Loose translations

[jhr]

Cornishman's tagline ("Cornishmen do it drekly") got me thinking about some of the phrases I've come across at one time or another, where a literal translation doesn't always fit the bill.

For example, the classic Spanish response to the question "when will it be ready" ? of "Manana" translates literally as "tomorrow" but usually fails to deliver on the promise.

So, here are some of the words I've come across over the past few years, and my attempts at definition. Any others?

Manana: means "tomorrow". Really means: "Or the day after. Or possibly the day after that. Perhaps.....".

Drekly: means "directly". Really means: same as manana, but without quite the same sense of urgency.

"J'aime beaucoup les Anglais": means "I very much like the English". Really means "And particularly their cute little sheep, who I love to set fire to".

A mesos (Greek): means "straight away". Really means: "In practice, there may be a short delay. Like a week, or two".

"This is a high quality, reasonably priced fitting": means "I am a Marine Chandler". Really means: "Go down the Caravan shop; you'll get it for half the price and it won't rust".

"Your car/boat/3-piece suite will be ready for collection tomorrow": means "Your car/boat/3-piece suite will be ready for collection tomorrow". Really means: "or the day after... or maybe next week"

"Och, awa' an bile yer heid": means "I think it's probably time for you to leave" Really means: "My name is Jimi; I don't want you to be alarmed, but you must turn around and leave the room now, before I lose control and set about you with a meat cleaver"

"I'll have the Coppers on you". (Colloq. London): means "If you do not desist, I will summon an officer of the law". Really means: I am the owner of a large sports boat, normally berthed in the Mediterranean. I am considering various strategies for antifouling my craft"

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Prospero]

Re: Loose translations - Manana much too urgent

When I was working in the South of France a few years ago I rapidly came to appreciate that when told something would be ready "Demain" (tomorrow) this was in fact a concept of time for which the Spanish "Manana" was a concept which was much too urgent. Demain usually would mean at least a week.

 

[GeorgeP]

Manana

I was always told that Manana means 'not today'...

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Cornishman]

Re: Manana

When serving in what used to be called Malaya I discovered that the equivalent word to "drekly" in Malay is "tidapa" which gave rise to the saying that Malays suffered from tidapathy!

They are a lovely people with a great sense of humour who saw the joke and would smile wryly whenever the subject came up in their presence.

 

[Matrosen]

Re: Manana

Manana has three meanings. "Morning", "tomorrow" and "not today".

 

[Roberto]

even worse than manana, south american "ahorita"
It means anything from "in a few minutes" to "in a few days"

In Africa there is "the bus leaves when full", as all the people wait for hours outside for someone else to begin filling it it usually leaves half a day later

 

[jhr]

Oooh yes, African Time; I forgot about that one.

Absolutely true story: an esteemed and senior employee of the company I work for was once waiting for a flight in Lagos (Nigeria, not Portugal). He decided to have some lunch, so went to the Restaurant and ordered some food. Time passed, slowly, with no sign of lunch. The flight was called. Losing patience somewhat, he called over the waiter and said "is my lunch going to arrive today"? "Yes, Sah", came the reply, "Or tomorrow.........."

 

[Guest]

In Russian, the word "seichas" means "straight away", but if pronounced in a slightly slurred manner ("s'shass"), means: "at some point in the future, maybe, if I can be bothered to think about it"

 

[Benbow]

Around here 'labda kesho' translates as 'perhaps tomorrow' but actually means 'go away and leave me alone'.

 

[ParaHandy]

when a Devonian says "ar'll jurst be a minute" he doesn't mean it, it's all relative ..

just remembered, at the trial of the kircaldy ballroom murder, the highest judge in the land at the Edinburgh High court asked a defence witness how he could be certain that it took him a minute to go from the back of the ballroom to the front and so asked the witness to estimate a minute. The judge rolled back the ermine to get at his wrist watch and instructed the witness to tell him when a minute was up. The witness, noting the judge deep in concentration examining his wrist watch, promptly looked at his own and after a minute, shouted now. The court, which could hardly contain itself whilst this scene unfolded, burst into hoots of laughter ...

 

[tcm]

Re: ooh yes, that\'s interesting! I\'d never thought of that!

Lit: ooer, yet more clever-dick close-to-knuckle musings from the resident forum smart git, but at least he's got a searay so he can't ever get TOO out of control now can he? Thank god he hasn't got a Riva...

 

[silvertop]

Always remember that tommorrow is the today that we promised yesterday as today will be the yesterday that we talk of tomorrow.
So when is tomorrow, Is it today or yesterday? in reality tomorrow never comes. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Guest]

Where would 'here' be?

 

[jhr]

Yet more smart-aleckry

Well, it's Friday; what do you expect: originality? If you reckon you can't get too out of control in a Sea Ray, you've obviously never seen me trying to manouvre in a confined space.

PS: I've looked up "a Riva" on Babelfish. Apparently it's Italian for "it's arriving", so p'raps it's written in the stars that I'm going to get one.........

 

[longjohnsadler]

A bit like irregular verbs.

I shout 'starboard'
You gesticulate
He falls in the water

 

[Benbow]

[ QUOTE ]
Where would 'here' be?

[/ QUOTE ]

Swahili-speaking East Africa

 

[Stingo]

I thought fluent Swahili was spoken worldwide from about 11 pm especially in pubs.