Back to: Introduction to the Multi-theme Translation Course

UNIT 3

Methodology: A Global Comparative Approach (Spanish-English)

– Sentence-Level Considerations

Introduction:

Before diving into the translation problems sentences pose, let’s review and expand upon key concepts that are critical for effective Spanish-to-English translation. We will focus on the structural and semantic differences that often cause difficulties.

• Sentence elements (subject, verb, complements)
• Word order and its impact on meaning
• Information flow: Theme and rheme
• Implicit (unstated) elements

Basic Sentence Elements:

In simple terms, a sentence consists of:

• Subject: Who or what performs the action (answers the question “who?” or “what?”)
• Verb: The action or state of being
• Complements:
  • Direct Object: What receives the action (answers “what?” or “whom?”)
  • Indirect Object: To whom or for whom the action is done (answers “to whom?” or “for whom?”)
  • Circumstantial Complements: Provide additional information about the action (place, time, manner)

Example:

• “María compra pasteles para Carmen en la pastelería todas las mañanas con mucha alegría.”

Let’s break it down:

Complexities and Ambiguity:

Sentence elements can become complex when they consist of more than one word or include embedded clauses. This can create ambiguity, especially when translating from Spanish to English due to differences in word order and sentence structure.

Example:

• “Mi prima, que vive en casa de la vecina de enfrente, compra un montón inmenso de pasteles para la hija de Mari Pepa, que compró el tercero izquierda, en la pastelería que se encuentra debajo de su casa todas las mañanas cuando amanece, con una alegría digna de ser mencionada.”

Resolving Ambiguity:

To avoid ambiguity, we might need to rearrange the sentence elements in the English translation.

Revised Example:

• “Every morning at dawn, with an enthusiasm worth mentioning, my cousin, who lives in the house across the street, buys a huge pile of cakes at the bakery below her house for Mari Pepa’s daughter, who bought the third-floor apartment on the left.”

Information Flow (Theme and Rheme):

When changing word order, be mindful of the information flow. The “theme” is the starting point of the sentence, while the “rheme” is the new information being conveyed. Changing the order can alter the emphasis.

Implicit Elements:

Spanish often omits elements that are understood from context. In English, we might need to make these explicit.

Example:

• “La impresora, estupenda.” (The printer, great.) – The verb “es” (is) is implicit.
• In English: “The printer is great.”

Passive Voice:

Spanish uses the passive voice less frequently than English. When translating from Spanish to English, we might need to convert active constructions into passive ones.

Example:

• “Un terremoto mató a 25.000 personas.” (An earthquake killed 25,000 people.)
• In English: “25,000 people were killed by an earthquake.”

1. Information Flow (Theme and Rheme): Simplifying the Concept

• Analogy:
  • Think of a sentence like a story. The “theme” is like the background or the setting of the story—it’s what we already know or are talking about. The “rheme” is the new part of the story, the exciting bit that tells us what happened.
• Simple Language:
  • “Theme” = the topic or what we’re starting with.
  • “Rheme” = what we’re saying about the topic (the new information).
• Examples with Clear Emphasis:
  • Spanish: “El libro, lo compré ayer.” (The book, I bought it yesterday.)
    • Theme: “El libro” (The book)
    • Rheme: “lo compré ayer” (I bought it yesterday)
    • English: “I bought the book yesterday.” (Normal Flow)
    • English: “The book, I bought yesterday.” (Emphasized Theme)
  • Explanation:
    • In the first English sentence, “I” is the theme, and “bought the book yesterday” is the rheme.
    • In the second English sentence, we have changed the information flow to match the spanish example.
    • This shows how changing word order impacts the information flow and what is being emphasized.
• Practical Tip:
  • When translating, ask yourself: “What is the main point the speaker is trying to get across?” That’s the rheme. Then, make sure your English sentence puts that information in the right place for emphasis.

