hello, need some help

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08-12-2008
Pablohz

hello, need some help

I'm translating a document and I got stuck with this:..... " I wish there was 24 hours in a day. Wuk hours, awake hours. Yew can keep y' sleep".... if someone knows something please let me know
08-13-2008
vicente

Re: hello, need some help

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pablohz

I'm translating a document and I got stuck with this:..... " I wish there was 24 hours in a day. Wuk hours, awake hours. Yew can keep y' sleep".... if someone knows something please let me know

I'll give this a try:

Ojalá que habia 24 horas en un dia. (Wuk=work) horas de trabajo, horas despierto. (Yew=you) puedas guardar (y'=your) su (el) sueño"
08-13-2008
pames

Re: hello, need some help

Hi there!!

Vicente, I agree with your translation; however I would change: "Ojala que había 24 horasen un día" for "Ojalá hubiera / hubiese 24 horas en un día", which in this case would be the correct conjugation in Spanish for the verb to have.
And for "Yew can keep y' sleep"I would say "Puedes guardarte tu sueño"

;)
08-13-2008
Guadalupe

Re: hello, need some help

Yes, Pames! I agree with you! ;)

Another --perhaps, more natural-- way of saying "Ojalá hubiera / hubiese 24 horas en un día" would be "Ojalá el día tuviera 24 horas de verdad/en realidad, sin contar las horas de sueño". The phrase "de verdad/en realidad" is not literally in the original text. However, as the person is emphasizing the issue of a 24-hour day (without sleeping), reference to this idea is made all the same. Therefore, I thought this phrase could convey the idea better. I also paraphrased "awake hours".

Hopefully, just an intervention to clarify the message... :p
08-13-2008
pames

Re: hello, need some help

Guada:

Couldn't agree more!!!! :D
08-13-2008
vicente

Re: hello, need some help

Hi amigos

I can't argue with your Spanish!!:)

I'm not sure I agree with the interpretation though.

I read your version as "I wish the day actually had 24 hours without counting sleep hours" which means to me that you feel there are not enough hours in the day to do what you have to do but does not exclude the need or desire to sleep.

That's an excellent interpretation but this looks like a line from a poem to me, possibly entitled "I wish there was 24 hours in a Day". The words wuk, yew and the abbreviation y' are strange which suggests they are from a poem or antique writing and are deliberately written that way for a purpose so if you change "you can keep your sleep" you change the writer's message that sleep does not matter to him or that he doesn't want to sleep.

What do you think? How would you capture the meaning of "keep it!!" as in you can keep it, I don't want it.
08-13-2008
pames

Re: hello, need some help

Quote:

Originally Posted by vicente

Hi amigos

I can't argue with your Spanish!!:)

I'm not sure I agree with the interpretation though.

I read your version as "I wish the day actually had 24 hours without counting sleep hours" which means to me that you feel there are not enough hours in the day to do what you have to do but does not exclude the need or desire to sleep.

That's an excellent interpretation but this looks like a line from a poem to me, possibly entitled "I wish there was 24 hours in a Day". The words wuk, yew and the abbreviation y' are strange which suggests they are from a poem or antique writing and are deliberately written that way for a purpose so if you change "you can keep your sleep" you change the writer's message that sleep does not matter to him or that he doesn't want to sleep.

What do you think? How would you capture the meaning of "keep it!!" as in you can keep it, I don't want it.

How about las "las horas de sueño... guardatelas" :rolleyes:
08-13-2008
Guadalupe

Re: hello, need some help

Wow, Vicente! I am impressed with your analysis! And --actually-- it is valid! :) I haven't thought of that, of course...:p

It's true we didn't ask for the source of this extract (or more context), which would definitely help us with our "final" decision.

Then, Pame's option: "Puedes guardarte tu sueño" would be right for "keep it" in the sense you describe, Vicente. Also: "Puedes quedarte con tu sueño".

