letter to Uruguay

Question

Just a little update on life here going to friends in Montevideo.

Hemos estado mirando las fotos de nuestra visita esta mañana, y ahora estoy pensando en ustedes. Como siempre, espero que todos estén bien, y que señor recesión no está pegando nadie con demasiada fuerza. Estamos bien aquí ahora, pero tenemos nuestras problemas. He estado 'laid off? (no sé cómo se dice esto en español, y no lo quiero buscando en el diccionario.) Después de 24 años con la misma compañía, no tengo trabajo. Me dieron 18 semanas de sueldo, y me mostraron la puerta. A cambio de las cuarenta piezas de plata tenía que ceder mis derechos, y no puedo llevar a ellos a los tribunales, pero para ahora tengo ingresos.

Estoy seguro que ustedes recuerden mi amor por animales. No puedo pasar a un perro sin tratando tocarlo. Cuando estábamos allí eso era una problema porque hay tantos perros sin maestros, y yo quería tocar los todos. Tenía que andar con los manos en los bolsillos en Argentina. Ahora quiero usar este tiempo a aprender una nueva profesión. Quiero trabajar con perros y otras mascotas como un técnico veterinario. También quiero trabajar como entrenador de perros. No sé si es posible, pero no tengo mucho mas tiempo para hacerlo, y quiero hacer algo que me gusta. No deseo hacer lo que he estado haciendo por tantos años. Quiero trabajar con cosas que respiran, no con máquinas. Necesito un cambio.

*We have been looking at the photos of our visit this morning, and now I'm thinking about you. As always, I hope that everyone there is well, and that mr recession is not hitting any of you too hard, We are well here, but we have our problems. I have been laid off. After 24 years with the same company, I have no work. They gave me 18 weeks pay and showed me the door. In exchange for the 40 pieces of silver, I had to give up my right to sue them, but for now, I have income.

I'm sure you remember my love of animals, I can't pass a dog without trying to pet it. When we were there, that was a problem, because there are so many dogs without owners, and I wanted to pet all of them. I had to walk around with my hands in my pockets in Argentina. Now I want to use this time to learn a new profession. I want to work with dogs and other pets as a veterinary technician. Also I want to work as a dog trainer. I don't know if it is possible, but I don't have that much time left to do it, and I want to do something that I like. I have no desire to do what I have been doing for all these years. I want to work with things that breathe, not with machines. I need a change. *

Answer 1

No cabe duda que los financieros del mundo,con el resto de nosotros los machistas han sido echados a perder por las mamás que los adoraban desde que nacieron los angelitos. Ay Ay Ay ¡Más culpa para las mujeres, pobrecitas!;-(

The tilde here makes a big difference.

Answer 2

Would that not be el señor recesión?
despedida (de empleo)
me falta el trabajo
Is the 40 pieces of silver an allusion to the Biblical 30 (treinta) pieces of silver? (Judas received for betraying Jesus)
the rest if minor and I don't think you posted this for a grammar review. (proofreading or blog entry')

Answer 3

Would that not be el señor recesión?

despedida (de empleo)

me falta el trabajo

Is the 40 pieces of silver an allusion to the Biblical 30 (treinta) pieces of silver? (Judas received for betraying Christ)

the rest if minor and I don't think you posted this for a grammar review. (proofreading or blog entry')

It's been ages since I attended sunday school, and I thought it was 40. As for the grammar That is just exactly why I put it up here. I've gotten to a point where I can usually make myself understood, but if I have used exceptionally wierd language, and I can find that out before I send it on. Then I can impress them with my imitation progress. For now I'll just change cuarenta to treinta.

Answer 4

Would that not be el señor recesión?

As for the grammar That is just exactly why I put it up here. I've gotten to a point where I can usually make myself understood, but if I have used exceptionally wierd language, and I can find that out before I send it on. Then I can impress them with my imitation progress. .

I love reading Spanish written by a non-native. I can follow the syntax. I have to stop and think about reading a native's Spanish.

Here is the rule that I was referring to if we're going to discuss grammar.

With most titles of people: The definite article is used before most titles of a person being talked about. El presidente Bush vive en la Casa Blanca. (President Bush lives in the White House.) Voy a la oficina de la doctora González. (I'm going to the office of Dr. Gonzalez.) Mi vecina es la señora Jones. (My neighbor is Mrs. Jones.) The article is omitted, however, when directly addressing the person. ¿Cómo está usted? profesora Barrera. (How are you, Professor Barrera')

Answer 5

manos is feminine=las manos
...pegando a nadie
..shown the door is an English idiom. I doubt that it can be used in that sense in Spanish and even if it can, I bet it is something more like pointed to the door than "displayed"
no puedo llevar a ellos a los tribunales,...something doesn't look right there in Spanish. Looks fine in English. I assume that you are using them as a direct object in the sentence. It looks odd to see the clarifier with neither an i.o. or d.o. pronoun. (a ellos) no puedo llevarlos a los tribunales, but then what do I know? I'll wait for a native's suggestion.
eso or ése? (we know the antecedent for the pronoun, it's not indefinite)
Ahora quiero usar este tiempo (par)a aprender...