2. Implicit Elements: Making Them Visible

• Analogy:
  • Think of implicit elements as missing puzzle pieces. In Spanish, sometimes the picture is clear even with a piece missing, but in English, we often need to put all the pieces in to make it look right.
• Simple Language:
  • “Implicit” = something that’s not said, but we understand it anyway.
• More Examples:
  • Spanish: “Necesito ayuda.” (Need help.)
    • Implicit: “Yo” (I)
    • English: “I need help.”
  • Spanish: “Estupendo!” (Great!)
    • Implict: “Esto es” (This is)
    • English: “This is great!” or “That’s great!”
  • Spanish: “Ayer, fuimos al cine.” (Yesterday, went to the cinema.)
    • Implicit: “Nosotros” (We)
    • English: “Yesterday, we went to the cinema.”
• Practical Tip:
  • When you see a short Spanish sentence, ask yourself: “Who did it? What is it? What happened?” If the answer isn’t in the sentence, you might need to add it in English.

3. Passive Voice: Changing the Focus

• Analogy:
  • Imagine a news report. In Spanish, they might say “The dog bit the man.” In English, if the man is the important part, we might say “The man was bitten by the dog.” We’re changing the focus.
• Simple Language:
  • “Active voice” = the subject does the action (e.g., “The dog bit”).
  • “Passive voice” = the subject receives the action (e.g., “was bitten”).
• More Examples:
  • Spanish: “El chef preparó la cena.” (The chef prepared the dinner.)
    • English (active): “The chef prepared the dinner.”
    • English (passive): “The dinner was prepared by the chef.”
  • Spanish: “Limpiaron la casa.” (They cleaned the house.)
    • English (passive): “The house was cleaned.”
  • Explanation:
    • In the first example, the chef is the focus of the active sentence.
    • In the passive version, the dinner is the focus.
• Practical Tip:
  • Use the passive voice in English when:
    • The receiver of the action is more important than the doer.
    • You don’t know or don’t want to mention who did the action.
    • English writing often favors the passive voice in formal contexts.

Exercise 1 Unit 3

Translation Exercise 1 Unit 3

Translation Technique: Transposition

Transposition involves changing grammatical elements during translation. Common examples include:

• Singular to plural and vice versa
• Adjective placement
• Gerund to infinitive
• Noun + noun to noun + adjective
• Prepositions
• Adverbs
• Verb + preposition to verb + gerund
• Etc.

Transposition is a translation technique that involves changing the grammatical category or structure of a phrase or sentence without altering its meaning. It’s often necessary when a literal translation sounds unnatural or incorrect in the target language.

Here’s a breakdown of common types of transposition with Spanish-to-English examples:

1. Singular to Plural and Vice Versa:

• Explanation: Sometimes, a concept expressed in singular in one language is more naturally expressed in plural in the other, or vice versa.
• Spanish: “La información es clave.” (The information is key.)
• English: “The pieces of information are key.” (Plural is often more natural in English)
• Spanish: “Los muebles fueron entregados.” (The furniture was delivered.)
• English: “The piece of furniture was delivered” (Depending on context, singular is also possible)

2. Adjective Placement:

• Explanation: Spanish adjectives often follow the noun, while English adjectives usually precede the noun.
• Spanish: “La casa blanca.” (The house white.)
• English: “The white house.”
• Spanish: “Un problema serio.” (A problem serious.)
• English: “A serious problem.”
• Note: Some adjectives change meaning depending on their position. (e.g. “un hombre pobre” (a poor man) vs. “un pobre hombre” (an unfortunate man)).

3. Gerund to Infinitive:

• Explanation: Spanish uses the gerund (gerundio) more frequently than English. Often, a Spanish gerund is best translated into an English infinitive or a different verb form.
• Spanish: “Siguió trabajando.” (He continued working.)
• English: “He continued to work.”
• Spanish: “Al llegar a casa, me relajé.” (Upon arriving home, I relaxed.)
• English: “Upon arriving home, I relaxed.” or “When I arrived home, I relaxed.”

4. Noun + Noun to Noun + Adjective:

• Explanation: Spanish frequently uses noun + noun constructions, which are often transformed into noun + adjective constructions in English.
• Spanish: “Papel de cocina.” (Paper of kitchen.)
• English: “Kitchen paper.”
• Spanish: “Máquina de coser.” (Machine of sewing.)
• English: “Sewing machine.”