Perhaps, Pablo can tell us how he solved the issue with our interpretations... :rolleyes:
08-13-2008
Guadalupe

Re: hello, need some help

Quote:

Originally Posted by pames

How about las "las horas de sueño... ¡guárdatelas!" :rolleyes:

Yes, Pame! You may also add exclamation marks for emphasis purposes ;)
08-13-2008
vicente

Re: hello, need some help

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guadalupe

Wow, Vicente! I am impressed with your analysis! And --actually-- it is valid! I haven't thought of that, of course...:p

It's true we didn't ask for the source of this extract (or more context), which would definitely help us with our "final" decision.

Then, Pame's option: "Puedes guardarte tu sueño" would be right for "keep it" in the sense you describe, Vicente. Also: "Puedes quedarte con tu sueño".

Perhaps, Pablo can tell us how he solved the issue with our interpretations... :rolleyes:

Thanks Guadalupe and pames...now I know how to say Keep it!!:D

I'm sure Pablo got what he wanted from your translations. I would also like for him to tell us more. What is the origen and context of the phrase? Is it from a poem or just somebody's poor English?:confused:
08-13-2008
drkangel11683

Re: hello, need some help

Pames, Veo que usted citó Jorge Luis Borges, era una escritor excelente, ¿sí?
08-13-2008
pames

Re: hello, need some help

Yes, he was an excellent Argentine writer and he was also an excellent translator!!!!
08-13-2008
SandraT

Re: hello, need some help

Vicente, HOW COME YOU'RE ALWAYS RIGHT??? I have been reading the posts and since it is a very interesting thread (I love anything that has to do with literature) I made a small search and it turns out this phrase is part of the book
The Art of Growing Older by Wayne Booth. haven't read it so I can't comment anything on that!;)
08-13-2008
drkangel11683

Re: hello, need some help

Cuando estudiaba en la universidad, tuvimos que leer muchos poemas por lo.
08-13-2008
Pablohz

Re: hello, need some help

Quote:

Originally Posted by vicente

Hi amigos

I can't argue with your Spanish!!:)

I'm not sure I agree with the interpretation though.

I read your version as "I wish the day actually had 24 hours without counting sleep hours" which means to me that you feel there are not enough hours in the day to do what you have to do but does not exclude the need or desire to sleep.

That's an excellent interpretation but this looks like a line from a poem to me, possibly entitled "I wish there was 24 hours in a Day". The words wuk, yew and the abbreviation y' are strange which suggests they are from a poem or antique writing and are deliberately written that way for a purpose so if you change "you can keep your sleep" you change the writer's message that sleep does not matter to him or that he doesn't want to sleep.

What do you think? How would you capture the meaning of "keep it!!" as in you can keep it, I don't want it.

ACTUALLY IT MEANS HE DOESN´'T WANT TO SLEEP ( THE DOCUMENT IS ABOUT COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN LATE ADULTHOOD)....THE THING IS THAT I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE "STRANGE WORDS" THAT APPEARED

tHANKS A LOT....ALL OF YOU

MI TRANSLATION WOULD BE...."ME GUSTARÍA QUE EL DIA TUVIESE 24 HORAS DE ACTIVIDAD, QUE NO FUESE NECESARIO DORMIR...YA HABRÁ TIEMPO PARA ESO DESPUES (PLENTY OF TIME FOR THAT LATER ON...) """COMO EN ...YA DESCANSARÁS CUANDO MUERAS"""

ESO SERÍA...
08-14-2008
Guadalupe

Re: hello, need some help

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pablohz

ACTUALLY IT MEANS HE DOESN´'T WANT TO SLEEP ( THE DOCUMENT IS ABOUT COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN LATE ADULTHOOD)....THE THING IS THAT I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE "STRANGE WORDS" THAT APPEARED

tHANKS A LOT....ALL OF YOU

MI TRANSLATION WOULD BE...."ME GUSTARÍA QUE EL DIA TUVIESE 24 HORAS DE ACTIVIDAD, QUE NO FUESE NECESARIO DORMIR...YA HABRÁ TIEMPO PARA ESO DESPUES (PLENTY OF TIME FOR THAT LATER ON...) """COMO EN ...YA DESCANSARÁS CUANDO MUERAS"""

ESO SERÍA...

