A difficult translation.

Question

So here's a phrase I've tried to translate myself and then use two different translators:

El puñal se entibiaba contra su pecho y debajo latia le libertad agazapada.

The translations I've gotten doesn't do justice with the writing of Julio Cortázar and so I ask the esteemed purveyors of this site to help me out. (I would post a Spanish version of this question but it would take me forever at my present skill level.)

Buena suerte amigo, Have not seen you in a coons age. - ray76, Feb 16, 2016

Disculpa me para mi ausencia, mi amigo. I'm thrilled that you even remembered me. Don't worry, I've been studying my Spanish all along, but I am strapped for personal time. I bless you for your kindness. - GaryT, Feb 16, 2016

Answer 1

The dagger grew warm against his chest, and below the crouching freedom pulsated.

Answer 2

"The knife was warming/cooling against his/her chest, and below, bowed/bent (crouching) liberty was beating." That's the best I can do with so little context.

"entibiar" means that the temperature is approaching "tibia" -tepid or lukewarm. It may be warming up or cooling down.

Hi Dani ,Gary T, has a similar ancestry as you do. - ray76, Feb 16, 2016

Yes, the best I can come up with is pretty much the same: "The knife was warming against his chest below, beating and crouched (waiting?) for liberty." It's from Julio Cortazar's short story "Continuidad de los Parques". (One would have to google it.) - GaryT, Feb 17, 2016

Answer 3

In spite of the RAE has approved its use, the verb "entibiar" is totally unknown in Spain.

So, in Spain we would say:

El puñal se calentaba contra su pecho y debajo le latia la libertad agazapada.

Thanks Txta, much clearer. - annierats, Feb 17, 2016

Answer 4

I think 'debajo', like 'contra', refers to his chest. That clarifies the rest of the sentence, for me at least.

El puñal se entibiaba contra su pecho y debajo latía la libertad agazapada.

The dagger warmed up against his chest, and below (his chest) concealed freedom throbbed.

The key here is how you would translate agazapada : hidden, crouching, or held. That depends on your personal preference and interpretation. I thought 'concealed' best captured the essence of the word.

I vote for this one. :-) It seems to me to have the right tone, concise yet literary but I feel it could do with a touch of punctuation. "The dagger warmed against his chest, and below, concealed, freedom throbbed." - ErikainAndalusia, Feb 18, 2016

Answer 5

El puñal se entibiaba contra su pecho y debajo latia la libertad agazapada

The dagger was getting warm against his/her chest and underneath he/she felt the held liberty

Answer 6

Going from LuisCache, Daniela's and others I wonder if a good literary English translation (I'm going to use masculine gender) might be: "The dagger warmed pressed against his chest and deep down freedom throbbed ready to pounce."

I like it, but a lascivious old coot like me finds the innuendo amusing. - GaryT, Feb 18, 2016