Otters, the world over

[rivka]

LJ, you've helped me with this before... someone writing in Spanish linked to Respectful of Otters from their blog, and appears to have said several things about me, including con la cabeza sobre los hombros y el corazón en el lugar correcto, which I take to mean "has a head that sobers up a guy, and a heart like a well-aimed Luger."

Can anyone help me out with the rest of the translation?

La primera vez que dejó el weblog abandonado, me preocupé genuinamente, y di un grito de alegria cuando volvio a postear. Despues nació la hija, y como estoy familiarizado en primera persona con los efectos que los bebés tienen sobre los mortales --no dejarte dormir, por poner un caso--, digamos que me lo tomé con más filosofía. Sin embargo, Rivka, nos hacías falta, aunque hubiéramos sabido de cierto que estabas bien.

Y nos hacías falta porque siempre que atacás un tema, lo que decís es lo que nadie más dice. O si lo hacen, yo no los encuentro.

Tengan dos ejemplos recientes, y observen que han llamado y retenido --por largo rato-- la atencion de un tipo que nunca va a necesitar un aborto, ni va a tener que alimentar a sus crias al antiguo estilo mamífero.

Rivka, menos mal que sos una buena mina, con la cabeza sobre los hombros y el corazón en el lugar correcto, porque tenés la peligrosa cualidad de crear necesidades en la gente.

Hechas nuestras loas a una de las grandes persuasoras de nuestra época, cumplo en informarles que John Baez ahora (desde marzo) tiene un weblog, en lugar de esa pagina de notas sueltas que yo solía linkear, y ya se despachó, por ejemplo, con un post sintéticamente informativo (sin links, busque 'June 21') donde, tomen nota, menciona este espinoso problemita del pico de Hubbert en la producción de petróleo, y a Hugo Chávez.

Como bien dice Rivka, en algunas partes se observan progresos. Quien sabe, ¿no? A lo mejor todavía nos queda la pálida sombra de una chance, y no nos es obligatorio terminar mal. Pero no se apuren a apostar.

Comments

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Well, my Spanish is v. rusty.l

The first time she abandoned the blog, I was genuinely worried, and I gave a cry of joy when she began posting again. After the daughter was born, and since I'm well familiar with the effects that babies have on humans -- they don't let you sleep, for example -- let's say that I took it philosophically. Nonetheless, Rivka, we've missed you, even though we were certain that you were well.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

And we missed you because whenever you attack a theme, you say the things that nobody else says. Or if they do say them, I never encounter them.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

(Ok, now I'm leaning on Babelfish.)

Take two recent examples, and notice that they have caught and retained -- for quite awhile -- the attention of somebody who's never going to need an abortion, nor going to have to feed the babies in the old mammalian style.

Rivka, thank heavens that you're a good ???mina?? , with your head on your shoulders and your heart in the right place, because you have the dangerous ability to create needs in people.

[[bit about Joan Baez snipped for time]]
As Rivka says well, we do see progress in some places. Who knows? Perhaps we still have the pale shade of one chance, and it is not certain to end badly. But don't bet on it.

http://babelfish.altavista.digital.com/babelfish/tr

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your help!

[redbird]

What you quoted means that you have a head on your shoulders and your heart in the right place.

And I'm sorry, it's not quite clicking to translate the rest, but they said that they were worried when you stopped posting, and were glad when you started again. They know first-hand the effects of having a child, like not being able to sleep, and are sympathetic.

[king-tirian.livejournal.com]

I'd like to nominate "She has a head on her shoulders" => "She has a face that can make a man sober" for the Silly Translation Software Hall of Fame. Perhaps the hovercraft of someone at Google is full of eels.

[tiger-spot.livejournal.com]

Actually we discovered last night that Google translates "Regisseurin" as "rain eating urine".

It's actually the feminine form of "director". Google translates "Regisseur" (the male form) correctly, but I guess doesn't recognize the ending and tries to break it down into smaller words.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Thanks, although I still prefer the version where I have a heart like a well-aimed Luger. ;-)

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

This is with a combination of babelfish and my own incomplete knowledge of Spanish idiom:

The first time that [this weblog vanished], I was genuinely worried. and I gave a shout of happiness when [it reappeared]. Then the daughter was born, and I become familiar, in the first person, with the effects that babies have on mortals -- unable to sleep, to get dressed -- one would say that I took it more philosophically.
Nevertheless, Rivka, [we missed you], although we knew for certain you were well. And you needed [missed?] us because whenever [you address?] a subject, no one says what you do. Or if they do, I haven't found them.

Here are two recent examples, and you will observe that they have been recalled and retained for awhile the attention of a type that never is going to need an abortion, nor is going to have to feed his crias [kids? cries?] in the old mammalian style. [breastfeeding?]

Rivka, thank heavens that [no clue], with your head on your shoulders and your heart in the right place, because you have the dangerous quality of creating needs in people. [This is direct, not sure what it means idiomatically.]