5. Prepositions:

• Explanation: Prepositions rarely have a one-to-one correspondence between languages. Transposition often involves choosing a different preposition in English.
• Spanish: “Pensar en.” (To think in.)
• English: “To think about.”
• Spanish: “Viajar por España.” (To travel by Spain.)
• English: “To travel through Spain.”

6. Adverbs:

• Explanation: Adverbs might need to shift their position or be replaced by a different grammatical element in English.
• Spanish: “Habló lentamente.” (He spoke slowly.)
• English: “He spoke in a slow manner.” or “He spoke slowly.”
• Spanish: “Ella rápidamente se fue.” (She quickly went.)
• English: “She left quickly.”

7. Verb + Preposition to Verb + Gerund:

• Explanation: Some Spanish verb + preposition constructions are more naturally translated into English verb + gerund constructions.
• Spanish: “Empezó a llover.” (He started to rain.)
• English: “It started raining.”
• Spanish: “Se dedicó a estudiar.” (He dedicated himself to study.)
• English: “He dedicated himself to studying.”

Key Takeaways:

• Transposition is about finding the most natural and idiomatic way to express a meaning in the target language.
• It requires a deep understanding of the grammatical differences between Spanish and English.
• Context is crucial in determining the appropriate transposition.

By understanding and practicing these transpositions, translators can produce more fluent and accurate translations.

Exercise 2 Unit 3

Translation Principles: Connotations and Denotations

Words have both denotations (literal meanings) and connotations (associated meanings). Connotations are crucial in translation, especially in literary and journalistic texts.

Example:

• Denotation: “Silla” (chair) – a physical object for sitting
• Connotation: “¡Uf, acércame la silla, por favor!” (Ugh, bring me the chair, please!) – The chair represents rest and relief.

Translation Exercise 2 Unit 3

Self Assessment Exercises

Exercise 1: Resolving Ambiguity

Instructions: Rewrite the following sentences in English, paying attention to word order to avoid ambiguity and ensure clarity.

1. “El hombre que estaba en la puerta con un sombrero saludó a la mujer.”
2. “Vi a la niña que estaba jugando en el parque con un perro grande.”
3. “Compré un libro para mi hermano que estudia en la universidad.”
4. “La película que vi anoche con mis amigos fue muy interesante.”
5. “El profesor que me dio clase el año pasado en la universidad era muy inteligente.”

Exercise 2: Identifying Implicit Elements

Instructions: Translate the following sentences into English, making implicit elements explicit for clarity.

1. “La comida, deliciosa.”
2. “El coche, nuevo.”
3. “La casa, grande y bonita.”
4. “El examen, difícil.”
5. “La fiesta, divertida.”

Exercise 3: Expanding Noun Phrases

Instructions: Translate the following sentences, expanding noun phrases for better flow in English.

1. “El libro de historia.”
2. “La casa de mi abuela.”
3. “El profesor de matemáticas.”
4. “La ciudad de Nueva York.”
5. “El perro del vecino.”

Exercise 4: Passive Voice

Instructions: Translate the following sentences, using the passive voice in English where appropriate.

1. “Se dice que el presidente va a dimitir.”
2. “Se construyó el edificio en 1920.”
3. “Se venden coches aquí.”
4. “Se habla español en este restaurante.”
5. “Se necesitan enfermeras en el hospital.”

Exercise 5: Connotations and Denotations

Instructions: Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the connotations of the words and phrases.

1. “El político tiene una mirada de acero.”
2. “La música llenaba el aire de magia.”
3. “El silencio en la habitación era sepulcral.”
4. “La ciudad se despertaba con un rugido.”
5. “El aroma del café era un bálsamo para el alma.”

Key to Self Assessment Exercises:

1. “El hombre que estaba en la puerta con un sombrero saludó a la mujer.”

• Ambiguity:
  • The phrase “con un sombrero” could modify either “el hombre” or “la puerta.” It’s unclear whether the door or the man had a hat.
• Revised English Translations:
  • Clearer Version 1 (Man with hat): “The man who was wearing a hat at the door greeted the woman.”
  • Clearer Version 2 (Door with something like a hat, less common interpretation): “The man who was at the door that had something like a hat greeted the woman.”
• Explanation:
  • To resolve the ambiguity, we’ve restructured the sentence to clearly link “wearing a hat” to “the man.”
  • Version 2, clarifies a less common, but possible, interpretation.
  • By placing the modifying phrase closer to the element it modifies, we remove the confusion.

