alucinante

English translation: prodigious/fantastical/surreal/wondrous

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Spanish term or phrase:	alucinante
English translation:	prodigious/fantastical/surreal/wondrous
Entered by:	JaneTranslates

17:25 Dec 30, 2010

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / García Márquez-Cien años de soledad

Spanish term or phrase: alucinante

I'm translating a book about Caribbean history. The author is comparing Juan Bosch's view of history to the novel by Gabriel García Márquez, Cien años de soledad. Here's the context:

Leyendo los manuscritos de Melquíades el gitano, Aureliano Babilonia, el último descendiente de la **alucinante** familia Buendía, se percató de que Macondo "sería arrasad[o] por el viento y desterrad[o] de la memoria de los hombres".

My current choice for translating "alucinante" is "fantastical." Comments? Suggestions? I did a term search on ProZ.com and found "trippy," which would be perfect in some contexts, but certainly not this one! I could also use "extraordinary" or "amazing," but they seem pedestrian.

The book's register is academic, and the author is well-read and has a rich and broad vocabulary. He is Puerto Rican, and I am translating into U.S. English for a U.S. publisher; the target readership is academic and international.

I greatly appreciate all comments, especially from those familiar with the novel.

JaneTranslates KudoZ activity Questions: 152 (none open) (4 closed without grading) Answers: 505 Puerto Rico
Local time: 13:21

incredible/prodigious

Explanation:
There are really many ways of looking at the Buendías... I would go for something along the lines of "prodigious" or "incredible" because of their exploits in the course of the story.

If anyone hasn't read the book, they should read it now. I was lucky enough to study it at University as part of the Latin American literature course of my Spanish degree.

It too, is prodigious.

Selected response from:

Evans (X)
Local time: 18:21

Grading comment

Thank you very much, Gilla. I think I still like my "fantastical" best, but the author might not, and "prodigious" runs a close second in my mind. I'm giving him a list of "finalists": Fantastical, prodigious, legendary, surreal, spellbinding, and wondrous. I wonder which he'll pick? Have a great week, and thank you again.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +3

incredible/prodigious

Evans (X)

marvelous

Aradai Pardo Martínez

Mind-boggling, mindblowing...

Andrew Bramhall

legendary

Wendy Cross

spellbinding

Robert Forstag

phenomenal

kittilina

3 +1

fabulous/extraordinary

bcsantos

wondrous

Cecilia Gowar

dazzling

jack_speak

fascinating

Mónica Hanlan

outlandish

Steven Huddleston

phantasmagoric

Bubo Coroman (X)

splendid

Thayenga

Discussion entries: 13

JaneTranslates

Puerto Rico

ASKER

Thanks, everybody.

19:34 Jan 4, 2011

Thank you to all who participated in the discussion area, posted answers, or commented on the answers of others. I have read every word, with care. You've all been quite helpful. Have a great week, and warm greetings from Puerto Rico.

Yvonne Gallagher

Ireland

21:54 Dec 30, 2010

Hi Jane, I like your "fantastical" best. There is a related word "fantasmagorical" that might also work for this "surreal" family. Good luck and Happy New Year to you and all kudozians

Esther Burnett

United Kingdom

20:36 Dec 30, 2010

Hi Jane, ¨extraordinary¨would be my choice. Good luck!

JaneTranslates

Puerto Rico

ASKER

arbol genealógico

20:07 Dec 30, 2010

Hi Lucía, I read your comment below. You may be interested in the family tree and generation-by-generation description of the characters in Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Hundred_Years_of_Solitude

jacana54 (X)

Uruguay

19:56 Dec 30, 2010

Hola, Jane: voté la opción de Gilla, pero me parece que la tuya, "fantastical", también recoge muy bien el significado. Saludos.

franglish

Switzerland

as well

19:49 Dec 30, 2010

as "fantastical", "extravagant" is an adjective that often appears in relation to magic(al) realism.

