Jun 13, 2002 20:46
22 yrs ago
Spanish term
Mexico
The right words in the right place.
Native in: English (Variants: US, Canadian) 
Works in: Spanish to English, English
frase
Spanish to English
Art/Literary
Es la parte final de la frase, que va entre **...**:
"El venado vive en el monte; está buscando maíz en las milpas, **cuida a las personas para que no se las roben**."
Context: This is an explanation by an artisan of the picture she has created. It is probably a person with little formal education, perhaps even illiterate.
"El venado vive en el monte; está buscando maíz en las milpas, **cuida a las personas para que no se las roben**."
Context: This is an explanation by an artisan of the picture she has created. It is probably a person with little formal education, perhaps even illiterate.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
7 hrs
Rossana Triaca
Uruguay
Uruguay
Native in Spanish
Uruguay
Technical Expertise
Native in: Spanish (Variants: Uruguayan, Latin American)
Works in: English to Spanish
Related KudoZ points
:
115
Selected
just a thought regarding the original...
I see two different possible interpretations; one is that of Jane, where the deer is the one that watches out for people stealing corn from him, which is quite strange, since the "milpas" are the small parcels where people work and grow crops and hence they cannot steal their own corn.
Other possibility is that the deer protects people from being kidnapped. This is not so surprising, since in many cultures (particularly with little education as you say) they make offerings to gain the goodwill and protection of certain beings. In fact, if they let a deer eat corn from their milpa, they must be gaining something in return. Something like "a deer is a good omen, so we let him eat". Perhaps it's an allegoric painting depicting such simple worship?. Context can help there...
Either way, it is healthy to avoid translating artist's whenever possible :)
Good luck,
Rossana
Other possibility is that the deer protects people from being kidnapped. This is not so surprising, since in many cultures (particularly with little education as you say) they make offerings to gain the goodwill and protection of certain beings. In fact, if they let a deer eat corn from their milpa, they must be gaining something in return. Something like "a deer is a good omen, so we let him eat". Perhaps it's an allegoric painting depicting such simple worship?. Context can help there...
Either way, it is healthy to avoid translating artist's whenever possible :)
Good luck,
Rossana
1 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I will have to leave this one unsolved. It ended up being one of those where the client says "I'll ask the end client about it", but they resolve it between themselves and you never hear the conclusion. So, if you are ever in Mexico, and you see for sale an embroidered picture on cotton, silk or linen, that has a deer doing something enigmatic near a cornfield, I guess that the object which my text is supposed to describe. But "avoid translating artists whenever possible"? Gosh, if I turned down all the jobs that require clairvoyancy, I wouldn't have much to do. Half my jobs lately seem to be describing or summarizing pictures, objects and journal articles that I never get to see!"
2 mins
Leonardo Parachú
Native in Spanish
Practical, reliable and to the point
Native in: Spanish 
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, Portuguese to Spanish
Related KudoZ points
:
433
he/she watches out for the people not to steal them
Suerte...
+1
2 mins
He took care who he dealt with, so as not to be robbed.
One approach.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
: who he dealt with? like a person?
1 hr
|
|
It is a somewhat ambiguous phrase, Jane.
|
+2
3 mins
Rufino Pérez De La Sierra
Canada
Canada
Native in Spanish
&
English
Canada
Certified, 18 years of experience
Native in: English (Variants: US, Canadian) , Spanish (Variants: US, Mexican)
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
214
watches over people so they don't get stolen
That would be my guess...
Hope it helps!
Rufino
Hope it helps!
Rufino
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
FerAntoniak
: le agregaría el sujeto: "it" watches...
7 mins
|
| agree |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
: again, the people are being stolen!...:)
1 hr
|
+1
6 mins
Alfredo Gonzalez
Native in Spanish
10+ years Retail / Training / HR / MKT
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
349
it watches over people so they don't get kidnapped
otra opción
saludos
saludos
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
: now the people are being kidnapped! :)
1 hr
|
+1
11 mins
Sheila Hardie
Spain
Spain
Native in English
Spain
passion des mots
Native in: English
Works in: Catalan to English, French to English, Spanish to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
1383
he watches over the people so that they don't get stolen
I imagine the person is referring to the deer watching over the people's crops so they don't get stolen, but I am not sure. It sounds a wee bit strange - a deer watching over crops? But I suppose it's possible.
HTH
Sheila
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Note added at 2002-06-13 20:59:37 (GMT)
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I meant to say \'it\' or \'the deer\' and not \'he\' - stupid me!!! I also meant to say \'so that they crops don\'t get stolen\' - if that is what is meant.
I think it\'s time to go to sleep!
Sheila
HTH
Sheila
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Note added at 2002-06-13 20:59:37 (GMT)
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I meant to say \'it\' or \'the deer\' and not \'he\' - stupid me!!! I also meant to say \'so that they crops don\'t get stolen\' - if that is what is meant.
I think it\'s time to go to sleep!
Sheila
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
: the people get stolen? that's what you've said
1 hr
|
|
if you read my note added after i answered you'll see I clarified that I meant the crops, Jane - thank you for pointing it out anyway - in any case the question is not very clear as I am sure you will agree
|
+1
35 mins
Karina Pelech
Native in Spanish
Argentinian digital nomad in LatAm
Native in: Spanish (Variant: Latin American)
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish
Related KudoZ points
:
975
...takes care of people so that they won't be kidnapped/taken from him
OR... it might possibly refer to the maize...
