Top-level professional English-Spanish translators possess an in-depth knowledge of each language with which they work. Most everyone uses language in one way or another in the same way that most everyone can cook an egg, but professional translators use language in the same way professional chefs work with ingredients or knives. This profound knowledge invariably leads to a reverence for language. Continuing the analogy, professional translators protect and lavish their love upon language the same way a chef treats her custom knives. Which is why you’ll be shocked to learn that language professionals sometimes (perhaps often), in their private lives, visit upon the Spanish and the English that greatest of indignities (cue the evil music) …. Spanglish.
There are two things that are worse than admitting that translation professionals use Spanglish. One is the knowledge that some of us actually grew up speaking it: as a kid growing up in Puerto Rico, where Spanglish is the unofficial third language, I don’t even think I realized there was a word for “parking” in Spanish (estacionamiento). It was always “el parqueo,” or “qué dificil es parquear aquí.” One of my favorite words is “pariseo,” a transliteration of the word “party,” which itself – through usage – has become a verb. Thus, “let’s party” becomes “vamos a parisear.”
The other is admitting that Spanglish may be at its most delicious (and effective) when speaking vulgarly. Not only am I angry or frustrated, but I’m angry and frustrated in two languages! There’s an English-Spanish, left-right combination that I personally use much too often. Since this is a family show, I’ll refer to it as Foxtrot Mike. The first word rhymes with “trucking.” The second word, well … it might be called “poop” by classier folks than me. It somehow simultaneously exacerbates and takes the sting out of realizing, for example, that I’ve forgotten my cell phone at home when I’m halfway to my destination. It’s a beautiful thing.
This self-indulgent, silly blog (you do see the silliness in it, don’t you?) is a gift to ourselves to welcome the New Year. We spent all of 2017 making sure that your English-Spanish translations honor the best in those languages. We certainly appreciate purity in language, not only for its beauty, but because without it we’d have no work. But we’re still somewhat emerging from holiday mode, so let us “teiquirisi” (or “take it easy,” if you’re Spanglish-impaired). If you need an English-Spanish translation, we’ll jump right back to work and certainly deliver an accurate, contextually-appropriate translated document.
You can learn more about us at www.transformaonline.com. If you need our translation services, please email us at request@transformaonline.com, or call us at 305-722-3827.