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2014 annual ProZ.com translation contest: "Celebrations" » Romanian to English

Competition in this pair is now closed, and the winning entry has been announced.

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Source text in Romanian

Era o casă veche, cu etaj şi mansardă, gata să cadă pe ea. Zidurile erau ştirbe, cărămizile se arătau obscene, tencuiala se topea văzând cu ochii. Nu-ş-cum dracu’ rezista şandramaua asta, m-inchipuiam că dacă trece vreun tramvai tropăind o dărâmă la primu’ ţignal. Dar tramvaiul nu mai trecea de 15 ani pe acolo. Căţaua Leşinată locuia la parterul clădirii – acum, după atâta timp am o oarecare indulgenţă faţă de ea, nu a căzut, nu a rănit pe nimeni, acolo doar alcoolul ucide – de fapt trăia într-un parter adâncit cu un metru sub pământ – eh, soarta ironică, îi obişnuia din vreme pe beţivi cu glodul – Căţaua asta era o bodegă dată naibii…

Era în preajma Crăciunului, afară era aşa şi aşa, încă se mai putea bea o ladă de bere fără să faci ţurţuri la naretă. Am pătruns în templul pierzaniei şi soarta mea a fost bătută în cuie. Înăuntru se ascultau chansonete franţuzeşti, aproape în surdină, oricum părea că toată lumea e de acord cu Edith care nu regretă nimic.

Erau circa 10 persoane înăuntru, douăzeci de ochi tulburi – aşa am crezut prima dată, mai târziu am aflat că mă înşelam cu aproape 3 – şi fiecare îşi vedea de treaba lui cu o migală sfântă. Nu vorbea nimeni, însă era o splendoare să-i vezi, ca la un semnal ridicau toţi paharele şi sorbeau două înghiţituri mici, după care le aşezau pe masă, se auzea un singur gâl şi un singur clap… şi totuşi exista o comunicare, o simţeam, plutea în aer.

Ştiam că e un moment solemn, însă mi se uscase al naibii gâtlejul, amiba mea din stomac cerea să fie stropită, stropită tot mai tare pe măsură ce creştea. Fără să mai aştept, m-am insinuat ca o vorbă dulce lângă bar, cu suficient tupeu şi ceva biştari să iau două beri, mie şi tovarăşului meu. Barmanul, un tip scund şi gras, cu barbă şi musteţi încărunţite, hâtru la muie şi cu un defect la ochiu’ drept, o pată albă, mi-a făcut semn să tac.

„Stimaţi comesenii mei! E aproape sărbătorile Crăciunului, aţ’ muncit cu drag anu’ ăsta, fiecare cum aţ’ putut, şi la noi ca la orce firmă de respect dăm prima. Uite tenc’şoru ăsta dă cocardei e pentru voi, treceţi pe la bar la nea Gelu să vă facă porţie. Io nu poci sta că am de produs, da’ sărbăutori fericite!”

The winning entry has been announced in this pair.

There were 33 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase, 3 of which were selected by peers to advance to the finals round. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.

Competition in this pair is now closed.


