Sometimes when I’m speaking to a patient in Spanish,
I’ll think of something that I want to say to him that I could easily say in
English, but I do not know exactly how to convey in Spanish. Especially if it’s
a colloquialism, there is usually not a direct English to Spanish translation.
You simply have to know the Spanish language-way to express it. In these
instances, I have to make a quick
decision: either abandon the phrase altogether or attempt my own Spanish
version. The latter may result in a
complete butchering of the language—oftentimes, it does! So, after the patient
leaves, I typically write these phrases down on paper and save them for
investigation later. By the end of the
week, I’m left with random phrases on little pieces of paper that add up to
quite a collection. For this blog entry, I’m going to list some of these
phrases below, translate them the way I would if I had a patient in front of
me, but then research to see how the phrase really should be expressed by a
native Spanish-speaker for comparison. Here we go!
“The disease has
to run its course.”
My
translation: Esta enfermedad requiere
más tiempo para curar.
Actual: Esta
enfermedad tiene que seguir su curso.
Esta enfermedad debe tener su curso.
Esta enfermedad tiene que completar su
evolución.
“When your
medication runs low, please call the
office.”
My translation: Cuando casi ha acabado los medicamentos, por
favor, llame la oficina.
Actual: Cuando quedan pocos los medicamentos,
por favor, llame la oficina.
Por favor, llame la oficina antes de se terminen los medicamentos.
“When you hit your eye, what were your
symptoms?”
My translation: Cuando
le golpeó el ojo, ¿qué fueron los síntomas?
Actual: Cuando le ha dado un golpeo al ojo,
Cuando se
golpeó el ojo,...
Cuando se
ha golpeado el ojo,...
“It is important that you keep your follow-ups
with your doctor, so that he monitors for any changes in blood pressure.”
My translation: Es
importante que mantenga usted las citas de seguimiento con su médico, por eso,
él le pueda vigilar para cambios en la presión de la sangre.
Actual: Es
importante que cumpla con sus citas médicas,
para que el médico mantenga una
observación de los cambios en la presión de la sangre.
Es importante que asista a sus citas médicas, para que el médico pueda averiguar para cambios en la presión arterial.
Es importante que usted vaya a la cita de seguimiento, para que el médico pueda vigilar para cambios en la presión sanguínea.
“He thought that you had these symptoms
for many years.”
My translation: Él
pensó de que tuviera usted los síntomas para muchos años.
Actual: Él pensaba que usted hubiera tenido los
síntomas por muchos años.
Él pensaba que usted tuviera los síntomas durante muchos años.
“Let’s say, for example, the test was normal. I would not start
those drops you are using.”
My translation: Vamos
a decir, por ejemplo, que el examen fuera normal. Yo no empezaría los colirios
que está utilizando.
Actual: Se podría decir, por ejemplo, que fuera* normal la prueba. Yo no tendría que empezar los colirios que
está utilizando.
Digamos,
por ejemplo, si la prueba fuera normal.
Yo no habría empezado las gotas que
utiliza usted.
Pongamos
en caso, que el examen fuera normal.
Yo no iniciaría las gotas que utiliza
usted.
(*Even with my
research, I am still not fully clear on the proper expression of this sentence.
To me, by beginning the phrase with, “let’s say, for example”, I’m creating a
hypothetical situation that is uncertain.
Therefore, any uncertainty is expressed in subjunctive. If you use
subjunctive, ie fuera, then you follow it with the conditional tense, tendría.)
“It depends on the insurance. They dictate where you have to go (for the treatment).”
My translation: Depende
del seguro. El seguro dirige a donde tiene que ir (para el tratamiento).
Actual: Depende
de la compañía aseguradora. El
seguro le indicará donde tiene que ir.
Depende del seguro médico. El seguro le exige
donde va usted.
Depende del seguro médico. El seguro le
aconseja donde puede ir usted.
There are many ways to express any one particular
thought in a language. As you can clearly see, some of my translations above
came very close to what I found in
parallel texts (aka Spanish reference texts) online. Others deviated from the
Spanish “norm”. However, the question
remains, will the patient understand me, even if I don’t say my phrases
according to the RAE (Real Academía Española- the governing body for all things
Spanish language-related)? The answer is yes.
Think about it, when a non-native English speaker
has said something to you in an “unnatural” aka "non-native" way, you can still understand him.
You still get the gist of what is being said. Why? Well, we don’t need
precisely correct grammar to convey understanding. Ideally we strive for
correct grammar, but it is not always necessary to get the point across. My
advice is to keep practicing. When a phrase pops into your head that you want
to try to express in your non-native language, go for it! But write these
phrases down for later investigation, to see how close you are to what a native
speaker would say to convey the same idea. In this way, your command of any
language will continue to improve day by day.
References
Phrases. 2017. In Linguee.es. Retrieved July 25, 2017, from http://www.linguee.es/
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| The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, Musée Rodin |
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