Effie Posted November 3, 2015 Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 Hello,Could you please have a look at the following passage and let me know what would be the proper way to translate the highlighted words. I know the meaning of each of these words, but cannot make them into a phrase...Que maravillosa ocupación tomar el ómnibus, bajarse delante del Ministerio, abrirse paso a golpes de sobres con sellos, dejar atrás al último secretario y entrar, firme y serio, en el gran despacho de espejos, exactamente en el momento en que un ujier vestido de azul entrega al Ministro una carta, Thank you for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elimination Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 Native Spanish speaker from Mexico here. I've heard similar phrases, but not this one in particular. In any case, "abrirse paso a golpes (de)..." is pretty straightforward. It's almost literal in that it implies advancing or making way in some way where passage is difficult or otherwise with obstacles, so there is no phrase to translate it to (that I know of, anyway).What I'd do, personally, is actually translate the expression... but then again, I like translating as literal as possible to get a sense of how the source language sounds, what the speaker wanted to transmit with their original words.I know I'm probably not much help, but that's what my knowledge can offer. Sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Effie Posted November 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 Hi Elimination, Thank you for your input. So, would you translate it into English as something like "break through with force...envelopes with stamps"??? Why would there be envelopes (de sobres con sellos) there? or is there another meaning to "de sobres"?What do you think?Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oricat Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 (edited) Hello! I'm Venezuelan so I speak Spanish as my native language. A way to translate the passage is:What a wonderful occupation is to take the bus, get down in front of the ministry, break through the hits of envelopes with stamps, leave the last secretary behind, go inside steady and serious in the big mirrors office, exactly in the moment where a blue dressed usher gives the minister a letter.The thing is that the phrase you marked is a tricky sentence. You have to read it a lot of times to understand it. In the first moment that you read it you think that is is saying that he is rushing in between the envelopes with stamps and thats if you read separately " abrirse paso a golpes" but if you look closer he actually means that he is opening his way "abrirse paso" through hits of envelopes with stamps "golpes de sobres con sellos" .. the "a" is a connector that tricks you a little bit. Edited November 17, 2015 by Oricat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Effie Posted November 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Thank you so much, Oricat! This is all clear now. Quite a tricky sentence Have a great day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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