ProZ.com translation contests »
11th ProZ.com translation contest: "Contemporary society" » English to Spanish

Competition in this pair is now closed, and the winning entry has been announced.

Discussion and feedback about the competition in this language pair may now be provided by visiting the "Discussion & feedback" page for this pair. Entries may also be individually discussed by clicking the "Discuss" link next to any listed entry.

Source text in English

We're accustomed to glamour in London SE26: Kelly Brook and Jason Statham used to live above the dentist. But when Anouska Hempel's heels hit the cracked cement of the parking space outside my flat, it's hard not to think of those Picture Post photographs of royalty visiting bombed-out families during the second world war. Her mission in my modest tract of suburbia is, however, about more than offering sympathy. Hempel—the woman who invented the boutique hotel before it bore any such proprietary name—has come to give me information for which, judging by the spreads in interiors magazines and anxious postings on online DIY forums, half the property-owners in the Western world seem desperate: how to give an ordinary home the look and the vibe of a five-star, £750-a-night hotel suite. To Hem­pelise, in this case, a modest conversion flat formed from the middle slice of a three-storey Victorian semi.

"You could do it," she says, casting an eye around my kitchen. "Anyone could do it. Absolutely no reason why not. But there has to be continuity between the rooms. A single idea must be followed through." She looks out wistfully over the fire escape. "And you'd have to buy the house next door, of course." That's a joke. I think.

...

It's worth pausing, though, to consider the oddness of this impulse. The hotel room is an amnesiac space. We would be troubled if it bore any sign of a previous occupant, particularly as many of us go to hotels in order to do things we would not do at home. We expect a hotel room to be cleaned as thoroughly as if a corpse had just been hauled from the bed. (In some cases, this will actually have happened.) The domestic interior embodies the opposite idea: it is a repository of memories. The story of its inhabitants ought to be there in the photos on the mantelpiece, the pictures on the wall, the books on the shelves. If hotel rooms were people, they would be smiling lobotomy patients or plausible psychopaths.

The winning entry has been announced in this pair.

There were 31 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase, 3 of which were selected by peers to advance to the finals round. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.

Competition in this pair is now closed.


Entries (31 total; 3 finalists) Expand all entries

Entry #13138 — Discuss 1
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
9120 x43 x25 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry4.174.33 (3 ratings)4.00 (3 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 6 "like" tags
  • 6 users agreed with "likes" (8 total agrees)
+1
resonaron
Good term selection
Muy expres​ivo.
fruproz
cuyos hogares fueron barridos por las bombas
Good term selection
Violeta Corace
+1
viene
Good term selection
I think th​e translat​or is corr​ectly taki​ng the nar​rative for​ward in ti​me.
fruproz
+1
turbaría
Good term selection
Violeta Corace
+1
La historia de sus habitantes se cuenta a través de las fotos en la repisa de la chimenea, los cuadros de las paredes y los libros de las estanterías
Flows well
Anna Queralt
Entry #13279 — Discuss 0
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
7113 x47 x25 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry4.004.00 (6 ratings)4.00 (6 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 6 users entered 9 "like" tags
  • 8 users agreed with "likes" (11 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
modesta zona
Good term selection
Violeta Corace
+2
de que se acuñara ese término
Flows well
Violeta Corace
+1
por la que la mitad de los propietarios de inmuebles del mundo occidental parecen desesperarse
Good term selection
Good choic​e!
Daniel Sanabria
inquietos mensajes
Good term selection
Violeta Corace
. En este caso, se trata de dejar su impronta en un modesto piso reformado, creado a p
Flows well
Anna Queralt
+2
dejar su impronta
Good term selection
Francisco Paredes Maldonado
+1
Un único concepto, de principio a fin
Flows well
Violeta Corace
-1
escrupulosa
Good term selection
Magdalena Balibrea Vich
+5
La historia de sus habitantes debe quedar plasmada en las fotos que se exhiben en la repisa de la chimenea, los cuadros que cuelgan de las paredes, los libros que descansan en las estanterías
Flows well
Frase simp​lemente ex​celente.
Magdalena Altieri
Entry #14041 — Discuss 0
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
5910 x47 x25 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.633.25 (4 ratings)4.00 (4 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 6 users entered 9 "like" tags
  • 5 users agreed with "likes" (9 total agrees)
  • 3 users disagreed with "likes" (3 total disagrees)
-2
arriba de la consulta del dentista
Flows well
Mariana Reinoso
+1
resquebrajado
Good term selection
Violeta Corace
-1
+1
1
en la modesta zona residencial a las afueras de Londres
Good term selection
Magdalena Balibrea Vich
foros de bri
Flows well
Anna Queralt
+1
un toque "a lo Hempel"
Flows well
Violeta Corace
+1
Pero, eso sí,
Flows well
Violeta Corace
+3
excentricidad de tal impulso
Good term selection
Una selecc​ión de pal​abras fant​ástica; ¡m​e encanta!
Aïda Garcia Pons
espacio amnésico
Good term selection
Violeta Corace
+2
un baúl de los recuerdos
Good term selection
Laura Iglesias


Non-finalist entries

The following entries were not selected by peers to advance to finals-round voting.

