This week's post is about Spanish, a language I feel fairly comfortable with, although I must admit it has been several years since I have spoken Spanish on a daily basis Here are my best guesses as to how I would translate the English travel phrases I listed last week.
First I had to decide if I was going to be travelling in Mexico or Spain because the vocabulary would be slightly different. I decided to imagine myself on a trip to Mexico (maybe to a resort in Cabo San Lucas in Baja California?) for this experiment.
My translations are the first ones in red, and Google Translate's are the second in blue. Differences in the two translations are underlined.
1. Where is the restroom, please?
¿Dónde están los servicios, por favor?
¿Dónde está el baño, por favor?
[Okay. I have trouble even in English deciding what to call that most necessary of rooms. In my house, it's a bathroom. When I am out in the world, it is a restroom. And in when I am in a fancy restaurant, I occasionally have the desire to call it the Ladies' Room. And then there's the toilet, the loo, the lavatory... ]
2. I have a (room) reservation for tonight.
Tengo reservación para esta noche.
Tengo una reserva (habitación) para esta noche.
[I probably should have used an indefinite article (una), the difference in the translation of 'reservation' is a regional difference, and Google didn't translate correctly when I put a word in parentheses.]
3.My name is Linda. What is your name?
Me llamo Linda. ¿Cómo se llama Ud.? (¿Cómo te llamas?)
Mi nombre es Linda. ¿Cuál es su nombre?
[Different ways to express the same thing. Both work for me. I included both formal and informal forms of address, which Google also provides in a drop down menu.]
4. When does the train leave/arrive?
¿Cuándo sale (llega) el tren?
¿Cuándo sale / llega el tren?
[Hallelujah! We agree!]
5. How much does it cost?
¿Cuánto cuesta?
¿Cuánto cuesta?
[No argument here.]
6.Pardon me.
Con permiso. Perdón.
Perdón.
[I agree with Google that perdón is the more general word. It can be used with both senses of asking permission and excusing oneself.]
7. Do you have a vegetarian dish?
¿Hay platos vegetarianos?
¿Tiene un plato vegetariano?
[No quibbling here. Both seem to work.]
8.May I have a glass of water please?
¿Me da un vaso de agua, por favor?
¿Puedo tener un vaso de agua por favor?
[Both work.]
9. I want to buy a ticket please.
Quiero comprar un boleto, por favor.
Quiero comprar un billete por favor.
[Regional vocabulary variation]
10.Where is the restaurant (bus station, train station, museum)?
¿Dónde queda el restaurante (estación de autobuses, estación de ferrocarril, museo)?
¿Dónde está el restaurante (estación de autobuses, estación de tren, museo)?
[One of the multiple meanings of 'quedar' is 'to be'. Both translations for 'train' work, but I like Google's better because I don't have to roll those r's!]
All in all, it looks like Google's translations into Spanish would communicate my travel needs. And isn't communication the goal here? Translations are often a source of intense controversy, so I would enjoy hearing comments, concerns, or complaints from readers. ¡Muchas gracias!
1. Where is the restroom, please?
¿Dónde están los servicios, por favor?
¿Dónde está el baño, por favor?
[Okay. I have trouble even in English deciding what to call that most necessary of rooms. In my house, it's a bathroom. When I am out in the world, it is a restroom. And in when I am in a fancy restaurant, I occasionally have the desire to call it the Ladies' Room. And then there's the toilet, the loo, the lavatory... ]
2. I have a (room) reservation for tonight.
Tengo reservación para esta noche.
Tengo una reserva (habitación) para esta noche.
[I probably should have used an indefinite article (una), the difference in the translation of 'reservation' is a regional difference, and Google didn't translate correctly when I put a word in parentheses.]
3.My name is Linda. What is your name?
Me llamo Linda. ¿Cómo se llama Ud.? (¿Cómo te llamas?)
Mi nombre es Linda. ¿Cuál es su nombre?
[Different ways to express the same thing. Both work for me. I included both formal and informal forms of address, which Google also provides in a drop down menu.]
4. When does the train leave/arrive?
¿Cuándo sale (llega) el tren?
¿Cuándo sale / llega el tren?
[Hallelujah! We agree!]
5. How much does it cost?
¿Cuánto cuesta?
¿Cuánto cuesta?
[No argument here.]
6.Pardon me.
Con permiso. Perdón.
Perdón.
[I agree with Google that perdón is the more general word. It can be used with both senses of asking permission and excusing oneself.]
7. Do you have a vegetarian dish?
¿Hay platos vegetarianos?
¿Tiene un plato vegetariano?
[No quibbling here. Both seem to work.]
8.May I have a glass of water please?
¿Me da un vaso de agua, por favor?
¿Puedo tener un vaso de agua por favor?
[Both work.]
9. I want to buy a ticket please.
Quiero comprar un boleto, por favor.
Quiero comprar un billete por favor.
[Regional vocabulary variation]
10.Where is the restaurant (bus station, train station, museum)?
¿Dónde queda el restaurante (estación de autobuses, estación de ferrocarril, museo)?
¿Dónde está el restaurante (estación de autobuses, estación de tren, museo)?
[One of the multiple meanings of 'quedar' is 'to be'. Both translations for 'train' work, but I like Google's better because I don't have to roll those r's!]
All in all, it looks like Google's translations into Spanish would communicate my travel needs. And isn't communication the goal here? Translations are often a source of intense controversy, so I would enjoy hearing comments, concerns, or complaints from readers. ¡Muchas gracias!
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