Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
\"Solo era monte\"
English translation:
all that was there was the forest
Added to glossary by
Barbara Cochran, MFA
Mar 22, 2017 18:31
7 yrs ago
Spanish term
\"Solo era monte\"
Spanish to English
Other
Forestry / Wood / Timber
conservacionismo
Hola a todos. Estoy traduciendo un documental sobre la colonización de un pueblo en la selva de Misiones.
El Estado, en los '90, entregaba tierra a colonos que se instalaran allí para trabajar la tierra. Esa tierra es parte de un ecosistema muy diverso, la selva misionera. Pero para "trabajar" la tierra, ellos desmontaban, es decir que sacaban toda la vegetación nativa existente.
En el texto por el cual consulto, un colono dice: "cuando llegamos solo era monte". Aquí "monte" se refiere en realidad a la selva, pero no sé si sería lo más adecuado traducirlo como "forest"o hay un término más adecuado.
Desde ya muchas gracias por su ayuda.
El Estado, en los '90, entregaba tierra a colonos que se instalaran allí para trabajar la tierra. Esa tierra es parte de un ecosistema muy diverso, la selva misionera. Pero para "trabajar" la tierra, ellos desmontaban, es decir que sacaban toda la vegetación nativa existente.
En el texto por el cual consulto, un colono dice: "cuando llegamos solo era monte". Aquí "monte" se refiere en realidad a la selva, pero no sé si sería lo más adecuado traducirlo como "forest"o hay un término más adecuado.
Desde ya muchas gracias por su ayuda.
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Mar 27, 2017 13:42: Barbara Cochran, MFA Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+3
25 mins
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Laudable Lady Linguist
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, French to English, English to Spanish, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
all that was there was the forest
Reference:
Larousse Unabridged Spanish/English Dictionary
monte=forest
Larousse Unabridged Spanish/English Dictionary
monte=forest
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you all! You've been of great help once again :)."
+7
15 mins
It was just a wilderness/there was nothing but wilderness
The settler is contrasting the present situation to the one when he or she first arrived, and I think wilderness could be a suitable translation.
"When we first came here it was just a wilderness/there was only a wilderness/there was nothing but wilderness"
"When we first came here it was just a wilderness/there was only a wilderness/there was nothing but wilderness"
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
12316323 (X)
: I like "nothing but wilderness" or "it was pure wilderness." I would never say "a" wilderness--it's uncountable, at least in the US.
22 mins
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Thanks, Kathryn. Yes, "pure wilderness" is good too. Interesting about it being uncountable in the US, in the Uk it's both, or at least I think so.
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| agree |
neilmac
: You misunderstand me. I still agree, but the asker reckons the wilderness is what was left after deforestation.
28 mins
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Thanks, Neil, even if you have changed your mind. Oh I see, thanks.
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| agree |
Helena Chavarria
29 mins
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Thanks, Helena.
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| agree |
Muriel Vasconcellos
52 mins
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Thanks, Muriel.
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| agree |
JohnMcDove
: Monte: 2. m. Tierra inculta cubierta de árboles, arbustos, matas o hierba.
4 hrs
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Thanks, John. Yes, that is my understanding of "monte", a general word for land covered in vegetation, in its natural state, untouched by man.
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| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
6 hrs
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Thanks, Gallagy.
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| agree |
franglish
14 hrs
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Thanks, franglish.
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43 mins
" There was nothing"
"When we arrived here, there was nothing".
(Obviously it doesn't mean there was literally nothing, just that the colonists perceived nothing of interest/value)
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Note added at 44 mins (2017-03-22 19:16:39 GMT)
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Although a dictionary definition is "forest", I wouldn't use it myself, as a forest is full of useful things.
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Note added at 46 mins (2017-03-22 19:18:07 GMT)
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Here's another option: "It was just scrubland"...
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/scrubland
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Note added at 47 mins (2017-03-22 19:19:52 GMT)
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Yet again, the dictionary translation of "scrub/scrubland" is "matorral", but it's probably more akin to what the speaker is thinking of when they say "solo monte"...
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Note added at 49 mins (2017-03-22 19:21:30 GMT)
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OK. How about "there was nothing of value", if you feel that "there was nothing" may be taken too literally. What I'm trying to explain is that when people say "nothing", they don't mean absolute zero or absence of stuff; what they mean is that there is nothing they perceive as useful.
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Note added at 53 mins (2017-03-22 19:25:27 GMT)
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"When the colonists arrived, there was nothing but the rainforest"...
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Note added at 14 hrs (2017-03-23 08:56:18 GMT)
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NB: If you look at John McDove's definition above (Tierra inculta cubierta de árboles, arbustos, matas o hierba) you'll see it is exactly the same as for "matorral" (scrub or scrubland).
(Obviously it doesn't mean there was literally nothing, just that the colonists perceived nothing of interest/value)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 44 mins (2017-03-22 19:16:39 GMT)
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Although a dictionary definition is "forest", I wouldn't use it myself, as a forest is full of useful things.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 46 mins (2017-03-22 19:18:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Here's another option: "It was just scrubland"...
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/scrubland
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 47 mins (2017-03-22 19:19:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Yet again, the dictionary translation of "scrub/scrubland" is "matorral", but it's probably more akin to what the speaker is thinking of when they say "solo monte"...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 49 mins (2017-03-22 19:21:30 GMT)
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OK. How about "there was nothing of value", if you feel that "there was nothing" may be taken too literally. What I'm trying to explain is that when people say "nothing", they don't mean absolute zero or absence of stuff; what they mean is that there is nothing they perceive as useful.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 53 mins (2017-03-22 19:25:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"When the colonists arrived, there was nothing but the rainforest"...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2017-03-23 08:56:18 GMT)
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NB: If you look at John McDove's definition above (Tierra inculta cubierta de árboles, arbustos, matas o hierba) you'll see it is exactly the same as for "matorral" (scrub or scrubland).
Reference:
Note from asker:
| Thanks Neil, but I think this is not the best option because the whole idea of the documentary is showing what was lost with deforestation when they "cleaned" the land for agriculture. So, saying "there was nothing" almost shows a picture of what happened afterwards. |
1 day 44 mins
It was just a jungle
I think some of the other suggestions are good, but as another option you might consider using the term "jungle" -- "it was just a jungle", "it was nothing but jungle". I think in that region (Misiones) what was being cleared was tropical rainforest, often referred to as jungle in layman's terms.
http://www.todo-argentina.net/geografia/provincias/misiones/...
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selva_misionera
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Note added at 1 day1 hr (2017-03-23 20:12:49 GMT)
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle
http://www.todo-argentina.net/geografia/provincias/misiones/...
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selva_misionera
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Note added at 1 day1 hr (2017-03-23 20:12:49 GMT)
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle
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