Answer 6

Hemos estado mirando las fotos de nuestra visita esta mañana, y ahora estoy pensando en ustedes. Como siempre, espero que todos estén bien, y que "la señora crisis" no está pegando a **nadie con demasiada fuerza. Estamos bien aquí **(aún), pero tenemos nuestros problemas. Me han despedido (no sé cómo se dice esto en español, y no lo quiero buscarlo en el diccionario.) Después de 24 años en la misma compañía, no tengo trabajo. Me dieron 18 semanas de sueldo, y me mostraron la puerta. A cambio de las cuarenta piezas de plata tenía que ceder mis derechos, y no puedo llevarlos a los tribunales, pero por ahora tengo ingresos.

Estoy seguro de que ustedes recuerdan mi amor por los animales. No puedo pasar por al lado de un perro sin querer tocarlo. Cuando estábamos allí eso era un problema porque hay tantos perros abandonados, y yo quería** tocarlos** todos. Tenía que andar con las manos en los bolsillos en Argentina. Ahora quiero usar este tiempo para aprender una nueva profesión. Quiero trabajar con perros y otras mascotas como [del]un[/del] técnico veterinario. También quiero trabajar como entrenador de perros. No sé si es posible, pero no tengo mucho más tiempo para hacerlo, y quiero hacer algo que me guste. No deseo hacer lo que he estado haciendo durante tantos años. Quiero trabajar con cosas que respiran, no con máquinas. Necesito un cambio.

[/i]

Hi Steve, nice letter. I am sorry if it is a true story. You have to use "señora crisis or recesion" as both words are feminine. In any case I would use inverted commas.
Remember : querer is followed by infinitive!
ahora tengo ingresos., what did you mean here? If you have an income , this means you have work of some kind.

y me mostraron la puerta.<--we would say: me dieron la patada
I am sure you will find something soon. Debes ser muy bueno con los animales

Answer 7

Tenía que andar con las manos en los bolsillos en Argentina.

In any case I would use inverted commas.

me dieron la patada

dar la patada...I've knew that one! In English that's... give the boot.

inverted commas is usually called a quote mark in English. That's one I have to remember.

Curious, but I was going to ask you if you agreed that it should be las manos instead of los manos, but when looking at the code for your quote I see that you did change it to las. It just didn't display.
Oh, I see. You're cheating also and adding edits.

Answer 8

dar la patada...I've known that one! In English that's... give the boot.
hmmm, I am sure that should be "known".Though I would have said: I knew that one, hmmm

inverted commas is usually called a quote mark in English. That's one I have to remember.We use inverted commas in BE:

inverted commas
1 n-plural Inverted commas are punctuation marks that are used in writing to ........
in AM, use quotation marks

Curious, but I was going to ask you if you agreed that it should be las manos instead of los manos, but when looking at the code for your quote I see that you did change it to las. It just didn't display.

Oh, I see. You're cheating also and adding edits. jeje, not really, I just publish the corrections and then recheck, as it is easier to see this way.

I have just tried the "preview", I am going to use that from now on..

Answer 9

dar la patada...I've known that one! In English that's... give the boot.

hmmm, I am sure that should be "known".Though I would have said: I knew that one, hmmm

I think that was going to be "I should have known that one." My lazy brain hijacked the thought and said just write "I knew that one." and meanwhile obstinate fingers just typed without waiting for revisions.

Answer 10

Heidi said
"You have to use 'señora crisis or recesion? as both words are feminine"

Trust a woman to cause all this financial havoc in the world, hehe.

Answer 11

Heidi said

"You have to use 'señora crisis or recesion? as both words are feminine"

Trust a woman to cause all this financial havoc in the world, hehe.

Not really funny but your comment is!

Actually, we've got so many feminine words with a terrible meaning...

la inquisición
la guerra
la crisis
la muerte

However: EL amor!

I think we don't deserve that!

Answer 12

ahora tengo ingresos., what did you mean here? If you have an income , this means you have work of some kind.

Gracias Heidita por las correcciones. No tengo trabajo ahora,pero a causa de un "severance agreement," me pagaremos durante los cuatros meses siguientes. Eso es lo que quiero decir. ¿me entiendes, o debo escribirlo en inglés? Gracias por tus palabras amables también. Ahora es el tiempo para hacer limonada porque la vida me ha dado limones .

Answer 13

One more thing, in American English anyway, a huge distinction is drawn(probably because of some PR person in a human resources department) between the terms fired and layed off. Is that the case in Spanish? To put it in corporatese: my position has been eliminated, not me. My services are no longer required because The job I used to do has been lost. Nobody knows what happened to it. That's why I get severance pay. It's the coporate version of proof that ones former employers do posess consciences.

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In truth what happens is they make a calculated decision. They aim as high up the pay scale as they can without touching management, after all, those guys have debts and families. Once they have decided who would save them the most, They look at that group and decide which people are least likely to sue for wrongful termination(we do have some laws), and offer them a severance package. If they take it, the former employee gives the right to pursue any of his or her legal options. It is a disgusting system, but very well thought out.

Answer 14

No cabe duda que los financieros del mundo,con el resto de nosotros los machistas han sido echado a perder por las mamas que los adoraban desde nacieron los angelitos.Ay Ay Ay ¡Más culpa por las mujeres, pobrecitas!;-(

Answer 15

No cabe duda que los financieros del mundo,con el resto de nosotros los machistas han sido echados a perder por las mamás que los adoraban desde que nacieron los angelitos. Ay Ay Ay ¡Más culpa para las mujeres, pobrecitas!;-(

The tilde here makes a big difference.

I needed a laugh, Thanks