[Done ours loas] to one of the great persuaders of our time, I inform them that since March, Joan Baez has
had a weblog, instead of the page of loose notes to which I used to link, and she has already posted, for example, with "synthetically informative" (without links, look for June 21) where, take note, she mentions the thorny problem of the [tip of? role of?] Hubbert in petroleum production, and of Hugo Chavez.

As Rivka says well, in some parts progress is observed. Who knows, no? Perhaps still we have left the pale shade of one chance, and it it won't necessarily end badly. But they don't hurry to bet.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Much appreciated!

[eeyorerin]

A very rough translation, but hopefully someone can correct my errors.

The first time she left her weblog abandoned, I was genuinely worried, and I gave a shout of joy when she returned to posting. After the birth of her baby, and I am personally familiar with the effects that babies have on people -- they don't let you sleep, just to take one example -- we can say that I take it [Rivka's absence] more philosophically. Without a doubt, Rivka, we missed you, although we were certain that you were well.

And we miss you because always when you take on a theme, what you say is what no one else has said. Or if someone else is saying it, I haven't encountered it.

I take two recent examples, and observe that I have thought about them and retained them -- for a long time -- the attention to a type that never is going to need an abortion, nor is going to have to nourish their children in the "ancient mammal style." [I think she means breast feeding.]


Rivka, it's a good thing that you are a good mina [I have no idea about this word], with a head on your shoulders and your heart in the right place, because you have the dangerous quality of creating needs in people.

Having given credit [or praise] to one of the great persuaders of our epoch, I finish by informing you that John Baez now (since March) has a weblog, in place of the page of notes that I had linked before, and now he dispatches, for example, an informative post (without links, look for June 21), where, take note, he mentions the especially spiny little problem of the "peak of Hubbert" [no idea] in the production of petroleum, and Hugo Chavez.

As Rivka says well, in some parts we see progress. Who knows, no? At the best we remain in the pallid shadow of a chance, and we are not obligated to end badly. But we should not hurry to bet.

[eeyorerin]

Er, probably that second to last sentence should be "at best we have a shadow of a chance left to us" now that I look at it again.

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

Peak oil stuff. Alarums and excursions.

Here.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That one word "mina" seems to be the thing that no one can translate - I wonder if it's regional slang, or something.

[(Anonymous)]

I was wondering if "crias" was "kids" simply because it's the "kid" of a llama. If the writer is from South America and using slang, that could be the case, but I really didn't explore very far.

[riarambles.livejournal.com]

I will be happy to put that MA to work tomorrow and do you up a pretty version tomorrow, if you like. Just say the word. :)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Looks like we've got it covered, but thanks so much for offering.

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

You know what I don't get? Why someone reads your blog in English, is highly complimentary of your insightful and incisive writing (as well he should be), and then comments at length to that effect in a language you don't know and never claimed to understand. Obviously this person has to understand English far better than you do Spanish, since he reads your blog! (I'm making an assumption about gender but he just *sounds* male to me.)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

It wasn't a comment in my blog, it was a post in his own. But I do admit that I have a selfish belief that he should post translations of his entries. ;-)

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

Ah, light is shed. I skipped the intro and went straight to my attempts to translate.

[tiger-spot.livejournal.com]

First I translated what I could. Then I broke out the Spanish-English dictionary. Then I had my husband, who actually speaks the language, help me with the bits that were still confusing.

The first time that I saw the abandoned weblog, I genuinely worried, and gave a cry of cheer when she returned to post. After she bore her daughter, and how I am familiar in the first person with the effects babies have on mortals -- you can't sleep, for one thing -- we said for me to take it more philosophically. Nevertheless, Rivka, we needed you, even if we'd had certain knowledge that you were well.

And we missed you because always when you attack a topic, what you say is what nobody else says. Or if they do, I don't encounter them.

There are two recent examples, and they observed what has been named and retained -- for a long time -- attention of a guy that is never going to need an abortion, nor going to have to feed his children in the old mammalian style.

Rivka, at least you are a good mine [darned if I know what that means], with your head on your shoulders and your heart in the correct place, because you have the dangerous quality of creating needs in people.

You throw our praises at one of the grand persuaders of our time, I finish by informing you that John Baez now (since March) has a weblog, in place of that page of loose notes that I usually link to, and already has dispatched, for example, with a synthetically informative post (without links, search for 'June 21') where, they note, he mentions this thorny little problem of the peak of Hubbert in the production of petroleum, and of Hugo Chavez.

As Rivka says well, in some parts progress is observed. Who knows? At the best still we stay the pallid shadow of a chance, and things are not obliged to end badly for us. But don't hurry to bet.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Than you so much!

[telerib.livejournal.com]

and a heart like a well-aimed Luger.

When I took my language placement exam for college, I came across luger in the text they gave me. I knew lugar, "place," but couldn't for the life of me recall what luger meant. It looks like a Spanish verb...

It really was "Luger." The text was an action-adventure story about some guy running away from helicopters and spies on a beach. O.o