4 ms·

What's missing from this story is a translation of ahorita in the context of the ice-cream seller that would make sense to English speakers. How about, "The ch

What's missing from this story is a translation of ahorita in the context of the ice-cream seller that would make sense to English speakers. How about, "The chocolate ice cream will arrive eventually"? Would that be an context-correct translation of what the ice cream guy was saying?

vinceguidry 9y ago
The entire article was literally dedicated to answering that question. The whole point is that it's hard to translate.
- StavrosK 9y ago
  If it was devoted to answering the question, it did a really poor job at it. It basically said "this is a word that doesn't have a direct translation, oh how odd Mexican culture is". Nothing about whether it's closer to "soon", "any minute now", "in a bit", "at some point", "anon", or any of the other time-indeterminate phrases.
  - vinceguidry 9y ago
    The article clearly stated that it meant all of those things, and whichever meaning is intended for any particular utterance is denoted by both context and tone. I had no problem understanding the article and came away more informed than confused. Maybe slow down more when you read?
    - StavrosK 9y ago
      I'm just not satisfied by an explanation as clumsy as "oh those wacky Mexicans, it means all of the things". Maybe be more critical when you read?
    - mysterypie 9y ago
      > meaning is denoted by both context and tone The article did give an example of context and tone -- a friendly ice cream vendor on the street -- but it didn't give the English translation for that context.
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > The entire article was literally dedicated to answering that question. No, as made clear by the concluding paragraphs, it's dedicated to painting a vague picture of Mexicans’ attitudes toward time to support a thesis about the transformative effect immersion in that cultures attitudes on the subject can have on tightly-woubd British people (the author in particular, but by extension his intended audience.) It's a common use of exotic foreign cultures in writing.
kgwgk 9y ago
I think a more natural and faithful translation is "soon".
dragonwriter 9y ago
> What's missing from this story is a translation of ahorita in the context of the ice-cream seller that would make sense to English speakers. That's because it's not a story about meaning if words, it's a story of the transformation of the civilized white guy by immersing himself (as much as he can, given his oh-so-civilized upbringing) in the ways of the Noble Savage. The idea that any of the used in context have a simple meaning that could be explained to anyone not themselves completely steeped in the culture, though true, would undermine the narrative the author was trying to construct.

vinceguidry 9y ago

The entire article was literally dedicated to answering that question. The whole point is that it's hard to translate.

StavrosK 9y ago
If it was devoted to answering the question, it did a really poor job at it. It basically said "this is a word that doesn't have a direct translation, oh how odd Mexican culture is". Nothing about whether it's closer to "soon", "any minute now", "in a bit", "at some point", "anon", or any of the other time-indeterminate phrases.
- vinceguidry 9y ago
  The article clearly stated that it meant all of those things, and whichever meaning is intended for any particular utterance is denoted by both context and tone. I had no problem understanding the article and came away more informed than confused. Maybe slow down more when you read?
  - StavrosK 9y ago
    I'm just not satisfied by an explanation as clumsy as "oh those wacky Mexicans, it means all of the things". Maybe be more critical when you read?
  - mysterypie 9y ago
    > meaning is denoted by both context and tone The article did give an example of context and tone -- a friendly ice cream vendor on the street -- but it didn't give the English translation for that context.
dragonwriter 9y ago
> The entire article was literally dedicated to answering that question. No, as made clear by the concluding paragraphs, it's dedicated to painting a vague picture of Mexicans’ attitudes toward time to support a thesis about the transformative effect immersion in that cultures attitudes on the subject can have on tightly-woubd British people (the author in particular, but by extension his intended audience.) It's a common use of exotic foreign cultures in writing.

kgwgk 9y ago

I think a more natural and faithful translation is "soon".

dragonwriter 9y ago

> What's missing from this story is a translation of ahorita in the context of the ice-cream seller that would make sense to English speakers. That's because it's not a story about meaning if words, it's a story of the transformation of the civilized white guy by immersing himself (as much as he can, given his oh-so-civilized upbringing) in the ways of the Noble Savage. The idea that any of the used in context have a simple meaning that could be explained to anyone not themselves completely steeped in the culture, though true, would undermine the narrative the author was trying to construct.