domingo, 18 de noviembre de 2018

El maldito subjuntivo español y su traducción


El hispanohablante (que no parlante, repito) utiliza el subjuntivo bastante bien y sin darse cuenta de que habla subjuntivo. Se para en seco cuando quiere decir en inglés ¿Qué quieres que haga? (La palabra en negrita va en subjuntivo) se pone colorado y espeta: What do you want that I do? o What do you want I do? Lo correcto es emplear el infinitivo: What do you want me to do?
 Después de verbos de deseo, orden, sugerencias, expectativas, emplearemos el subjuntivo en castellano y el infinitivo en inglés:
Quiero que vayas ahora, I want you to go now.
Espero que vengan a las siete, I expect them to come at seven.
¿Qué quieres que te diga?, What do you want me to tell you? 
Te ordeno que me des un besito, I order you to give me a little kiss.
¿Qué esperabas que hiciese?, What did you expect him to do
 

lunes, 5 de noviembre de 2018

Perfection in language and Dr. Yalom


Image result for the schopenhauer cure

It has accurred to me that you might think I am petty and that I focus on language trivia when I point out the errors, typos, or faux pas of writers of prestige. But I have a grudge, an ax to grind, against the English-speaking intelligetnsia. They are uppity, stubborn, ivory-towered and believe themselves to be tops... but they are not. Most hold on to the stupid assumption that being a native is enough.
I like Dr. Irvin Yalom´s The Schopenhauer Cure. He knows how to spin a good yarn. He has good dictionaries of synonyms which he uses constantly. He enthralls me with his pedantry. In short: I like him.
But why on earth would he write "Schopenhauer said that a highly attractive women..."?
In his Acknowledgments he mentions many people who read the trypescript of his novel and offered suggestions, corrections and the like. But nobody read this line: "Schopenhauer said that a highly attractive women..."?
The Publisher, HarperCollins, probably has no proofreaders any more. Too expensive.