Apr 6, 2002 15:56
22 yrs ago
Spanish term
Estilo de un texto - General Question
Spanish to English
Other
Hello everyone,
I really hope this doesn't seem like an obvious, stupid question, but it's been bugging me all day and I can't decide what to do. Here goes....
In a text I'm working on right now, the Spanish is written in the present tense, in note form most of the time....e.g. La empresa ****** inicia su actividad en Barcelona, consolida su lugar en el marcado, etc, etc,.....
Would you ALWAYS keep the same style in English, or would you "fill out" the sentences using the past tense to make them sound more natural.
All opinions are gratefully accepted...
Thanks, Paul
I really hope this doesn't seem like an obvious, stupid question, but it's been bugging me all day and I can't decide what to do. Here goes....
In a text I'm working on right now, the Spanish is written in the present tense, in note form most of the time....e.g. La empresa ****** inicia su actividad en Barcelona, consolida su lugar en el marcado, etc, etc,.....
Would you ALWAYS keep the same style in English, or would you "fill out" the sentences using the past tense to make them sound more natural.
All opinions are gratefully accepted...
Thanks, Paul
Proposed translations
(English)
| 5 +8 | put it in the past |
Margaret Schroeder
|
| 5 | Style depends on recipients |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
|
| 4 | I believe |
Alisu S-G
|
Proposed translations
+8
7 mins
Margaret Schroeder
Mexico
Mexico
Native in English
Mexico
The right words in the right place.
Native in: English (Variants: Canadian, US) 
Works in: Spanish to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
1449
Selected
put it in the past
Keeping it in the present isn't really keeping the style the same, because in in Spanish it is common to use the present in a narration of . (How many times do you read in Spanish, "XXX nace en 18xx,..." Lots.) But the English equivalent to this *is* the past. To keep the same tense is the grammatical counterpart of a "false friend".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-06 16:10:02 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Here is a reference: http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/verbtense.html
Skip down to the section \"WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE\" English does have the \"historical present\" tense, but it is used in a more limited way than in Spanish. This reference explains its use in English very well.
Another reference: http://www.yale.edu/bass/wp/t.html
Here we learn that \"Most difficulties with verb tenses arise either (1) from a failure to maintain consistency of verb tense throughout a passage of writing, or (2) from the need to observe a convention called the historical present (or \"literary present\"). The historical present is used to narrate an action that continues to happen or always happens, even if some narrator has narrated the action in the past tense. \" Once again, English has less scope for the historical present than Spanish.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-06 16:10:59 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Oops, a typo in my original post. Meant to say \"in Spanish it is common to use the present in a narration of events in history.\"
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-06 16:10:02 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Here is a reference: http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/verbtense.html
Skip down to the section \"WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE\" English does have the \"historical present\" tense, but it is used in a more limited way than in Spanish. This reference explains its use in English very well.
Another reference: http://www.yale.edu/bass/wp/t.html
Here we learn that \"Most difficulties with verb tenses arise either (1) from a failure to maintain consistency of verb tense throughout a passage of writing, or (2) from the need to observe a convention called the historical present (or \"literary present\"). The historical present is used to narrate an action that continues to happen or always happens, even if some narrator has narrated the action in the past tense. \" Once again, English has less scope for the historical present than Spanish.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-06 16:10:59 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Oops, a typo in my original post. Meant to say \"in Spanish it is common to use the present in a narration of events in history.\"
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks very much for your opinion, the links provided, and to everyone else who commented. In the end I am going to put the text into the past, mainly because I don't like what I wrote and as most of you said, the text does sound a lot more natural in that tense.
Thanks again,
Paul"
3 mins
I believe
it is a matter of personal choice. There is no hard and fast rule.
4 mins
Style depends on recipients
It depends on the whom the recipient is and the purpose of the text. BUT unless otherwise stipulated, I would keep it in note form. Otherwise, it become rewriting and that's another kettle of fish rate-wise, right?
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-06 18:22:16 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Disagree: English uses present tense to denote past tense and its name is the historical present!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-06 18:22:16 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Disagree: English uses present tense to denote past tense and its name is the historical present!
Something went wrong...