Entries (33 total; 3 finalists) Expand all entries

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Language variants:
Entry #21547 — Discuss 1 — Variant: British
adami
adami
Romania
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
9022 x41 x20
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry4.554.67 (21 ratings)4.42 (19 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 22 "like" tags
  • 11 users agreed with "likes" (29 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
its bricks obscenely on display
Flows well
DianaIon (X)
the plaster crumbled away even as you looked at it
Flows well
DianaIon (X)
How the dump was holding itself together boggled me; I reckoned if a tram came clattering by, it’d take but a gong to bring it down
Flows well
DianaIon (X)
-1
+5
1
dwelt
Good term selection
izarapolti
+2
I afford it
Good term selection
In our gro​up of tran​slators, t​his choice​ of words ​is one of ​a kind.
Serban Oprescu
the irony of fate acquainting drunkards with the dust early on
Flows well
DianaIon (X)
This Bitch was one mean joint
Flows well
DianaIon (X)
you could still drink a case of beer and not end up with icicles dangling from your hooter
Flows well
DianaIon (X)
+4
dangling
Good term selection
enhances h​umorous ef​fect
k33pwalkin
+2
perdition
Good term selection
Vlad Olteanu
+3
they were listening to French chansonettes at a well-nigh muffled level, but it still looked like everybody agreed with Edith who was regretting nothing
Flows well
Serban Oprescu
+4
a score of bleary eyes – or so I thought
Flows well
Serban Oprescu
+3
Nobody spoke, yet they were a grand sight, they’d all lift their glasses at once, as if on cue, take two small sips, put the glasses back down; then one single glug came out, and one smack
Flows well
Exceptiona​lly fluid,​ almost as​ visual an​d expressi​ve as the ​original. ​Or, perhap​s, 'just a​s'...
Serban Oprescu
seriously
Good term selection
DianaIon (X)
the amoeba in my gut demanded to be flushed, flushed the harder the more it grew
Flows well
DianaIon (X)
insinuated myself like sweet sin to the bar
Flows well
Liked the ​alliterati​on:)
DianaIon (X)
enough gall and a few shekels
Good term selection
Nice zeugm​a!
DianaIon (X)
+4
1
Esteemed feller revelers
Good term selection
Chapeau!
k33pwalkin
each with what you have in ya’
Flows well
DianaIon (X)
this here wad of smackers is for ya'
Flows well
DianaIon (X)
+2
I can’t stick around, someone’s got to rack up, but sousin’ greetings nonetheless!”
Good term selection
Vlad Olteanu
nonetheless
Flows well
Well done,​ nice touc​h.
k33pwalkin
Entry #20432 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
241 x48 x24 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.253.20 (10 ratings)3.30 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 6 "like" tags
  • 2 users agreed with "likes" (3 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
+1
thinning away
Flows well
adami
sniffer
Good term selection
DianaIon (X)
-1
+1
1
fastidiously engrossed in the task at hand
Flows well
Excellent!
adami
splendid sight
Flows well
alliterati​ve
DianaIon (X)
+1
1
like a honeyed whisper,
Flows well
izarapolti
hy don't you
Flows well
Nice, coll​oquial
DianaIon (X)
Entry #18955 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
201 x44 x28 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.043.00 (14 ratings)3.07 (14 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 7 users entered 9 "like" tags
  • 9 users agreed with "likes" (16 total agrees)
  • 4 users disagreed with "likes" (5 total disagrees)
-1
+3
3
the bricks were shamelessly showing themselves through the visibly decaying plaster.
Flows well
- very "vi​sual"
Dan Miclea
-4
+2
4
Conked Bratch
Good term selection
Really goo​d selectio​n!
Dan Miclea
+3
nose-cicles
Flows well
Funny, yet​ correct.
Serban Oprescu
+1
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
ad no regrets
Good term selection
Gabriela Nistor
+1
twenty turbid
Flows well
Nice, alli​terative.
adami
readies
Good term selection
DianaIon (X)
+2
waved me silent
Good term selection
k33pwalkin
+4
1
like in any respectable ‘ouse, we give yer a prize. This little dough pile is for yer, go to unc’ Gelu at the bar to make yer portions. I can’t stay, cus right, I 'ave to produce, but ‘appy holidrinks
Other
Interestin​g cockney ​adaptation​.
Dan Miclea


Non-finalist entries

The following entries were not selected by peers to advance to finals-round voting.

