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ENGLISH
PORTUGUESE LINGUISTICS & CULTURE |
Autor: | Dale-USA |
E-mail: | dale_thomas2004@yahoo.com.br |
Data: | 18/JUN/2012 11:25 AM |
Assunto: | Festa Junina - Josi |
Mensagem: |
River of Humongous Women = AMAZON - 1 a usually capitalized : one of a race or nation
of female warriors usually associated with Scythia or Asia Minor with
whom the ancient Greeks of mythology repeatedly warred b : a female warrior c : a tall strong masculine woman : VIRAGO Merriam-Webster Bob Charles = Roberto Carlos Josi, another example of my twisted humor at work. I don't mean to offend, just to call attention to the fact that some people insist on translating everything even when it is "overkill", completely unnecessary and in many cases just adds to the confusion. I live in Costa Rica, as you probably know. Some restaurants here ignore the names of dishes from other countries and make an attempt to translate them into English and local Spanish. Why not use the Peruvian names? A short description is fine for those unfamiliar with Peruvian cuisine, but the descriptions, particularly those in English, leave people scratching their heads. "Bistec a lo macho" is "bistec a lo macho", not "manly steak". "Bistec a lo pobre" is "bistec a lo pobre", not "steak of the economically deprived and oppressed lower classes". In an Argentine restaurant in California, I asked if there was sauce for the steak. I realized that the waiter was giving me the recipe for "chimichurri". Why all the drama? "Chimichurri" is "chimichurri". I knew a Mexican in Los Angeles who, went he went into the US Army, started calling himself "Richard Rabbit". His name was "Ricardo Conjejo". And I seen examples of people translating Brazilian addresses into English. Can you imagine the confusion that causes? There are some words and expressions that should be left alone. To translate them would only create more confusion. Pal made a good point about "Cinco de Mayo". Nobody in the States would understand if someone told them he was going to the "Fifth of May" celebration down at the park. Peace out. |