 hrs
agree Lourdes Zalcik : No hay tantos pulgares, yo creo que decir la punta del pulgar deja claro el significado.
5 hrs
agree anademahomar
6 hrs
agree Erika Pacheco
2 days 13 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "GRACIASSSS :)"
+3
1 hr

la uña del pulgar

If we conclude that it is a mistranslation, and nails as in "clavos" have pointed ends, and you are trying to scrape plastic wrap of something (the impenetrable covering of a CD for example) I think you would be using a finger-nail, not the "pointed end of the thumb". (BTW, I wonder what the other end is called?)
Peer comment(s):
agree Linda Grabner : I'd go along with this one because even if the original "pointed end of the thumb" is indeed what they want, having carried out this procedure myself, I KNOW that the thumbnail is what you're going to use to do it!
1 hr
Thanks, Doc! I am still hoping somebody will explain what an ovule is.
agree Mónica Algazi : Never mind, Pat. : )
1 hr
Thanks, Mónica, and saludos!
agree Christine Walsh : Just what I wondered: which is the other end??
1 hr
All very peculiar. Thanks, Christine!
neutral Lourdes Zalcik : I think you're right, but some people have very short nails.
3 hrs
They wil probably have to attack the mysterious wrapped ovule with their teeth then :(
Something went wrong...
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