La Palabra del Día : el retazo

Question

el retazo - (noun) remnant, fragment, portion, snippet, sample

Post your sentences in Spanish and English, then vote for the ones you like. The best answer will be chosen tomorrow on the basis of the greatest number of votes and language correctness.

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And don't forget to correct your posts as suggested. Do NOT use subject pronouns!

Retazos de sangre son tomados generalmente para medir el nivel de glucosa en sangre

Blood samples are generally taken to measure the glucose level in blood.

Please correct my English and Spanish - Vaanz, Nov 23, 2010

Another good photo and word but a bit of a teazer. - ray76, Nov 23, 2010

Hi, vaanz! Retazos de sangre son tomados generalmente para medir.... (But this passive voice sounds a bit weird). Also, we wouldn't use here "retazo", but probably "muestra". - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

Then, I think that it'd be more common " generalmente, para medir el nivel de glucosa se toman muestras de sangre" :) Let's wait for more opinions, though. - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

Yep, definitely. It means sample as in 'cloth sample', not as in 'blood sample' (muestra de sangre) - bill1111, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 1

Algunas figuras se elaboran con retazos de tela.

"Some figures are made from scraps of fabric."

son elaboradas, or se elaboran :) Hi , artina! - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

Thank you cogumela.. to tell the truth I found the phrase as it was..:( - artina, Nov 23, 2010

Both are valid. The only difference is that you wrote a photo caption, and Cogu suggested a whole sentence with a subject and a predicate. In that case, the English one would be 'Some figures are made..' - bill1111, Nov 23, 2010

Thank you very much Billstpor.. - artina, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 2

I got a fine for speeding. I only remember snippets of what happened that day.

Me pusieron una multa por exceso de velocidad. Solo recuerdo retazos de lo que sucedió aquel día.

Almost perfect, Bryn: "aquel" día... and "sólo" with tilde ( until "new ortography rules", at least ) Good !! - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

Gracias cogumela :)) - Brynleigh, Nov 23, 2010

Nope Cogu, even now you were only supposed to put the 'tilde' when there was a case of ambiguity, which happens very rarely. - bill1111, Nov 23, 2010

Hurray for llamas! - Leatha, Nov 23, 2010

I love alpacas too! :)))) - Brynleigh, Nov 23, 2010

My best friend has overr 60 alpacas. They are so sweet and their fibre makes the most beautiful gloves. - Brynleigh, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 3

A veces en mi mente veo sólo un retazo de algo del pasado.

Sometimes in my mind I see only a piece of something from the past.

I can't find mistakes, but wait for more opinions, sanlee :) - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

¡Gracias, Cogu! - sanlee, Nov 23, 2010

oh, I get those fragments of memories,too-always the same snippet! - pintor, Nov 23, 2010

And one flash in the tavern caught , better than in the Temple lost outright. Great sanlee . - ray76, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 4

Espero que haya dejado muchos retazos memorables y placenteros, en el sendero de la vida.

I hope that I have left many memorable and pleasant fragments of myself on the path of life.

de mí, con tilde - DR1960, Nov 23, 2010

This is correct, but it almost sounds as if you were talking about a third party. Because of this it's more common to simply say: 'Espero haber dejado.." - bill1111, Nov 23, 2010

I'd remove "de mí" It's implicit. In any case I'd go for " de mí mismo" I have loved this one, Joe :) Poetry! - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

I'm trying to get hold of the subjunctive. I thought it always followed esperar? - 002262dd, Nov 23, 2010

You certainly have Joe ,you have a devoted following who try to emulate your good living. - ray76, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 5

Mi abuela y sus amigas de la iglesia pasaban mucho tiempo haciendo edredones de retazos de tela.

My grandmother and her church friends used to spend a lot of time making quilts out of fabric remnants.

How does one add a photo? I am not allowed to upload one. And, I can´t figure out how to post a link directly to an image. Please advise. - ronm192, Nov 23, 2010

Fantástico, ronm :) You have to open a photo, copy the URL and in your message's window, click on the pic bottom and then paste it in. Sorry for my English!!! :) - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

Your english seems fine to me. And, thanks! - ronm192, Nov 23, 2010

http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/104360/how-do-i-show-a-picture - JoyceM, Nov 23, 2010

Great job with the picture, ronm! - sanlee, Nov 23, 2010

Thank you Sanlee. And thanks to you others for your help! - ronm192, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 6

El ataque no provocado contra Corea del Sur ocurrido esta mañana es solo un retazo del peligroso arsenal que posee Corea del Norte.

---

The unprovoked attack on South Korea this morning is just a snippet of the dangerous power that North Korea possesses.

