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Aug 17, 2015 11:46
8 yrs ago
Spanish term

no paraban de darle todo tipo de golpecitos en la papada oscura

Spanish to English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters In A Novel
Contexto (hablando de un perro):

Al día siguiente la hacienda era una algarabía con el perro. Todos los trabajadores le hacían carantoñas cada vez que pasaban por su lado. No paraban de darle todo tipo de golpecitos en la papada oscura que caía de su barbilla.

Mil Gracias,

Barbara
Proposed translations (English)
4 +3 they kept patting him in all manner of ways on the dark jowls
4 +2 They kept tickling the soft spot under his chin
4 They kept on tickling him under his dark double chin
3 they were constantly fondling him under the chin

Discussion

Carol Gullidge Aug 18, 2015:
You are quite right Simon! To me, jowls always applies to people (usually of a certain age!), but I see it can also be used for animals. Can't say I'd ever fancy patting a dog's jowls though - it's rather hard to imagine, as their consistency and shape makes them rather "unpattable"!
James A. Walsh Aug 17, 2015:
OK Thanks for letting us know. Just a thought: to me, patting is generally done on the head or back of a dog; stroking or tickling would be more likely under the mouth area.
Barbara Cochran, MFA (asker) Aug 17, 2015:
A Heinz 57 No particular breed was mentioned, so I would assumed it's a mixed one.
James A. Walsh Aug 17, 2015:
@Barbara - dog breed? Do you know? I asked this this morning, but refreshing the page deleted it apparently. Might be useful to know this if you know...
Simon Bruni Aug 17, 2015:
What else could be black and hanging from that region if not the dog's jowls, Carol? Many dogs have jowls, "papada" means jowls, and if you're that way inclined they're perfectly pattable :)
Carol Gullidge Aug 17, 2015:
Presumably this about a dog being patted? In which case, jowls would seem a little odd, as would double chin
Simon Bruni Aug 17, 2015:
jowls Personally I don't think there's anything particularly technical or "unliterary" about "jowls"
Barbara Cochran, MFA (asker) Aug 17, 2015:
Thank You, Wendy Most helpful.
Wendy Streitparth Aug 17, 2015:
It may be technically correct (jowls - though to me that is not under the chin), or as is more likely "dewlap" (acc. to Merriam Webster), but in a novel I think one would probably say "in the thick folds under his chin".

Proposed translations

+3
4 mins
Selected

they kept patting him in all manner of ways on the dark jowls

... that hung from his chin

http://dogtime.com/definition/jowls
Peer comment(s):
agree neilmac : Jowls... better than my "double chin" effort...
1 min
agree franglish
36 mins
agree ormiston : why not just 'kept patting his (swarthy?) jowls'?
1 hr
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
5 mins

They kept on tickling him under his dark double chin

darle todo tipo de golpecitos = stroking, tickling, petting etc
IMO "la papada oscura" (dark double chin) is too much detail, unless it has some kind of bearing on what went before.
Something went wrong...
+2
5 hrs

They kept tickling the soft spot under his chin

I agree with neilmac that it's too much detail, unless essential information has been or is being given.

I've eliminated one adjective, but maybe "...dark spot under his chin", would be a better option, although I think that "soft" makes him sound more cute and cuddly, if that's the intention of the writer.

I think Spanish tends to be flowerier (and "busier" in general) than English. and sometimes you have to do a bit pruning in order to make the translation sound natural.

If you feel "oscuro" should be included, then I'd say:

"...the soft, dark spot...".


HTH
Peer comment(s):
agree Muriel Vasconcellos
2 hrs
Thanks, Muriel!
agree Carol Gullidge : unless it really matters that these are its jowls and that they are dark, I'd skirt around it along these lines. Agree entirely with your comments regarding the different literary styles, and how we would tend to tone down flowery writing
17 hrs
Thanks, Carol!
Something went wrong...
1 day 28 mins

they were constantly fondling him under the chin

-
Something went wrong...
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