Feb 3, 2009 20:07
15 yrs ago
Spanish term
Spain
Analytical and creative (DipTrans, MA)
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, Galician to English, English
a golpe de cinturón
Spanish to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
modern novel
The main characters are looking around the stalls at a Mod gathering and meeting friemds who have stalls there.
Tomamos impulso y asaltamos el tenderete de Upbeat y, a golpe de cinturón, decidimos expulsar del templo a Peter Parker y Airglam Boy a.k.a. parte integrante de los Granadians a.k.a. Rude Boys del Espacio Exterior a.k.a. mala gente de esa que fuma.
Thanks for your help in advance. UK English please. Thanks.
Tomamos impulso y asaltamos el tenderete de Upbeat y, a golpe de cinturón, decidimos expulsar del templo a Peter Parker y Airglam Boy a.k.a. parte integrante de los Granadians a.k.a. Rude Boys del Espacio Exterior a.k.a. mala gente de esa que fuma.
Thanks for your help in advance. UK English please. Thanks.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
36 mins
Selected
unbuckling our belts/whipping out our belts
I think either of the above manages to paint the picture.
I originally thought of 'brandishing our belts' as I like the alitteration, but I think 'brandishing' may be too high a register for this piece... 'Unbuckling' gets the alitteration, and I like the fact that it is understated and somewhat foreboding...
Good luck Kate :)
I originally thought of 'brandishing our belts' as I like the alitteration, but I think 'brandishing' may be too high a register for this piece... 'Unbuckling' gets the alitteration, and I like the fact that it is understated and somewhat foreboding...
Good luck Kate :)
Note from asker:
| Well, "brandishing is also nice, actually. The main characters are all total reprobates, but also, very well spoken at times. The narrator is a party animal, but also a former lawyer who also publishes articles for various magazines. Thanks for the ideas. |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Cath´s answer works well here, as I wanted to keep the imagery in the translation. I also liked the menacing air it gives. I can see it. Some nice options here. Thank you all for taking the time to help. Much appreciated. :)"
+1
37 mins
Lydia De Jorge
United States
United States
Native in Spanish
&
English
Specializes in field
United States
Don't just say it, say it right!
Native in: Spanish 
, English
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
133
force them out//kick them out of there
a golpe de cinturón = force a situation with violence
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
jtruzzi
: it totally means "force a situation with violence" but i dont know if the translation is accurate, but "force them out" is the best so far i think :)
24 mins
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many thanks!
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26 mins
with the force of our belts/deciding to use our belts to...
It's difficult to find the right way to phrase this because there is so much information contained in the paragraph.
Anyway, the idea is that they want to drive them out using their belts, so I thought you might try something like:
We stormed the stall....having decided to rid the temple of Peter Parker and Airglam Boy with the force of our belts.
I'm not sure where you would work in all the a.k.a.s, though.
Another option might be "...we stormed the stall, wielding our belts OR belts in hand, having decided to ....."
Or maybe even just "we stormed the stall...deciding to use our belts to drive out...."
Well, just thought I would get the ball rolling since no one has dared answer yet!
Good luck.
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Note added at 34 mins (2009-02-03 20:42:44 GMT)
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I forgot to say, I think it sounds like they really are going to use their belts, and is not just said in a figurative sense.
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Note added at 46 mins (2009-02-03 20:54:28 GMT)
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Although it is true that the expression can be used both ways, both literally and also figuratively for ruling by force.
Anyway, the idea is that they want to drive them out using their belts, so I thought you might try something like:
We stormed the stall....having decided to rid the temple of Peter Parker and Airglam Boy with the force of our belts.
I'm not sure where you would work in all the a.k.a.s, though.
Another option might be "...we stormed the stall, wielding our belts OR belts in hand, having decided to ....."
Or maybe even just "we stormed the stall...deciding to use our belts to drive out...."
Well, just thought I would get the ball rolling since no one has dared answer yet!
Good luck.
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Note added at 34 mins (2009-02-03 20:42:44 GMT)
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I forgot to say, I think it sounds like they really are going to use their belts, and is not just said in a figurative sense.
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Note added at 46 mins (2009-02-03 20:54:28 GMT)
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Although it is true that the expression can be used both ways, both literally and also figuratively for ruling by force.
1 hr
Rosina Peixoto
Uruguay
Uruguay
Native in Spanish
Works in field
Uruguay
Traductora Pública/Certified Translator
Native in: Spanish (Variant: Latin American)
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
with a scourge of cords
We decided to drive/throw them out of ... with a scourge of cords.
Se me ocurre que esa expresión es sacada de la Biblia cuando Jesús echa a los mercaderes del templo:
"And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the moneychangers, and overturned their tables." (John 2:14-15)
Se me ocurre que esa expresión es sacada de la Biblia cuando Jesús echa a los mercaderes del templo:
"And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the moneychangers, and overturned their tables." (John 2:14-15)
26 mins
Marcelo González
United States
United States
Native in English
Works in field
United States
PhD in Translation Studies
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish
Related KudoZ points
:
44
pounding our chests/(with a) thump to our chests (a la Tarzan)
If I'm reading this correctly, it sounds like a display of "bravado" (a la Tarzan). :-)
Jessica’s tales of her boyfriend Bill’s hilarious attempts to seduce her (“and he actually took off his shirt and **pounded his chest like Tarzan!** ...
www.goodreads.com/story/show/3401.Aldamia_s_Heart
6 Sep 2008 ... He jumped onto his black steele plated baby grand and **pounded his chest like tarzan** more than once. He messed up a word in the song "In a ...
www.jamesotto.net/blog-dumb/9-6-08-99-5-country-jam-review -
Caitlyn laughed loudly as **Alkeen thumped his chest like tarzan**, and grinned at him trying to think of a snappy comeback. Unfortunately, none came ...
www.virtual-hogwarts.org/rpg/index.php?showtopic=29034&pid=... -
Movie Review - Betrayed
Miss Turner and Mr. Gable have had many long-winded talks; Mr. Mature has **thumped his chest like Tarzan** and bellowed his boasts a score of times. ...