'de esta mañana' or 'ocurrido esta mañana'. Also, the last part is way too literal. I'd say something like 'es solo un retazo del peligroso arsenal que posee Corea del Norte' (you could have also said just 'poder', but 'poder peligroso' sounds goofy) - bill1111, Nov 23, 2010

Gracias Billstpor. - Rolest, Nov 23, 2010

Good and very apt Rolest gets my vote. - ray76, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 7

"Retazos de Vida" es una película latinoamericana.

"Scraps of Life" is a movie from Latin America.

Here is one of the stars (maybe his picture will shamelessly help me get to 10,000 points!).

Trailer

Retazos, película and Latinoamérica, América latina, or simply" una película latinoamericana" :) Good, Joyce ! - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

Either I wasn't awake, I need the translator more than I think I do...or both! Thanks! - JoyceM, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 8

Tengo un retazo guardado para fiarme de tí.

I have a remnant retained to give me confidence in you. (I think it's a remnant of what he has lost, what is forbidden to him)

I found this line in the song linked below. Please help with translating it into English if I've erred!

Cosas del ego

'ti', no diacritic 'tilde', since there is no determiner to confuse it with (as with 'mí'). And frankly, those lyrics are so confusing in Spanish that the translation looks just fine. - bill1111, Nov 23, 2010

I can't edit it for some reason, will try later, thanks Bill. :D - galsally, Nov 24, 2010

Answer 9

Los retazos del verano pasado aún alegran mi cuerpo

Estoy esperando por el verano siguente

Mi ventana abierto

Todo el tiempo...

---

The fragments of last summer still cheer my body

I'm waiting for the next summer

My window open

All the time...

alegran/ al verano siguiente/ abierta ... Nice sentence, it seems like a song :) - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

thanks :) - meloshanim, Nov 23, 2010

I guess you meant 'My window is open'? - bill1111, Nov 23, 2010

yeah but to sound like a real poem i did not put every word there in purpose - meloshanim, Nov 23, 2010

I hope it is O.K. that I set your poem up with "line breaks" or ended the lines where you showed. - Moe, Nov 23, 2010

Please look at the Private Message (found on your profile page) to see how this is done. I think you will like it. - Moe, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 10

Algunos modelos llevan ropa tan reveladora, que son sólo retazos de ropa.

Some models wear clothes so revealing ,just a piece of cloth. I bet you did not see this coming girls.

Madre mía! .... - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

.... ... Algunos modelos llevan ropa tan reveladora, que son sólo retazos de ropa. :) ( No digo nada, Ray) - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

Be still my beating heart! Thanks Ray! :)) - Brynleigh, Nov 23, 2010

cogumela, No digo nada, no digo nada en absoluto. - ray76, Nov 23, 2010

Bur thank you , I do understand!, but why should us guys have it all?a bit of beefcake for the girls is great for moral. - ray76, Nov 23, 2010

bleh.. I guess he has those tattoos to draw attention away from that disgusting 6-pack ;) - bill1111, Nov 23, 2010

Yeah! I do the same.? - ray76, Nov 23, 2010

WhooooooooooHoooooooooo! - --Mariana--, Nov 23, 2010

Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat :) - 00b6f46c, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 11

Un enano blanco es el retazo de una estrella.

A white dwarf is the remnant of a star.

Answer 12

Hoy en día la ciudad de Troya no es mas que retazos enterrados.

Today, the city of Troy is nothing but buried remnants.

...de Troya no es más que retazos enterrados. Very good, wan ! - cogumela, Nov 23, 2010

Thanks cogumela - wansell, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 13

Los Rollos de Mar Muerto: un rompecabeza hizo de retazos de un tiempo antiguo.

The Dead Sea Scrolls: a puzzle made of fragments of an ancient time.

'del Mar Muerto', 'rompecabezas hecho de retazos de la antigüedad' (or 'de una era antigua') . 'Tiempo antiguo' doesn't really work. - bill1111, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 14

¡Solían ser nuestras abuelas o tías las que los hacían con retazos!

( It is our grandmothers or aunts who were often making them from scraps )

I wouldn't use 'se trata' here. I'd say 'Solían ser nuestras tías y abuelas las que los hacían' (the 'often' part is implied in 'solían') - bill1111, Nov 23, 2010

Thanks Bill.. - sv2qp, Nov 23, 2010

Answer 15

ITunes allows me to listen to a sample of a song before I buy it.

iTunes me permite escuchar un retazo de una canción antes de comprarla.

Well, normally when you talk about a sample of a song you call it 'muestra', but I guess 'retazo' isn't that far-fetched. However it's 'me permite escuchar un retazo de una canción antes de comprarla' - bill1111, Nov 23, 2010

Gracias, Billstpor. I spent a while trying to figure out the conjugation of comprar would be. Can you explain that to me? - Leatha, Nov 23, 2010