LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

Religions have their own sets of beliefs, duties, and rituals that followers are expected to observe faithfully. It is hardly surprising, then, that English has the expression be religious about , meaning to do something with unfailing consistency, discipline, or dedication. Thus, "Some agents are religious about making sure the offer..." ( The Boston Globe , 24 July 2021, US). Likewise, "When drying wet hair, be religious about it." ( The Standard , 1 July 2022, UK). Spanish has a close equivalent: religiosamente . "Se lava el pelo todos los días religiosamente."

  LATINO / HISPANIC / SPANIARD El término latino se emplea como si fuera una palabra inglesa: Latino women , Latino cooking (principalmente enchiladas). Es despectivo y engloba a todo “latinoamericano”, sea de origen europeo, maya, misquito, africano o azteca. En los Estado Unidos hoy el US Census Bureau divide a la población, a efectos de institucionalizar el prejuicio, racial y social, en muchas categorías: White ( Caucasian ), Black , Oriental , Hispanic , Latino … El desdén racial en los Estados Unidos no ha desaparecido, aunque hayan tenido un presidente negro y el prejuicio de los blancos sigue más vivito y coleando que en el siglo XIX o XX. Por eso es importante, cuando se viaja a los EE.UU., explicar que uno es un Spaniard , que ellos identifican con España, en vez de Spanish , que engloba a Hispanics y Latinos. El trato será diferente, aunque parezca mentira, y por mucha pena que nos cause. A los Spaniards no los consideran una amenaza. Si naces en Florida, por e...

 Si buscamos el significado de "brain freeze" en inglés, se nos dirá que es "a brief, sharp headache, caused by something cold touching the roof of one's mouth." Sin embargo, lo traduzco como "írsele a uno el santo al cielo", que tiene significado muy distinto. ¿Por qué? Porque el Cambridge English Dictionary también añade que es "an occasion when someone cannot think clearly, or cannot remember something." O sea: "írsele a uno el santo al cielo" simple y llanamente: Sorry, I had a brain freeze. What were you saying? Lo siento, se me ha ido el santo al cielo. ¿Qué decías? — “… the regulators go into a brain freeze because they don’t know what to do.” Mother Jones, March-April, 2013. || “Excuse me, I just had a brain freeze on that.” Meet the Press, 10/27/2013. (10:30 am). US.

I am reviewing a translation, ostensibly to root out possible mistakes or misunderstandings. Neither of the two translators is a professional. Apart from the usual faux pas, typos, and misspellings, I have detected a tendency to ad lib: to introduce remarks that do not appear in the original, to “clarify” passages that need no clarification, and even to append material that is simply uncalled for. Moreover, these translators handle syntax as they see fit, moving phrases to the end of a paragraph when they occur at the beginning in the original. We are dealing here with two languages that have much in common; this is not a translation from Urdu into Japanese. In the end, readers will be none the wiser, since they will have no opportunity to compare the translation with the original.

Spanish politics is common fare in talk shows, newspapers, and on everyone's lips these days. New scandals pop up daily, pointing the finger at government officials at all levels. Former ministers and aides are already in jail, and others are soon to follow. In case you wish to surf through this shameful state of affairs, let me jot down vocabulary that will be of help: Mordida - kickback Soborno - bribe Cloacas del estado - government plumbing, state's sewers  Fontanero - plumber Cantar - snitch, blow the whistle Tirar de la manta - blow the whistle Conseguidor - fixer, facilitator Testaferro - straw man, front man Imputado - indicted Maquillar las cuentas - cook the books Orden de registro - search and seize Orden de busca y captura - warrant for arrest Chivatazo . tip-off Chivo expiatorio - scapegoat Enchufismo - cronyism Prevaricación - official misconduct Dimitir - resign Caja B - off-the-books fund Malversación - embezzlement Tráfico de influencias - influence peddling Tr...

 Many writers glorify the art of writing and encourage others to put their thoughts on paper, to develop their ideas, plots, realities, traumas, fears, and fantasies, convinced that writing liberates the mind and brings a deep sense of satisfaction. For them, the act of writing can be a source of almost limitless pleasure and delight. My own experience has been rather different. My writing is nothing to write home about (pun intended), and I have so few readers that not even my relatives take a peek at my "literary" output. They invariably assure me of their keen interest, only to add that they simply have no time. Steven Pressfield's delightful little book Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t  fits me to a T. All this came to mind because I recently came across a remark by Tom Wolfe in Hooking Up , in the chapter "My Three Stooges." He writes: "I can tell you... to write one book is a killer financially, a blow to the base of the skull mentally and physically, h...