Apr 30, 2011 00:01
13 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Spanish term
Puerto Rico
Quality and Integrity
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, English, English to Spanish, and 1 more.
llenar la hucha
Spanish to English
Other
Gaming/Video-games/E-sports
casino games
Hello!
The book I am translating is autobiographical. The female author is telling about what she and her friends used to do for fun and entertainment in the early 1970s in Puerto Rico, when they were all in their late 20s. She mentions movies, restaurants, discos, and shows, and then talks about going to casinos. My translation is into US English.
Here's the sentence:
También nos fascinaba jugar un rato en casinos, tratando de llenar la hucha o alcancía, con fichas ganadas.
That's all that is said about the casinos.
What I need to know is this: Does this refer simply to "making a little money" and "filling up our piggy banks," or does it have a special meaning related to casino games (about which I know absolutely nothing)?
Any suggestions from people who know about casino games will be much appreciated. Thanks!
Jane
The book I am translating is autobiographical. The female author is telling about what she and her friends used to do for fun and entertainment in the early 1970s in Puerto Rico, when they were all in their late 20s. She mentions movies, restaurants, discos, and shows, and then talks about going to casinos. My translation is into US English.
Here's the sentence:
También nos fascinaba jugar un rato en casinos, tratando de llenar la hucha o alcancía, con fichas ganadas.
That's all that is said about the casinos.
What I need to know is this: Does this refer simply to "making a little money" and "filling up our piggy banks," or does it have a special meaning related to casino games (about which I know absolutely nothing)?
Any suggestions from people who know about casino games will be much appreciated. Thanks!
Jane
Proposed translations
(English)
| 2 +1 | fill up the piggy bank |
Robert West
|
| 5 | "Fill our pockets" |
MrMatthew
|
Proposed translations
+1
20 hrs
Robert West
Spain
Spain
Native in English
Spain
Interpreting meaning is the craft
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, Catalan to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
fill up the piggy bank
"...gambling in casinos, in an attempt to fill up our piggy banks, with the chips we won"
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Christine Walsh
: Yes, it probably just means make/recoup a little money. I also doubt that they'd actually put the chips into the piggy bank
2 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, Robert! I'm going to just drop the part about the chips."
2 days 17 hrs
"Fill our pockets"
In this sentence I would personally use "Fill our pockets", because fill our piggy banks is a more "childish" use of the expression.
Discussion
I'm pretty satisfied that there's no hidden meaning, and that my author was just using her chatty, anecdotal style in an offhand mention of something trivial from her past.
Thank you, Lorena, Christine, and Robert. If one of you would be so kind as to present your comment as an answer, I could give you points and close this question.
Jane