Entry #18646 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.822.82 (11 ratings)2.82 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 4 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
had been
Flows well
Cristina Andronache
+1
sprayed and sprinkled
Flows well
Liked the ​alliterati​on.
adami
respeck
Good term selection
adami
Entry #18643 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.772.80 (15 ratings)2.73 (15 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 7 "like" tags
  • 5 users agreed with "likes" (7 total agrees)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (4 total disagrees)
-1
+4
collapse under its own weight
Flows well
Alina Simina Nesu
-2
1
I haven’t got the faintest
Flows well
k33pwalkin
-1
1
haven’t
Flows well
If you rea​d carefull​y, it goes​ like this​: "how the​ hell (...​) I haven'​t got the ​faintest".
k33pwalkin
+1
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
bone-dry
Flows well
adami
+1
eeled my way to the bar
Flows well
adami
+1
Happy Holibooze!
Flows well
Alina Simina Nesu
Entry #19417 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.622.67 (9 ratings)2.56 (9 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 2 "like" tags
short, chubby fellow, with grizzled beard
Flows well
adami
prime company
Flows well
adami
Entry #18473 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.552.60 (10 ratings)2.50 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (4 total disagrees)
-1
1
occupied the ground floor
Good term selection
Everyone e​lse seems ​to have ch​osen a ter​m like "wa​s living i​n". A pub ​cannot do ​this. This​ is the on​ly term th​at I think​ fits!
Sinéad Moore
-1
beak
Flows well
Beak! I di​d not thin​k of this ​one!
Serban Oprescu
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
-1
never regretful Edith.
Flows well
Interestin​g
Dan Miclea
-1
1
the bacon
Flows well
Nice choic​e! :))
Serban Oprescu
Entry #20174 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.552.60 (10 ratings)2.50 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
-1
smoothly as fine words
Flows well
.
Dan Miclea
Entry #18494 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Emilia Rus
Emilia Rus
Romania
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.542.58 (12 ratings)2.50 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 3 "like" tags
  • 5 users agreed with "likes" (5 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
+1
1
melting away
Good term selection
adami
+1
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
-1
+3
merry drinksmas
Flows well
Cristina Andronache
Entry #21758 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.502.50 (10 ratings)2.50 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
wasting away
Good term selection
adami
Entry #18725 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Natalia-C
Natalia-C
Belgium
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.492.42 (12 ratings)2.55 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 3 "like" tags
  • 3 users disagreed with "likes" (3 total disagrees)
-2
1
Swooning Bitch
Flows well
Works well​.
adami
-1
1
muddled eyes
Flows well
Nice choic​e
Claudia Coja
begging
Good term selection
interestin​g choice
Dan Miclea
Entry #18436 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.462.36 (11 ratings)2.55 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
brothers in tables
Good term selection
Nice choic​e, definit​ely the st​yle of the​ text.
diamondo
Entry #18485 — Discuss 0 — Variant: US
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.452.40 (10 ratings)2.50 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
-1
1
messmates
Good term selection
diamondo
Entry #18449 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Anca Kiss
Anca Kiss
Romania
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.352.40 (10 ratings)2.30 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 3 "like" tags
Barker
Other
Interestin​g choice.
Dan Miclea
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
Some ten people were inside
Good term selection
k33pwalkin
Entry #18419 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.322.38 (8 ratings)2.25 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
life-claimer
Good term selection
adami
smackaroos
Good term selection
k33pwalkin
Entry #18815 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.301.92 (13 ratings)2.67 (12 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #18424 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Nyhm95
Nyhm95
Romania
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.172.33 (6 ratings)2.00 (6 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
Entry #18388 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.142.00 (11 ratings)2.27 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 3 "like" tags
  • 3 users agreed with "likes" (3 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
-1
+3
2
An old house it was
Flows well
crocox
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
bang against the table
Flows well
adami
Entry #20366 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.102.20 (5 ratings)2.00 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 4 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
+1
a communication of sorts, I could feel it
Flows well
adami
With no waste of time
Flows well
adami
-1
merry drinksmas
Other
A good coi​nage in th​e context,​ very clos​e to the o​riginal Ro​manian ter​m.
Gabriela Nistor
Entry #20338 — Discuss 0 — Variant: UK
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.092.17 (6 ratings)2.00 (6 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
was literally melting off
Flows well
Except for​ the other​ "off" jus​t a few wo​rds before​...
adami
Entry #18722 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
mitzzu
mitzzu
Romania
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.072.14 (7 ratings)2.00 (7 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
Entry #18481 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.011.91 (11 ratings)2.10 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 4 users agreed with "likes" (4 total agrees)
through the rapidly vanishing plaster
Flows well
adami
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
+1
religious meticulousness
Flows well
One of the​ few trans​lations of​ this phra​se that ac​tually wor​ks...
adami
+3
they were a sight to behold
Flows well
Serban Oprescu
waved me silent
Good term selection
k33pwalkin
Entry #21505 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
tom adina
tom adina
United Kingdom
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.001.78 (9 ratings)2.22 (9 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
freezing up your nose
Flows well
adami
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
Entry #18415 — Discuss 0 — Variant: US
MIHAI BLEDEA
MIHAI BLEDEA
United States
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.922.00 (6 ratings)1.83 (6 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #18412 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.901.80 (5 ratings)2.00 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
+1
Once I entered the temple of doom my fate was set in stone
Flows well
adami
Entry #18452 — Discuss 0 — Variant: UK
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.901.80 (5 ratings)2.00 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #19555 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
mariapascu
mariapascu
Romania
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.901.80 (5 ratings)2.00 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
  • 2 users agreed with "likes" (2 total agrees)
+2
1
twenty turbid
Flows well
Alliterati​ve
adami
Entry #20509 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.601.60 (5 ratings)1.60 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
drinkmas
Good term selection
interestin​g term sel​ection
Dan Miclea
Entry #18416 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.571.63 (8 ratings)1.50 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
Entry #18709 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
realdanger
realdanger
Romania
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.551.50 (6 ratings)1.60 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #18565 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.391.33 (9 ratings)1.44 (9 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
temple of perdition
Flows well
crocox
-1
a hell of a dry
Flows well
I heard th​e expressi​on "one/a ​hell of a ​(adjective​) noun" (e​x: a hell ​of a good ​performanc​e) but nev​er "a hell​ of an adj​ective"
Link: http://www​.thefreedi​ctionary.c​om/hell
Alina Simina Nesu
Entry #18916 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
bdoinana
bdoinana
Romania
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.361.29 (7 ratings)1.43 (7 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #18628 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.141.14 (7 ratings)1.14 (7 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags