Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
alucinante
English translation:
prodigious/fantastical/surreal/wondrous
Spanish term
Puerto Rico
Quality and Integrity
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, English, English to Spanish, and 1 more.
alucinante
Leyendo los manuscritos de Melquíades el gitano, Aureliano Babilonia, el último descendiente de la **alucinante** familia Buendía, se percató de que Macondo "sería arrasad[o] por el viento y desterrad[o] de la memoria de los hombres".
My current choice for translating "alucinante" is "fantastical." Comments? Suggestions? I did a term search on ProZ.com and found "trippy," which would be perfect in some contexts, but certainly not this one! I could also use "extraordinary" or "amazing," but they seem pedestrian.
The book's register is academic, and the author is well-read and has a rich and broad vocabulary. He is Puerto Rican, and I am translating into U.S. English for a U.S. publisher; the target readership is academic and international.
I greatly appreciate all comments, especially from those familiar with the novel.
| 4 +3 | incredible/prodigious |
Evans (X)
|
| 4 | marvelous |
Aradai Pardo Martínez
|
| 4 | Mind-boggling, mindblowing... |
Andrew Bramhall
|
| 4 | legendary |
Wendy Cross
|
| 4 | spellbinding |
Robert Forstag
|
| 4 | phenomenal |
kittilina
|
| 3 +1 | fabulous/extraordinary |
bcsantos
|
| 4 | wondrous |
Cecilia Gowar
|
| 4 | dazzling |
jack_speak
|
| 4 | fascinating |
Mónica Hanlan
|
| 3 | outlandish |
Steven Huddleston
|
| 3 | phantasmagoric |
Bubo Coroman (X)
|
| 3 | splendid |
Thayenga
|
Non-PRO (1): Graham Allen-Rawlings
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Proposed translations
incredible/prodigious
If anyone hasn't read the book, they should read it now. I was lucky enough to study it at University as part of the Latin American literature course of my Spanish degree.
It too, is prodigious.
| agree |
fionn
: I reckon 'prodigious' strikes just the right note here, with regard to the novel.
1 hr
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thanks fionn, I feel that 'prodigious' best captures what I remember of the Buendía family, I'm not so keen on incredible now.
|
|
| agree |
Eileen Banks
1 hr
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thanks, Eileen
|
|
| agree |
jacana54 (X)
: Lo he leído dos veces y en cualquier momento voy por la tercera, estoy pensando en hacer el arbol genealógico de los Buendía. Como complemento, te sugiero "Vivir para contarla" donde GM cuenta el nacimiento de sus personajes y la historia.
2 hrs
|
|
gracias, Lucia. Yo también he leído este libro tres veces, y lo seguiré leendo cien años si vivo tantos...
|
Mexico
Postgraduate degree in Translation
Native in: Spanish (Variants: Mexican, Latin American)
Works in: Swedish to Spanish, English to Spanish, Spanish, and 1 more.
marvelous
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marvelous
Espero te sirva.
¡Feliz año!
| Gracias, Aradai. Me gusta tu forma de pensar pero temo que pocos lectores pensarían en el sentido sobrenatural, de una maravilla, al ver "marvelous". Más bien si usa ya como un simple intensificador de "bueno". Muchas gracias por tu contribución en la sección de Discusión también. Un saludo cordial desde Puerto Rico. |
| Perdón, debí escribir "SE usa." |
United Kingdom
Flair and accuracy tailored to your text
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, German to English
Mind-boggling, mindblowing...
| Thanks, Oliver! I like your answers, but I know my author and I'm afraid they're not his style--too modern and informal. Have a great week! |
United Kingdom
Museum, art and culture specialist
Native in: English
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English
legendary
| Thanks, Marwen. I don't think this is quite what the author had in mind, but I've left it on my short list of "finalists" for him to choose. Greetings from Puerto Rico! |
United States
Translating words, preserving meaning
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, English
spellbinding
Suerte.