2. “Vi a la niña que estaba jugando en el parque con un perro grande.”

• Ambiguity:
  • “Con un perro grande” could mean the girl or the park had the big dog.
• Revised English Translations:
  • Clearer Version 1 (Girl with dog): “I saw the girl who was playing in the park with a big dog.”
  • Clearer Version 2 (Park with dog): “I saw the girl who was playing in the park that had a big dog.”
• Explanation:
  • We’ve clarified the relationship by repositioning “with a big dog.”
  • Version 1 places the dog with the girl. Version 2 places the dog in the park.

3. “Compré un libro para mi hermano que estudia en la universidad.”

• Ambiguity:
  • “Que estudia en la universidad” could modify either “mi hermano” or “un libro.”
• Revised English Translations:
  • Clearer Version 1 (Brother studies at university): “I bought a book for my brother who studies at the university.”
  • Clearer Version 2 (Book is about university): “I bought a book that is used at the university for my brother.”
• Explanation:
  • Again, we’ve clarified the modifier’s target.
  • Version 1 states that the brother studies at the university. Version 2 states that the book is used at the university.

4. “La película que vi anoche con mis amigos fue muy interesante.”

• Ambiguity:
  • “Con mis amigos” could modify “vi” or perhaps imply the friends helped create the film, although this is less likely.
• Revised English Translations:
  • Clearer Version 1 (Watched with friends): “The movie that I watched with my friends last night was very interesting.”
  • Clearer Version 2 (Less likely): “The movie that I made with my friends last night was very interesting.”
• Explanation:
  • While the original sentence is fairly clear, Version 1 specifically places the friends with the action of watching the movie. Version 2 would be used if you wanted to imply the friends helped to make the movie.

5. “El profesor que me dio clase el año pasado en la universidad era muy inteligente.”

• Ambiguity:
  • “En la universidad” could modify “me dio clase” or imply the professor was at the university when they were intelligent.
• Revised English Translations:
  • Clearer Version 1 (Taught at university): “The professor who taught me class at the university last year was very intelligent.”
  • Clearer Version 2 (less likely): “The professor who taught me class last year was very intelligent at the university.”
• Explanation:
  • Version 1 clearly states that the professor taught at the university. Version 2 implies that the professor was intelligent when at the university, which is less likely to be what was meant.
  • The placement of the location phrase resolves the uncertainty.

Exercise 2: Identifying Implicit Elements – Answer Key and Explanations

Instructions: Translate the following sentences into English, making implicit elements explicit for clarity.

1. “La comida, deliciosa.”

• Analysis:
  • The verb “es” (is) or “está” (is) is implied.
  • The context will decide which verb is best.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The food is delicious.” or “The food was delicious.”
• Explanation:
  • In Spanish, it’s common to omit the verb when it’s easily understood.
  • In English, omitting the verb makes the sentence a fragment.
  • We’ve added “is” or “was” to make the sentence grammatically complete and clear in English. The correct tense will depend on context.

2. “El coche, nuevo.”

• Analysis:
  • Again, the verb “es” (is) or “está” (is) is implied.
  • Again, the context determines if it is “es” or “está.”
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The car is new.” or “The car was new.”
• Explanation:
  • Just like the previous example, the verb is necessary in English.
  • Again, the correct tense will depend on context.

3. “La casa, grande y bonita.”

• Analysis:
  • The verb “es” (is) or “era” (was) is implicit.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The house is big and beautiful.” or “The house was big and beautiful.”
• Explanation:
  • The missing verb is supplied in the English translation, and the tense is chosen based on context.

4. “El examen, difícil.”

• Analysis:
  • The verb “es” (is) or “fue” (was) is omitted.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The exam is difficult.” or “The exam was difficult.”
• Explanation:
  • We’ve restored the necessary verb in the English translation.
  • The tense is once again determined by context.

5. “La fiesta, divertida.”