Great, Pablo! I'm glad you could solve the issue thanks to our help :p

Personally, I have learnt/learned [since both forms of the verb are correct, which one would you prefer, Vicente?] a lot with this thread!

By the way, in relation to "tuviERA" or "tuviESE", I would prefer the -ERA termination for formal contexts and -ESE for informal/oral language. This is just a perception, but may vary accross the globe...
08-14-2008
Pablohz

Re: hello, need some help

mmmm una acotación...tuviera o tuviese se usan indistintamente... no existe una distinción formal o no... tiene q ver con la raiz de la conjugación (latín culto y Latín del pueblo ;en el caso del preterito imperfecto) pero en este caso me pareció q "gustaría"... "dia" y "tuviera" podrian sonar muy cacofónicos todos juntos...en fin
Gracias de nuevo
chauuuuuuuuu
08-14-2008
Guadalupe

Re: hello, need some help

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pablohz

mmmm una acotación...tuviera o tuviese se usan indistintamente... no existe una distinción formal o no... tiene q ver con la raiz de la conjugación (latín culto y Latín del pueblo ;en el caso del preterito imperfecto) pero en este caso me pareció q "gustaría"... "dia" y "tuviera" podrian sonar muy cacofónicos todos juntos...en fin
Gracias de nuevo
chauuuuuuuuu

Sí, por eso decía que era una cuestión de mi impresión o gusto particular. :rolleyes:

Lógico: es genial poder tener opciones, para evitar la cacofonía :)
08-14-2008
vicente

Re: hello, need some help

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guadalupe

Great, Pablo! I'm glad you could solve the issue thanks to our help :p

Personally, I have learnt/learned [since both forms of the verb are correct, which one would you prefer, Vicente?] a lot with this thread!

By the way, in relation to "tuviERA" or "tuviESE", I would prefer the -ERA termination for formal contexts and -ESE for informal/oral language. This is just a perception, but may vary accross the globe...

Guadalupe!! If you are in London use learnt.:)

I have no idea why, but learnt, even though it is perfectly correct, sounds uneducated to me. I am sure there are some in the U.S. who use it although I've never heard it used in oral conversation. The first time I saw it written here I almost corrected the writer but first I went to the dictionary to see if it was a real word. It was, so thankfully I didn't embarrass myself again.:D
08-14-2008
Guadalupe

Re: hello, need some help

Quote:

Originally Posted by vicente

Guadalupe!! If you are in London use learnt.:)

I have no idea why, but learnt, even though it is perfectly correct, sounds uneducated to me. I am sure there are some in the U.S. who use it although I've never heard it used in oral conversation. The first time I saw it written here I almost corrected the writer but first I went to the dictionary to see if it was a real word. It was, so thankfully I didn't embarrass myself again.:D

Thanks, Vicente! That's what I wanted to know: this is the information you cannot learn from dictionaries. As use, in English, is more important than the dictionary itself... Conversely, in the Spanish language, we are bound by the supreme rules of the Real Academia, and we have to --sort of :rolleyes:-- stick to their "commands".
08-14-2008
vicente

Re: hello, need some help

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandraT

Vicente, HOW COME YOU'RE ALWAYS RIGHT??? I have been reading the posts and since it is a very interesting thread (I love anything that has to do with literature) I made a small search and it turns out this phrase is part of the book
The Art of Growing Older by Wayne Booth. haven't read it so I can't comment anything on that!;)

Purel luck Sandra!:)

It just sounded (looked) like old-style English literature. And the phrase "you can keep your sleep" definitely implies that the writer doesn't want it.

Thanks to Pablo for confirming its meaning and thank you Sandra for providing us with its origen.

Saludos!:D