| Thank you, Robert. Your answer is one of my "finalists" to be submitted to the author. We'll see if he likes it! Have a great week. |
phenomenal
Your fantastical is also good. Chambers Thesaurus also has eccentric or bizarre as alternatives to fantastic.
| Thank you, kittilina. I like "phenomenal" but prefer some of the other suggestions. I appreciate your taking the time to add to the discussion, as well. Have a good week! |
fabulous/extraordinary
| Thank you, bcsantos. I'm very tempted by "fabulous," but as I said to Aradai regarding his suggestion of "marvelous," I fear that most readers would see it as just an intensifier of "good" and miss the sense of "fable" or fantasy. Un saludo cordial desde Puerto Rico. |
Mexico
Dual-Native English & Spanish Translator
Native in: English (Variants: US, Canadian, British, UK) , Spanish (Variants: Chilean, Venezuelan, Costa Rican, Mexican, Standard-Spain, US, Ecuadorian , Dominican, Latin American, Peruvian, Colombian, Uruguayan, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Argentine)
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish
outlandish
| Thanks, Steven. "Outlandish" is actually what I wrote first, before I chose "fantastical." I think, though, that in common usage it has a negative overtone that the author probably didn't intend. I'm mentioning it as a possibility, though, in my translator's notes to the author. Have a great week! |
phantasmagoric
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Note added at 54 mins (2010-12-30 18:20:12 GMT)
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phan·tas·ma·go·ri·a
1.
a. A fantastic sequence of haphazardly associative imagery, as seen in dreams or fever.
b. A constantly changing scene composed of numerous elements.
2. Fantastic imagery as represented in art.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/phantasmagoric
| Thank you, Deborah. I like "phantasmagoric," too, but if I'm going to use a derivation of "fantasy" I think I'll stick to my "fantastical." This may be totally subjective, but "phantasmagoric" makes me think of spooks and goblins. "Fantastical"--I think of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. "Phantasmagoric"--I think of <i>The Addams Family</i> and Tim Burton. I am, however, including "surreal" in my list of "finalists" for the author to pick from. Have a great week! |
splendid
¡Feliz Aňo!
| Gracias por tu sugerencia, Thayenga. Es uno de muchos adjetivos que se podría aplicar a la familia Buendía, pero busco algo un poco más "flamante". Un cordial saludo desde Puerto Rico. |
United Kingdom
I read the Alethiometer
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, French to Spanish, and 1 more.
wondrous
| Thank you, cgowar. I like "wondrous" and have included it in the list of "finalists" that I am submitting to the author. Have a great week! |
Competent, diligent, thorough, complete.
Native in: English
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English
dazzling
| Thank you, jack_speak. (I don't know whether or not to call you "Jack"!) Your reasoning is excellent--we so often find ourselves in need of a "neutral" choice! I hadn't included "dazzling" in my list of "finalists" for the author, but I may change my mind (I haven't sent my translator's notes yet). Thanks again, and greetings from Puerto Rico! |
United Kingdom
fascinating
| Thank you, monihanlan. They certainly are fascinating, but I think the author had something stranger in mind. I appreciate your contribution and your time. Have a great week! |
Discussion
Mediante la escritura de la historia caribeña, Bosch llegó a conclusiones similares a las del gitano portentoso de la novela de Gabriel García Márquez. Destinado, según Bosch, a vivir bajo un sino trágico, parecería que el Caribe está condenado no a cien, sino a toda una eternidad de marginación y subordinación. Parecería que, como Macondo, el Caribe tampoco tiene "una segunda oportunidad sobre la tierra".
Así que no, Aradai, el autor no usa la palabra "fantástico" para referirse al libro. El presupone que conocemos el libro pero no lo analiza. No vuelve a mencionarlo después de este párrafo.
Quisiera añadir que esta obra pertenece a la corriente del realismo mágico, por lo tanto, usar el término "fantástico" para calificarlo es un poco polémico.
Jane, ¿el autor se refiere al libro como algo fantástico? Creo que ese puede ser un buen punto de partida para decidir qué término usar para "alucinante"