• Analysis:
  • The verb “es” (is) or “fue” (was) is implied.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The party is fun.” or “The party was fun.”
• Explanation:
  • The English sentence is completed by adding the verb, and once again, context specifies the tense.

Exercise 3: Expanding Noun Phrases – Answer Key and Explanations

Instructions: Translate the following sentences, expanding noun phrases for better flow in English.

1. “El libro de historia.”

• Analysis:
  • “De historia” modifies “libro,” indicating the book’s subject.
  • English often uses an adjective or a more descriptive phrase to express this.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The history book.”
  • “The book about history.”
  • “The historical book”
• Explanation:
  • “History book” is a concise and natural way to express the same idea in English.
  • “The book about history” Provides a more wordy but also perfectly valid way to translate the noun phrase.
  • “Historical book” Also correctly translates the sentance, and is very similar to the direct translation.

2. “La casa de mi abuela.”

• Analysis:
  • “De mi abuela” shows possession.
  • English often uses a possessive adjective or a possessive ‘s.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “My grandmother’s house.”
  • “The house of my grandmother.”
• Explanation:
  • “My grandmother’s house” is the most common and natural English phrasing.
  • “The house of my grandmother” is also correct, but sounds a little more formal.

3. “El profesor de matemáticas.”

• Analysis:
  • “De matemáticas” indicates the professor’s subject.
  • English favors a compound noun or an adjectival phrase.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The math professor.”
  • “The mathematics professor.”
  • “The professor of mathematics.”
• Explanation:
  • “Math professor” is informal and widely used.
  • “Mathematics professor” is more formal.
  • “Professor of mathematics” is the most literal, and also very acceptable.

4. “La ciudad de Nueva York.”

• Analysis:
  • This is a proper noun, but the “de” can be seen as needing expansion, sometimes.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “New York City.”
  • “The city of New York.”
• Explanation:
  • “New York City” is the standard and most natural form.
  • “The city of New York” is also acceptable.

5. “El perro del vecino.”

• Analysis:
  • “Del vecino” indicates possession.
  • English uses possessive ‘s or an “of” phrase.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The neighbor’s dog.”
  • “The dog of the neighbor.”
• Explanation:
  • “The neighbor’s dog” is the more common phrasing.
  • “The dog of the neighbor” is grammatically correct.

Exercise 5: Connotations and Denotations – Answer Key and Explanations

Instructions: Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the connotations of the words and phrases.

1. “El político tiene una mirada de acero.”

• Analysis:
  • Denotation: Literally, “the politician has a gaze of steel.”
  • Connotation: “Acero” (steel) suggests hardness, coldness, strength, and an unyielding nature.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The politician has a steely gaze.”
  • “The politician has an icy stare.”
  • “The politician has a hard look.”
• Explanation:
  • We avoid a literal translation that might sound awkward.
  • “Steely” captures the firmness and coldness of “acero.” “Icy” reinforces the coldness aspect, and hard look is a simpler less poetic version.
  • The goal is to convey the intended impression of a strong, perhaps intimidating, gaze.

2. “La música llenaba el aire de magia.”

• Analysis:
  • Denotation: “The music filled the air with magic.”
  • Connotation: “Magia” (magic) implies a sense of wonder, enchantment, and something extraordinary.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The music filled the air with enchantment.”
  • “The music filled the air with wonder.”
  • “The music filled the air with a magical feeling.”
• Explanation:
  • While the literal translation is understandable, we can enhance the impact by using words with richer connotations.
  • “Enchantment” and “wonder” convey the sense of being captivated and moved by the music.
  • Using “magical feeling” also helps to translate this sentance in a natural way.

3. “El silencio en la habitación era sepulcral.”

• Analysis:
  • Denotation: “The silence in the room was sepulchral.”
  • Connotation: “Sepulcral” (sepulchral) strongly suggests a deep, deathly silence, like that of a tomb.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The silence in the room was tomb-like.”
  • “The silence in the room was deathly.”
  • “The silence in the room was profound.”
• Explanation:
  • “Tomb-like” and “deathly” effectively capture the eerie and heavy quality of the silence.
  • “Profound” also works, and can be used to make the sentance slightly less dramatic.
  • using these words helps to recreate the feeling in the readers mind.

