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Translation help (Spanish) | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages |  | |
| tuffy Triglot Senior Member Netherlands Joined 7036 days ago 1394 posts - 1412 votes  Speaks: Dutch*, English, German Studies: Spanish | Message 1 of 8 30 November 2005 at 5:49pm | IP Logged | ||
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In Pimsleur there is a Spanish lady who describes what a plane ticket is. She doesn't know the English word for it.
This is her description in Spanish: No sé la palabra en inglés. Pero es lo que cuesta. El pasaje. Cuando alguien viaja, tiene que comprar los pasajes. I have doubts about my translation when it comes to the second sentence. It seems such a strange sentence. I don't understand cuesta (costs) in this context. Does she say "it is that what costs something"? That sounds like a strange 'childish' sentence. This my translation, is this correct or do I have the second sentence wrong? I don't know the word in English. But it is that what costs (something). The ticket. When somebody travels, he has to buy plane tickets. Or do I have to combine these 2 sentences: Pero es lo que cuesta: el pasaje. Then she says "But it's what it costs, the seat." But pasaje doesn't mean seat does it?? Tuffy Edited by tuffy on 30 November 2005 at 5:54pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| ElComadreja Senior Member Philippines bibletranslatio Joined 7240 days ago 683 posts - 757 votes 2 sounds Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Cebuano, French, Tagalog | Message 2 of 8 30 November 2005 at 6:13pm | IP Logged | ||
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That looks awkward all the way around, but it looks to me to be this (loosely):
…. But it’s that thing that costs… the ticket.. when someone travels, they have to buy the tickets. But I guess it could be rendered seat, since you have to reserve your seats. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| frenkeld Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6945 days ago 2042 posts - 2719 votes Speaks: Russian*, English Studies: German | Message 3 of 8 30 November 2005 at 9:55pm | IP Logged | ||
I have not had a chance to use Pimsleur Spanish, so I am just guessing. Could it be that it is just one sentence: "Pero es lo que cuesta el pasaje" - "But it is what a passage costs", in the sense of "It is what corresponds to the cost of passage"? You may be confused by the Spanish word order, where it is much more customary than in English to place the subject after the verb: "lo que cuesta el pasaje" literally means "what costs the passage", which, if looked at from the English persperctive, may be hard to recognize as saying "what the passage costs". Here is what a fabulous book "1001 Pitfalls in Spanish" by Barron's says, on page 170: "Whereas in English the most common word order in a declarative sentence is subject + verb + object (or adverb or phrase), in Spanish the order if frequently Object (or other element) + verb + subject. With experience in reading and speaking Spanish, one comes to accept the Spanish order as normal (i.e. verb preceeding the subject). English: It's true but my father doesn't believe it. Spanish: Es verdad pero no lo cree mi padre." Edited by frenkeld on 30 November 2005 at 9:57pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| tuffy Triglot Senior Member Netherlands Joined 7036 days ago 1394 posts - 1412 votes Speaks: Dutch*, English, German Studies: Spanish | Message 4 of 8 01 December 2005 at 1:56am | IP Logged | ||
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Yes I think you're right. Later I also thought of that possibility. I only wondered about the word "pasaje", if it next to ticket also means something like seat.
But you thought of the same thing then it's indeed ok :) Thanks! "Es verdad pero no lo cree mi padre." True, the word order is difficult sometimes :) You can also say "Es verdad pero mi padre no lo cree" I think. Or not? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Andy E Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 7105 days ago 1651 posts - 1939 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French | Message 5 of 8 01 December 2005 at 2:29am | IP Logged | ||
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You could put it that way - in other words it would convey your meaning.
However, Spanish doesn't particularly "like" verbs hanging around on their own at the end of clauses, so I imagine a native speaker will tell you that the first one "sounds" better. Andy. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| patuco Diglot Moderator Gibraltar Joined 7017 days ago 3795 posts - 4268 votes Speaks: Spanish, English* Personal Language Map | Message 6 of 8 01 December 2005 at 10:02am | IP Logged | ||
Actually, the first sounds rather "clumsy". I'd prefer: "Es verdad, pero mi padre no se lo cree." 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Andy E Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 7105 days ago 1651 posts - 1939 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French | Message 7 of 8 01 December 2005 at 4:30pm | IP Logged | ||
Ah pronominal clitics - you gotta love 'em..... Andy. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| patuco Diglot Moderator Gibraltar Joined 7017 days ago 3795 posts - 4268 votes Speaks: Spanish, English* Personal Language Map | Message 8 of 8 01 December 2005 at 4:39pm | IP Logged | ||
What are they? 1 person has voted this message useful |
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