Anybody speak Spanish?

[ms6852]

Who is "we"?

I have access to multiple on-line translators, an off-line translator,and at least three good English-Spanish dictionaries. I'm not looking for transliterations. I've been asked for help by someone in the firearms industry, who is looking at creating a web page for selling in Spanish-speaking countries. To do it right, I need to know the terms that would be used by native speakers in South America. My [adult] step-son has evinced some interest in firearms and, knowing that I'm a shooter, we have had some discussions. Nothing highly technical, but I can't imagine him ever using or comprehending a term such as "tornillo de viaje excesivo en un arma."

No, I'm not going to ask my step-son. He knows a lot less about guns than he thinks he knows, so he would not be a knowledgeable or reliable resource.

Who is we is my Spanish speaking family. Born American of hispanic descendants . Spanish is going to change from one region to the other and different words will have the same description of the same item, such as auto, vehicle, car, for example.

I had to translate medical terminology in the jungles of Honduras for the U.S. Army back in my time and that is a whole new animal when it comes to translating as well. I feel your dilemma . Tornillo de viaje excesivo is correct, also, but you must not literally translate the word excesivo as excessive in the context it is used. Think Spanish is bad, English is worse with words like tow, toe, red, read, sun, son, head, had, bad, bed, and I could just go on.

I would talk to someone from Taurus industry since they are down in Brazil they would have better insight for South America.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Who is we is my Spanish speaking family. Born American of hispanic descendants . Spanish is going to change from one region to the other and different words will have the same description of the same item, such as auto, vehicle, car, for example.

I know, and I have cautioned the person who asked for my assistance about this. All I was told was that they want to create an "international" page in Spanish. I'm pretty certain they are targeting South America, not Spain. My late wife was from South America and, as a non-native [rookie] speaker, I found it quite confusing when we traveled from one country to another and the words for simple things like "bus stop," "parking," or "earthquake" changed when we crossed the border.

At this point I have sent them my best effort, with a caution that they need to have it reviewed by someone from each country they hope to do business with. Assuming they won't want to have twelve different web pages, if they get back comments that "We say it different here" they're going to have to decide which term will be the most/best understood in the most countries.

 

[Ricklin]

Could be

Heck the page could be targeted at the USA, given the number of Spanish speakers.
I lived in Socal for about 15 years, however my spanglish is rusty. While Taurus sells in to many Spanish speaking countries, their national language is Portuguese.

 

[Brit]

I have lived in England/Australia/Canada/ for 2 years, in the Brit Army in Germany. And finally for the last 19 years, in the USA!
The British way of dealing with attempting to deal with foreign speaking people in their own countries, who do not speak English?
Is simple, increase the volume? Does it work? No.

 

[ballardw]

I have lived in England/Australia/Canada/ for 2 years, in the Brit Army in Germany. And finally for the last 19 years, in the USA!
The British way of dealing with attempting to deal with foreign speaking people in their own countries, who do not speak English?
Is simple, increase the volume? Does it work? No.

I saw one of my barracks mates in the US Army from Puerto Rico speaking with another of Mexican descent. They spoke to each other in English because the couldn't understand each other when speaking Spanish.

 

[TXAZ]

I was worried when we moved to the Middle East in a technical support role on a large comms program, as I knew enough Arabic to realize it is a difficult language to describe highly technical details.
But it was simple: Technical Arabic = English with The letter “B” substituted for “P” (no P equivalent in Arabic)
“Computer” became “Combuter”
Looks like for once Arabic is easer than Spanish.

 

[ballardw]

I was worried when we moved to the Middle East in a technical support role on a large comms program, as I knew enough Arabic to realize it is a difficult language to describe highly technical details.
But it was simple: Technical Arabic = English with The letter “B” substituted for “P” (no P equivalent in Arabic)
“Computer” became “Combuter”
Looks like for once Arabic is easer than Spanish.

IIRC when I went through DLI (Defense Language Institute) in the mid 1970's they offered Arabic-Egyptian and Arabic-Syrian but only one Spanish. I had always wondered about how well that single Spanish worked out in reality.

 

[TXAZ]

IIRC when I went through DLI (Defense Language Institute) in the mid 1970's they offered Arabic-Egyptian and Arabic-Syrian but only one Spanish. I had always wondered about how well that single Spanish worked out in reality.

Yes sir. Short of Classical Arabic (aka Koranic) many Gulf Arabic speakers can’t understand many of the Egyptians.
Maybe Spanish is more homogeneous in universal understanding?

 

[TailGator]

My wife and I are close friends with a man who is a native of Puerto Rico and his wife who is a native of Mexico. My Spanish is too poor to keep up with either, but they tell us (in English) that they rib each other about accents occasionally but communicate well. I do know there are some minor vocabulary differences among the Spanish-speaking countries, but it seems to me that native Spanish speakers are aware of the differences, like we know that a Brit means trunk when they say boot, things like that.

 

[langenc]

Very interesting..

Way off subject but when pizza went to Japan there was no word for pepperoni.

So now Ive been told pepperoni in Japan is 'pepperoni' just kike US??

 

[mehavey]

"bistec...." was always my favorite when we
lived south of the border for many years.

 

[Brit]

We met a Greek couple on the SS Australice, the ship we had boarded in Southampton UK. Our family of 4 were migrating to Australia, for? Ever? Nope.
They came aboard in Pireuse the port for Athens. And we met them the next day, as we sailed into the ocean. My wife at the time did not listen to me about the dangers of Sunburn. Burned her lips badly. Stayed out of it for a few days.
I was on my own when I met them our two children loved the organized daycare centre. So I was chilling on a deck chair. When I was awakened by raised voices. Two English couples were ordering the Greek couple off their deck chairs. I stuck my Liverpool nose in. "You can not keep deck chairs, first come they are yours," said I.

My statement of "Do you like Hospital food?" Settled that argument, plus the Scouse accent. Now the Greek male had a strong accent, his wife had a perfect Aussie accent with her English spoken word.

Their plan was the husband was going to work in a sandwich shop, he would learn the ropes, they would buy one then.
When he started as an employee, the first question "What is your name? A yard long Greek name! The two owners looked at each other "OK Dennis" that was now his name. You start tomorrow. It was sad to leave those two behind.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

We're getting rather far afield from translating firearms terminology, which is what this thread was [supposed to be] about. I have my answer, so I think it's time to put this one to rest.