JaneTranslates

Puerto Rico

ASKER

This is all he says on the subject:

19:38 Dec 30, 2010

Following the sentence posted in my original question comes:
Mediante la escritura de la historia caribeña, Bosch llegó a conclusiones similares a las del gitano portentoso de la novela de Gabriel García Márquez. Destinado, según Bosch, a vivir bajo un sino trágico, parecería que el Caribe está condenado no a cien, sino a toda una eternidad de marginación y subordinación. Parecería que, como Macondo, el Caribe tampoco tiene "una segunda oportunidad sobre la tierra".

Así que no, Aradai, el autor no usa la palabra "fantástico" para referirse al libro. El presupone que conocemos el libro pero no lo analiza. No vuelve a mencionarlo después de este párrafo.

Aradai Pardo Martínez

Mexico

Realismo mágico

19:14 Dec 30, 2010

Hola a todos,

Quisiera añadir que esta obra pertenece a la corriente del realismo mágico, por lo tanto, usar el término "fantástico" para calificarlo es un poco polémico.

Jane, ¿el autor se refiere al libro como algo fantástico? Creo que ese puede ser un buen punto de partida para decidir qué término usar para "alucinante"

kittilina

Spain

No apology necessary!

19:08 Dec 30, 2010

You certainly didn't seem ungrateful! Good luck with choosing the right word. I agree with Phil that fantastical is good - I was just throwing another (possibly confusing....) choice into the arena.

JaneTranslates

Puerto Rico

ASKER

Kittilina, I apologize.

18:48 Dec 30, 2010

I most certainly took no offense! I hesitated before making my previous comment for that very reason. I didn't mean to seem ungrateful. I appreciate each suggestion and the interest that so many have taken.

philgoddard

United States

Jane

18:11 Dec 30, 2010

In my opinion, the best solution so far is your own "fantastical", and I've read the novel. I think it means colorful and eccentric, and words like "phenomenal" and "marvelous" don't really do it justice.

kittilina

Spain

Thesaurus

17:57 Dec 30, 2010

Sorry, I didn't mean to appear impolite by suggesting words from the thesaurus....No offence meant. I have read the novel suggested phenomenal on that basis, although having re-thought it through I think bizarre would be a better description!

JaneTranslates

Puerto Rico

ASKER

Thanks everyone, but...

17:52 Dec 30, 2010

I do have an excellent thesaurus! I'm hoping for comments that will help me choose which adjective best applies to THIS fictional family. Some of you have given such comments, and I do truly appreciate all of your amazingly quick responses. But--which best describes GGM's Buendía family, and why? I need help in CHOOSING, preferably from professional translators who happen to know the novel well.

Answers

2 mins confidence:

marvelous

Explanation:
Podría ser una posibilidad, sobre todo por la connotación de "sobrenatural", mira:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marvelous

Espero te sirva.

¡Feliz año!

Aradai Pardo Martínez
Mexico
Local time: 11:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 8

Notes to answerer

Asker: Gracias, Aradai. Me gusta tu forma de pensar pero temo que pocos lectores pensarían en el sentido sobrenatural, de una maravilla, al ver "marvelous". Más bien si usa ya como un simple intensificador de "bueno". Muchas gracias por tu contribución en la sección de Discusión también. Un saludo cordial desde Puerto Rico.

Asker: Perdón, debí escribir "SE usa."

4 mins confidence:

Mind-boggling, mindblowing...

Explanation:
Brilliant, amazing...

Andrew Bramhall
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:21
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 70

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks, Oliver! I like your answers, but I know my author and I'm afraid they're not his style--too modern and informal. Have a great week!

6 mins confidence:

legendary

Explanation:
Just an alternative suggestion, as it could incorporate your 'fantastical' with the more prosaic meaning of 'legendary' as renowned or famous throughout time.

Wendy Cross
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks, Marwen. I don't think this is quite what the author had in mind, but I've left it on my short list of "finalists" for him to choose. Greetings from Puerto Rico!

10 mins confidence:

spellbinding

Explanation:
This would seem to fit what "alucinante" means in this context.

Suerte.

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 13:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 195

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, Robert. Your answer is one of my "finalists" to be submitted to the author. We'll see if he likes it! Have a great week.