4. “La ciudad se despertaba con un rugido.”

• Analysis:
  • Denotation: “The city woke up with a roar.”
  • Connotation: “Rugido” (roar) suggests a powerful, perhaps noisy and chaotic, awakening.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The city awoke with a roar.”
  • “The city stirred to life with a rumble.”
  • “The city came to life with a loud surge of sound.”
• Explanation:
  • “Roar” directly translates “rugido” and works well.
  • “Rumble” conveys a deeper, more sustained sound, and “Loud surge of sound” further describes the sound.
  • These word choices paint a vivid picture of a city coming to life.

5. “El aroma del café era un bálsamo para el alma.”

• Analysis:
  • Denotation: “The aroma of the coffee was a balm for the soul.”
  • Connotation: “Bálsamo para el alma” (balm for the soul) implies comfort, healing, and a sense of well-being.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “The aroma of the coffee was a comfort to the soul.”
  • “The aroma of the coffee was a soothing balm to the soul.”
  • “The smell of the coffee was healing to my soul”
• Explanation:
  • “Comfort” or “soothing balm” are excellent choices for conveying the sense of relief and well-being.
  • using “smell” rather than aroma, is also acceptable, and slightly less formal.
  • These translations evoke the emotional and sensory impact of the coffee’s aroma.

Bonus Practical Exercise: Text Analysis and Translation

Instructions: Analyze the following short text in Spanish, identifying any challenges related to the concepts covered in this unit (word order, implicit elements, etc.). Then translate the text into English, making appropriate adjustments to ensure clarity and naturalness.

Text:

“La tarde caía sobre la ciudad. Las calles, vacías. Un perro ladraba en la distancia. El viento silbaba entre los edificios. En un café, un hombre solitario leía el periódico. La camarera, aburrida, miraba por la ventana. Un taxi amarillo pasó como una flecha. La vida seguía su curso.”

This exercise encourages students to apply the concepts learned in the unit to a real-world translation scenario, considering not only individual sentences but also the overall flow and coherence of the text.

Exercise 4: Passive Voice – Answer Key and Explanations

Instructions: Translate the following sentences, using the passive voice in English where appropriate.

1. “Se dice que el presidente va a dimitir.”

• Analysis:
  • This sentence uses the impersonal “se.”
  • The focus is on what is being said, not who is saying it.
  • English passive voice is well-suited here.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “It is said that the president is going to resign.”
  • “The president is said to be going to resign.”
• Explanation:
  • “It is said” effectively translates the impersonal “se dice.”
  • The second option, changes the structure, but remains in the passive voice.
  • English often uses the passive in this type of impersonal statement.

2. “Se construyó el edificio en 1920.”

• Analysis:
  • Again, impersonal “se” is used.
  • The focus is on the building and the action.
  • Passive voice is natural in this context.
• Revised English Translation:
  • “The building was constructed in 1920.”
• Explanation:
  • “Was constructed” is the correct passive form.
  • This is a typical use case for the passive in English.

3. “Se venden coches aquí.”

• Analysis:
  • Impersonal “se” indicates a general action.
  • The focus is on the cars being sold.
• Revised English Translations:
  • “Cars are sold here.”
  • “They sell cars here.” (active voice also possible)
• Explanation:
  • “Are sold” is the passive form.
  • This sentence could be translated into the active voice. But, using the passive voice, it mirrors the spanish sentance structure.

4. “Se habla español en este restaurante.”

• Analysis:
  • Impersonal “se” indicates a general action.
  • The focus is on the language being spoken.
• Revised English Translation:
  • “Spanish is spoken in this restaurant.”
• Explanation:
  • “Is spoken” is the correct passive form.
  • This is a very common use of the passive in English.

5. “Se necesitan enfermeras en el hospital.”

• Analysis:
  • Impersonal “se” indicates a general need.
  • The focus is on the nurses being needed.
• Revised English Translation:
  • “Nurses are needed in the hospital.”
• Explanation:
  • “Are needed” is the passive form.
  • This type of sentance is very commonly translated into the passive voice.

Key to Bonus Exercise:

Analysis and Translation:

1. “La tarde caía sobre la ciudad.”