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D05E0DC1538E23BB...
Pigs from the Moon - a story by David McKinley Lowrey
Duncan **thumped his chest like Tarzan**. "Like me." "They are racists too," I said. "He’s right," said Duncan. "Everyone’s a racist pig." ...
www.summersetreview.org/05winter/pigs.htm
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Note added at 30 mins (2009-02-03 20:38:31 GMT)
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Of course, a "cinturón" is a belt, but if the idea of a gesture made for this purpose (i.e., as a display of "male decisiveness") makes sense in this context, this might be a good option (the difference between a belt and a chest notwithstanding). :-)
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Note added at 57 mins (2009-02-03 21:05:49 GMT)
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y, a golpe de cinturón, decidimos expulsar = and, pounding our chest, we decided to ...
Unless the novel is a supernatural fantasy of some sort, and there is some reason to believe they would use their belts as weapons, this would seem to fit rather nicely.
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Note added at 1 hr (2009-02-03 21:36:38 GMT)
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If "a golpe de cinturón" means "by force" (as Lidia and jtruzzi suggest) a good option might be to turn the phrase around, i.e., "...we decided to xxx by force."
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Note added at 3 hrs (2009-02-03 23:16:34 GMT)
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Assuming that "a golpe de cinturón" may conjure up images of childhood corporal punishment (as jtruzzi suggests in her neutral), another option might be "(we decided to) throw xx and yy out on their "(little) bums/behinds/rear-ends" (to subtely convey this idea of punishment that may be suggested in the subtext).
Jessica’s tales of her boyfriend Bill’s hilarious attempts to seduce her (“and he actually took off his shirt and **pounded his chest like Tarzan!** ...
www.goodreads.com/story/show/3401.Aldamia_s_Heart
6 Sep 2008 ... He jumped onto his black steele plated baby grand and **pounded his chest like tarzan** more than once. He messed up a word in the song "In a ...
www.jamesotto.net/blog-dumb/9-6-08-99-5-country-jam-review -
Caitlyn laughed loudly as **Alkeen thumped his chest like tarzan**, and grinned at him trying to think of a snappy comeback. Unfortunately, none came ...
www.virtual-hogwarts.org/rpg/index.php?showtopic=29034&pid=... -
Movie Review - Betrayed
Miss Turner and Mr. Gable have had many long-winded talks; Mr. Mature has **thumped his chest like Tarzan** and bellowed his boasts a score of times. ...
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D05E0DC1538E23BB...
Pigs from the Moon - a story by David McKinley Lowrey
Duncan **thumped his chest like Tarzan**. "Like me." "They are racists too," I said. "He’s right," said Duncan. "Everyone’s a racist pig." ...
www.summersetreview.org/05winter/pigs.htm
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Note added at 30 mins (2009-02-03 20:38:31 GMT)
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Of course, a "cinturón" is a belt, but if the idea of a gesture made for this purpose (i.e., as a display of "male decisiveness") makes sense in this context, this might be a good option (the difference between a belt and a chest notwithstanding). :-)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 57 mins (2009-02-03 21:05:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
y, a golpe de cinturón, decidimos expulsar = and, pounding our chest, we decided to ...
Unless the novel is a supernatural fantasy of some sort, and there is some reason to believe they would use their belts as weapons, this would seem to fit rather nicely.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2009-02-03 21:36:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
If "a golpe de cinturón" means "by force" (as Lidia and jtruzzi suggest) a good option might be to turn the phrase around, i.e., "...we decided to xxx by force."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2009-02-03 23:16:34 GMT)
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Assuming that "a golpe de cinturón" may conjure up images of childhood corporal punishment (as jtruzzi suggests in her neutral), another option might be "(we decided to) throw xx and yy out on their "(little) bums/behinds/rear-ends" (to subtely convey this idea of punishment that may be suggested in the subtext).
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
jtruzzi
: off course it can be alternatives, but i think is the BEST of them is stilll "by force", and by pup i ment PUT, just a typing error.
1 hr
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Oh, like "we decided to xxx by force" (as I suggested above)? As for your original analysis, it is no longer valid?? Does the use of "a golpe de cinturón" NOT include some sort of subtext? Do you think this neutral is really warranted?
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1 day 39 mins
"and we decide to expell xxxx off the temple by force
"and we decide to expel xxx of the temple by force"
"and we decide to force xxx out of the temple"
"and we decide to force xxx out of the temple"
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Marcelo González
: In English, it sounds strange to say "expel xxx OFF." As for the second suggestion, other than your use of "xxx," I don't see how this is different from Lydia's.
5 mins
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