Phrase translation - from Spanish to English

Question

Hey all!

So I am doing some translation work and there were several phrases that I have no idea how to translate. I asked several people but they were really unclear as to how to express the phrases in English. I was wondering if you all could help me. The context is that this is a questionnaire answered by a poet. I am writing the phrase I don't know how to translate first, and then below the question/answer he wrote in Spanish. I just need help with translating what I have in quotation marks, please!

1. " cubrir con marcas un sustrato virgen" (Q. Que significa para ti escribir? A. Escribir para mi significa cubrir con marcas un sustrato virgen.)

2."un ente que llena soportes en blanco de marca por [aunque sea] otra persona legibles" (Q. Para ti, que es un estritor? A. Un escritor es un ente que llena soportes en blanco de marca por [aunque sea] otra persona legibles.)

1. "manías" (Q. Tienes algun rito a la hora de escribir? A. Tengo muchos ritos a la hora de escriir solo que yo los llamo manías.)

Thanks!

Hey! I like that last name. Lol. - -cae-, Sep 22, 2013

Answer 1

He is a poet that's why he gives those unusual answers.

By the context, 'sustrato virgen' might be the paper, since he's the first person who writes on it, and the marks are the letters.

The part "un ente llena soportes en blanco de marca por otra persona legible" means that he is an entity who fills out the paper (soportes en blanco) of symbols which other person may read.

About the manías: They are strong habits or obsessions. For example, to start to write he might need to have it all ready and if something is missing (like, for example, an eraser) he can't focus on the ideas.

Answer 2

Here is my go at it:

1. "To cover a virgin substrate with marks" (Q.What does writing mean to you? A. Writing for me means covering a virgin substrate with marks.)

2. "An entity who fills a blank carrier with marks" (Q. What is a writer to you? A. A writer is an entity who fills a blank carrier with marks"

3. Manias (Q. Do you have any rituals when you write? A. I have lots of rituals when I write, only I call them manias.)