will be asked
How do I translate this into Spanish? The context is information for patients. "You will be asked to sign a consent form." is the whole sentence. Gracias!
17 Answers
They are fine this time. However, I am more used to hearing sentences like:
Puede que tenga que esperar mientras...
Of course they are not identical, but they are widely used (in Spain) in situations where, you might have to wait, or someone might ask you to wait.
I will boldly (foolishly') try again.
Es posible que se le pida esperar mientras...
Es posible que le pidan esperar mientras...
Puede que se le pida esperar mientras...
Let's see how those get changed.
Thanks for all the responses! Here is another one for you that needs Spanish translation:
"You may be asked to wait while..."
This problem gets aggravated when Spanish natives read it, and think: well... the words seem match the English ones, or they look pretty similar (false cognates), and since English speakers are superior in any sense to us, surely that must be correct in Spanish too.
But, of course, lack of proper grammar and lexicon doesn't usually have negative effects on patients' lives.
Making good translation is a lot easier than most people think.
I'm very surprised to read that coming from you. It is exactly the opposite in my experience, although since I live in the US, where most people are monolingual, I may experience it more than someone in Europe.
The average monolingual has no idea how difficult good translation is. They think you just replace words, plugging in manzana for apple, ella for she, and so forth. But good translation means reading the original, and then thinking how that situation (not the words) would be expressed in the target language. That is often difficult, and sometimes even impossible (such as in the case of poetry or humor).
I can't believe I wrote that!. The sentence also sounds equally stupid if you translate it into Spanish, my mother tongue (people would laugh at me if I said that at home), so I don't really need an explantion. Thanks for pointing it out anyway.
The problem, I think, is the typical American attitude to foreign language. A monolingual will ask for a translation, thinking that anybody who can speak both languages reasonably well can also translate (not true!). Then, when the translation comes back, rather than having it checked by another fluent speaker (preferably a native), the monolingual just says, "Yep, that looks like Spanish (or whatever) to me!" They don't realize how stupid it makes them look to make mistakes like the one you saw at Sears. They would be horrified to see a sign that read "Pick up merchandis her," but apparently don't care about the foreign language version.
And this problem can be truly serious in a medical context, where a poor translation can affect the health of a patient, or at least add insult to injury.
Perhaps, but making good translations consistently can be difficult! (I'm just pointing out that your sentence should either say "good translations" or "a good translation", not "good translation".
In Missouri, more and more often one sees signs, forms, etc., in both English and Spanish. The Spanish seems to be quite often translated using the familiar form (tú), even when I wouldn't expect it.
Yesterday I was at Sears [Department Store] and saw a sign that was translated into Spanish, where clearly the is with accents had been left off entirely. It was "Pick up merchandise here", something like "Recoge la mercanca aqu".
your first two options are all incorrect
I first wrote "all your sentences", then I realized that the third one was right, so I changed what I wrote ... and I forgot to delete "all".
My "tú" translation is clearly not the best option, but I am not a professional translation, and often I struggle to find good options within an reasoable amount of time, so I just give it a first attempt, and then I improve I have something better. The best translation here, no doubt, is Priscy's. I might not be good at easily coming up with good translations, but I can recognize a good one when I see it.
Making good translation is a lot easier than most people think.
Ah, yes, that's much better.
There is great demand in the US for medical-related translations into Spanish, and sadly, the translators are often not up to the job, as was obviously the case with the translations I found on the Net.
I like Priscy's versions. They are very good.
your first two options are all incorrect
(We can't say two things are "all" anything. We have to say they are "both." "All" requires three or more things.)
Yes, I wondered about that, and even googled my translation, which turned up some hits, so I thought it was accepted. Apparently it just meant that somebody else made the same error.
BTW, you used the tú form, but wouldn't the usted form be more common in this context? In English, such a context requires a very formal construction.
Mi humilde intento:
"Se le pedirá que firme una hoja de autorización"
"Se le pedirá que firme una autorización"
James, your first two options are all incorrect, because in Spanish, unlike in English, you cannot make a passive sentence using the indirect object of the active one as a subject (except for some unusual exceptions).
Also, "form" is "formulario", and not "forma" (at least in Spain), as this means "manner", "shape". The translation for "una forma del consentimiento" would be "a way of the consent", which makes no sense.