Entry #12577 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.503.25 (4 ratings)3.75 (4 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
en mi modesto barrio residencial
Good term selection
Magdalena Balibrea Vich
Entry #12716 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.503.40 (5 ratings)3.60 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
+1
impregnar del estilo Hempel
Flows well
Francisco Paredes Maldonado
Entry #12935 — Discuss 0
two2tango
two2tango
Argentina
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.503.33 (3 ratings)3.67 (3 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
  • 3 users agreed with "likes" (3 total agrees)
vivían
Good term selection
Magdalena Balibrea Vich
+3
1
darle el toque Hempel
Good term selection
Patricia Honrubia
Entry #13243 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.503.50 (2 ratings)3.50 (2 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
anhelado
Flows well
Elisa Martinez-Aznar
+1
pacientes lobotomizados de sonrisa boba
Flows well
A very inf​ormation-d​ense sente​nce in EN,​ brilliant​ly sorted.
Francisco Paredes Maldonado
Entry #13298 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.503.00 (3 ratings)4.00 (2 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #12829 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.333.33 (3 ratings)3.33 (3 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
+1
conmiseración
Good term selection
Elisa Martinez-Aznar
Entry #12578 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.303.60 (5 ratings)3.00 (6 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 3 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (3 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
-1
+1
1
mi humilde parcela de barrio residencial
Good term selection
Magdalena Balibrea Vich
+1
paradójico
Good term selection
Muy bien v​isto, ya q​ue resume ​la idea ge​neral del ​párrafo.
fruproz
+1
nos causaría desasosiego
Good term selection
Elisa Martinez-Aznar
Entry #13102 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.252.50 (2 ratings)4.00 (1 rating)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 2 "like" tags
conmiseración
Good term selection
Elisa Martinez-Aznar
es una suerte de
Flows well
Elisa Martinez-Aznar
Entry #13601 — Discuss 0
veronicalemi
veronicalemi
Argentina
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.172.67 (3 ratings)3.67 (3 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (2 total disagrees)
+1
resonaron
Flows well
The past t​ense and t​he verb ch​osen empha​size the i​ntroductio​n of the m​ain charac​ter in the​ text.
fruproz
-2
1
segunda guerra mundial
Flows well
Mónica Algazi
Entry #13562 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.132.75 (4 ratings)3.50 (4 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #13927 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.132.75 (4 ratings)3.50 (4 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
dar el toque Hempel
Flows well
Francisco Paredes Maldonado
huésped
Good term selection
fruproz
Entry #13237 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.093.17 (6 ratings)3.00 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #14035 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.092.67 (3 ratings)3.50 (2 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
-1
1
adjudicara
Good term selection
Me gusa.
Aïda Garcia Pons
Entry #13426 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.052.60 (5 ratings)3.50 (4 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #13121 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.042.75 (4 ratings)3.33 (3 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (2 total disagrees)
-2
1
solían vivir
Good term selection
Tras el re​greso de l​a Corte a ​Madrid, Ce​rvantes se​ establece​ con su fa​milia en e​l barrio d​e Atocha, ​detrás del​ hospital ​de Antón M​artín, don​de se le s​abe alojad​o en febre​ro de 1608​. Un año m​ás tarde, ​se muda a ​la calle d​e la Magda​lena, cerc​a del pala
Link: http://www​.cervantes​virtual.co​m/bib/bib_​autor/Cerv​antes/biog​rafia_15.s​html
mariana24
a los que se les ha practicado una lobotomía
Good term selection
La elecció​n del trad​uctor enfa​tiza el ca​rácter de ​la metáfor​a, que alu​de a la li​mpieza de ​"recuerdos​" que se l​e "practic​a" a la ha​bitación d​e un hotel​ cuando qu​eda vacant​e.
fruproz
Entry #13331 — Discuss 0
mariana24
mariana24
Uruguay
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.032.80 (5 ratings)3.25 (4 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #12727 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.003.00 (4 ratings)3.00 (4 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #13340 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.003.40 (5 ratings)2.60 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 2 "like" tags
mi dentista pasaba consulta
Good term selection
Laura Daly
Hempelizar
Good term selection
Laura Daly
Entry #13603 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.002.75 (4 ratings)3.25 (4 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
-1
+1
1
sin memoria
Flows well
Mónica Algazi
Entry #13658 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.003.00 (2 ratings)3.00 (2 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #14000 — Discuss 0
Cristina Gonzalez
Cristina Gonzalez
United States
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.003.00 (2 ratings)3.00 (2 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
vivían justo encima
Flows well
Aïda Garcia Pons
Entry #13663 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.672.67 (3 ratings)2.67 (3 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
evocar
Flows well
mariana24
plasmada en
Good term selection
Elisa Martinez-Aznar
Entry #13976 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.672.33 (3 ratings)3.00 (2 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #13532 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.632.75 (4 ratings)2.50 (4 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
singular
Good term selection
fruproz
Entry #13865 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.632.75 (4 ratings)2.50 (4 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #13270 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.252.00 (3 ratings)2.50 (2 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
expresar solidaridad
Good term selection
veronicalemi
echando un ojo a mi cocina
Good term selection
Ulisses Pasmadjian
Entry #13756 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.741.67 (6 ratings)1.80 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags
Entry #13397 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.001.00 (1 rating)1.00 (1 rating)
Entry tagging:
  • No "like" tags