"takes care of it, so that it won't be stolen"
Good luck... :o)
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Note added at 2002-06-13 21:22:45 (GMT)
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(where \"it\" is \"the maize\")
Suerte ... :o)
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Note added at 2002-06-17 15:17:59 (GMT)
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There are two possibilities:
\"The deer takes care (or indeed \"watches over\") of the people so that they will not be kidnapped\"
OR
\"The deer takes care/watches over of the maize (I believe it\'s the maize) so that it won\'t be stolen\"
You could substitute \"take care\" or \"watch over\", with any of the following:
SAFEGUARDS
STANDS GUARD OVER
PROTECTS
(even \"defends\" or \"keeps XX safe\" are possibilities)
"takes care of it, so that it won't be stolen"
Good luck... :o)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-06-13 21:22:45 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
(where \"it\" is \"the maize\")
Suerte ... :o)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-06-17 15:17:59 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
There are two possibilities:
\"The deer takes care (or indeed \"watches over\") of the people so that they will not be kidnapped\"
OR
\"The deer takes care/watches over of the maize (I believe it\'s the maize) so that it won\'t be stolen\"
You could substitute \"take care\" or \"watch over\", with any of the following:
SAFEGUARDS
STANDS GUARD OVER
PROTECTS
(even \"defends\" or \"keeps XX safe\" are possibilities)
-1
1 hr
...is mindful of people so they do not steal them [the milpas] from him.
cuidar here means: to be mindful of or to be careful of
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Note added at 2002-06-13 22:37:17 (GMT)
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Look, I am sorry but I feel that I need to say that not one person came close to the GIST of the sentence
The deers is mindful of personas [people] so they, las personas, no se las roben. do not steal from him. las refers to the milpas.
Could also be; The dear watches out for people so they do not...
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Note added at 2002-06-13 22:42:25 (GMT)
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instead of them: say, so they do not steal his food from him...
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Note added at 2002-06-13 22:46:50 (GMT)
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Sorry: here\'s my final:
THE DEER IS MINDFUL OF PEOPLE [OR YOU COULD GO BRITISH AND SAY THE DEER MINDS THE PEOPLE] SO THEY DO NOT STEAL HIS GRAIN FROM HIM.
Sorry to be so harsh with colleagues but it\';s as if they are not even really reading the original....
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Note added at 2002-06-14 11:37:39 (GMT)
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I don\'t know why people have trouble with the deer watching out for people. That\'s just a basic, very basic personification technique. Isn\'t that one thing literature, art and poetry are based on? Cuidar doesn\'t mean to take care of like a mother takes care of a baby. it means to WATCH OUT FOR int he sense of: watch out for pickpockets. They are all over the subway. And if the deer in this case is personified and feels like the field is his/hers/its, it makes sense it would try to see that the PEOPLE don\'t steal its corn! I don\'t see the uneducated side of this at all, Just a failure of imagination on the part of translators...:)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-06-13 22:37:17 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Look, I am sorry but I feel that I need to say that not one person came close to the GIST of the sentence
The deers is mindful of personas [people] so they, las personas, no se las roben. do not steal from him. las refers to the milpas.
Could also be; The dear watches out for people so they do not...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-06-13 22:42:25 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
instead of them: say, so they do not steal his food from him...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-06-13 22:46:50 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Sorry: here\'s my final:
THE DEER IS MINDFUL OF PEOPLE [OR YOU COULD GO BRITISH AND SAY THE DEER MINDS THE PEOPLE] SO THEY DO NOT STEAL HIS GRAIN FROM HIM.
Sorry to be so harsh with colleagues but it\';s as if they are not even really reading the original....
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-06-14 11:37:39 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I don\'t know why people have trouble with the deer watching out for people. That\'s just a basic, very basic personification technique. Isn\'t that one thing literature, art and poetry are based on? Cuidar doesn\'t mean to take care of like a mother takes care of a baby. it means to WATCH OUT FOR int he sense of: watch out for pickpockets. They are all over the subway. And if the deer in this case is personified and feels like the field is his/hers/its, it makes sense it would try to see that the PEOPLE don\'t steal its corn! I don\'t see the uneducated side of this at all, Just a failure of imagination on the part of translators...:)
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Gedece
: creo que este es el sentido correcto
2 hrs
|
| neutral |
Rossana Triaca
: How can someone steal "milpas"? (they are land parcels). Although if it were "que no se lo roben", I'd agree it refers to the corn.
5 hrs
|
| disagree |
Sheila Hardie
: as you might have seen if you had read my answer more carefully, Jane, I did mention the crops in my answer:)
7 hrs
|
|
he watches over the PEOPLE so THEY don't get stolen: you have written so the PEOPLE are NOT STOLEN, I mean, that's what your sentence says grammatically, See what I mean? One has to say food or crops for LAS so it doesn't refer to the PEOPLE....:)
|
|
| disagree |
catflaps
: The Deer 'Minds' the people? Deer/s? - Minds the people? - I thought you said that your colleagues were way off the mark? - come on Jane, you can do better than this!
3 days 16 mins
|
| neutral |
Karina Pelech
: 'Deer' is fine, catflaps - but Jane: the Brits wouldn't say "minds the people" even with poetic licence, unless they weren't sure of it's meaning. To "mind" s'thg or s'one is exactly the same as "take care of"... ... :o)
3 days 16 hrs
|
5 hrs
it is vigilant with people so that they do not steal them from him
"Ciudar a las personas: no se puede traducir literalmente como "take care of" porque esta ultima frase quiere decir que va a tomar proteger a las personas como se cuida a un nino.
-1
7 hrs
Gabriel Aramburo Siegert
Native in Spanish
Ready Comprehensive 30 year experience
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
552
...beware of the people for them not to rob them...
Sounds repeated, but a little bit poetical, as well. Good luck.
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
catflaps
: grammatically incorrect and sounds awful - sorry Gabriel
2 days 18 hrs
|
|
Well... sorry
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Discussion