11 mins confidence:

phenomenal

Explanation:
My suggestion. I think it's a good description for the family!

Your fantastical is also good. Chambers Thesaurus also has eccentric or bizarre as alternatives to fantastic.

kittilina
Spain
Local time: 19:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 24

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, kittilina. I like "phenomenal" but prefer some of the other suggestions. I appreciate your taking the time to add to the discussion, as well. Have a good week!

19 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

fabulous/extraordinary

Explanation:
2 other alternatives:)

bcsantos
Gibraltar
Local time: 19:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 36

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, bcsantos. I'm very tempted by "fabulous," but as I said to Aradai regarding his suggestion of "marvelous," I fear that most readers would see it as just an intensifier of "good" and miss the sense of "fable" or fantasy. Un saludo cordial desde Puerto Rico.

24 mins confidence:

outlandish

Explanation:
Just a thought, given the context, maybe this is the intent of the author.

Steven Huddleston
Mexico
Local time: 11:21
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 39

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks, Steven. "Outlandish" is actually what I wrote first, before I chose "fantastical." I think, though, that in common usage it has a negative overtone that the author probably didn't intend. I'm mentioning it as a possibility, though, in my translator's notes to the author. Have a great week!

28 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

incredible/prodigious

Evans (X)
Local time: 18:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 72

Grading comment

51 mins confidence:

phantasmagoric

Explanation:
because this word contains the element of "surreal" -- to describe the plot of the novel -- and also "greatness" as in "alucinante", to describe the family itself.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 54 mins (2010-12-30 18:20:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

phan·tas·ma·go·ri·a
1.
a. A fantastic sequence of haphazardly associative imagery, as seen in dreams or fever.
b. A constantly changing scene composed of numerous elements.
2. Fantastic imagery as represented in art.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/phantasmagoric

Bubo Coroman (X)
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 151

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, Deborah. I like "phantasmagoric," too, but if I'm going to use a derivation of "fantasy" I think I'll stick to my "fantastical." This may be totally subjective, but "phantasmagoric" makes me think of spooks and goblins. "Fantastical"--I think of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. "Phantasmagoric"--I think of <i>The Addams Family</i> and Tim Burton. I am, however, including "surreal" in my list of "finalists" for the author to pick from. Have a great week!

1 hr confidence:

splendid

Explanation:
Es otra posibilidad.

¡Feliz Aňo!

Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 19:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 16

Notes to answerer

Asker: Gracias por tu sugerencia, Thayenga. Es uno de muchos adjetivos que se podría aplicar a la familia Buendía, pero busco algo un poco más "flamante". Un cordial saludo desde Puerto Rico.

6 hrs confidence:

wondrous

Explanation:
That would be my choice in this context.

Cecilia Gowar
United Kingdom
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 227

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, cgowar. I like "wondrous" and have included it in the list of "finalists" that I am submitting to the author. Have a great week!

10 hrs confidence:

dazzling

Explanation:
This should work in all contexts - it's formal and informal all in one and also, and more importantly, neutral as to whether their alucinante condition is a positive or negative attribute. Good luck and have fun!

jack_speak
Local time: 13:21
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, jack_speak. (I don't know whether or not to call you "Jack"!) Your reasoning is excellent--we so often find ourselves in need of a "neutral" choice! I hadn't included "dazzling" in my list of "finalists" for the author, but I may change my mind (I haven't sent my translator's notes yet). Thanks again, and greetings from Puerto Rico!

4 days confidence:

fascinating

Explanation:
I have read One hundred years of Solitude several times; it's one of my favourite novels. I would describe the family as "fascinating".

Mónica Hanlan
United Kingdom
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 12

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, monihanlan. They certainly are fascinating, but I think the author had something stranger in mind. I appreciate your contribution and your time. Have a great week!

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

alucinante

English translation: prodigious/fantastical/surreal/wondrous

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

Your current localization setting

Select a language

alucinante

English translation: prodigious/fantastical/surreal/wondrous

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

You have native languages that can be verified

Your current localization setting

Select a language