LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

Many factors influence the development of language, as we all know. Of late a new one has come to the fore with force: the Internet with its online free translators. Willy-nilly these data banks are eroding language by supplying erroneous equivalents to phrases and idiomatic expressions. They offer sloth and greenhorn translators a quick response to their queries. Television is the means through which this change is propelled. Examples: I have heard in Spanish: "mono veo, mono hace" which I take is a translation of " Monkey see, monkey do ." For " mono the imitación " we are given: "ape" only.  "Enter the rag" is what we get in English for " entrar al trapo ", instead of the correct " rise to the bait ."  If a translator wishes to know the equivalent of " a hair of the dog that bit you " will get: "un pelo del perro que te mordió."  For " rise to the bait " we find "muerde el anzuel...

Siguen interesándome las traducciones graciosas.  En en hotel: “You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.” (Aprovecharse de ella... si se deja, claro.) En Mallorca: “English well talking here.” (Más errores en una frase de cuatro palabras, imposible.) En Málaga: “Locals for sale or rent.” (“Se venden o alquilan residentes de la zona.” Locals: residentes de una zona. Local: premises , entre otras posibilidades.) "Estar algo a punto de caramelo" lo traduce Google como "to the point of caramel".  Y la expresión inglesa "shape up or ship out" resulta ser "dar forma o enviar" que yo, pobre de mí, traduzco como "O cambias de actitud o te largas."  No voy a negar que los traductores en línea no hayan hecho grandes avances, pero tienen graves limitaciones en lo tocante a la fraseología.