• Analysis:
  • This sentence is relatively straightforward.
  • “La tarde” (the afternoon) is the subject, “caía” (was falling) is the verb, and “sobre la ciudad” (over the city) is a circumstantial complement of place.
  • The verb “caía” (imperfect tense) conveys a sense of ongoing action.
• Translation: “The afternoon was falling over the city.” or “The afternoon was descending over the city.”
• Explanation for Students: We have kept the word order similar to the Spanish, because it works well in English. The imperfect tense in Spanish is often translated using the past continuous tense in English (“was falling”).

2. “Las calles, vacías.”

• Analysis:
  • This is a sentence with an implicit verb (“estaban” – were).
  • “Las calles” (the streets) is the subject, and “vacías” (empty) is the adjective.
  • The verb “estaban” is understood from the context.
• Translation: “The streets were empty.”
• Explanation for Students: Here, we must make the implicit verb “were” explicit in English. Without it, the sentence would be grammatically incomplete.

3. “Un perro ladraba en la distancia.”

• Analysis:
  • “Un perro” (a dog) is the subject, “ladraba” (was barking) is the verb, and “en la distancia” (in the distance) is a circumstantial complement of place.
  • Again the imperfect tense is used.
• Translation: “A dog was barking in the distance.”
• Explanation for Students: Similar to the first sentence, we use the past continuous tense to maintain the sense of ongoing action.

4. “El viento silbaba entre los edificios.”

• Analysis:
  • “El viento” (the wind) is the subject, “silbaba” (was whistling) is the verb, and “entre los edificios” (between the buildings) is a circumstantial complement of place.
• Translation: “The wind was whistling between the buildings.”
• Explanation for Students: The imperfect tense is translated as past continuous.

5. “En un café, un hombre solitario leía el periódico.”

• Analysis:
  • “En un café” (in a café) is a circumstantial complement of place, “un hombre solitario” (a solitary man) is the subject, “leía” (was reading) is the verb, and “el periódico” (the newspaper) is the direct object.
  • The placement of the place complement at the beginning of the sentence changes the flow of the sentance.
• Translation: “In a café, a solitary man was reading the newspaper.”
• Explanation for Students: The word order is maintained to preserve the emphasis on the location.

6. “La camarera, aburrida, miraba por la ventana.”

• Analysis:
  • “La camarera” (the waitress) is the subject, “aburrida” (bored) is an adjective describing the subject, and “miraba por la ventana” (was looking out the window) is the verb phrase.
  • The adjective is placed between the commas, like an appositive.
• Translation: “The waitress, bored, was looking out the window.”
• Explanation for Students: The comma placement in spanish is maintained in english.

7. “Un taxi amarillo pasó como una flecha.”

• Analysis:
  • “Un taxi amarillo” (a yellow taxi) is the subject, “pasó” (passed) is the verb, and “como una flecha” (like an arrow) is a circumstantial complement of manner.
  • “Como una flecha” is a simile.
• Translation: “A yellow taxi sped past like an arrow.” or “A yellow taxi shot past like an arrow.”
• Explanation for Students: We used “sped” or “shot” to capture the sense of speed conveyed by “como una flecha.”

8. “La vida seguía su curso.”

• Analysis:
  • “La vida” (life) is the subject, “seguía” (was following) is the verb, and “su curso” (its course) is the direct object.
• Translation: “Life was following its course.” or “Life continued its course.”
• Explanation for Students: Both translations are acceptable.

Overall Translation:

“The afternoon was falling over the city. The streets were empty. A dog was barking in the distance. The wind was whistling between the buildings. In a café, a solitary man was reading the newspaper. The waitress, bored, was looking out the window. A yellow taxi sped past like an arrow. Life continued its course.”

Key Takeaways for Students:

• Implicit verbs: Always look for missing verbs in Spanish sentences.
• Imperfect tense: Pay attention to the imperfect tense and use the past continuous tense in English when appropriate.
• Word order: Be mindful of word order differences and maintain the original emphasis when possible.
• Figurative language: Recognize and translate figurative language appropriately.
• Context: Consider the overall context of the text to ensure a coherent and natural translation.