in the service of

Question

I'm reading El león, la bruja, y el ropero (which is easy enough, since I've only read the original about a million times, and seen both movies). I have a question about this sentence:

Eso es lo que yo soy. Un sirviente pagado por la Bruja Blanca.

The original (if I recall correctly) says that he is in the service of the White Witch. This doesn't necessarily mean that he's being paid for anything.

What do you think about the sentence? How would you say it'

Answer 1

I do remember reading a phrase " el murió en acto de servicio a su patria", which allies to what James has mentioned regarding being in the service of one´s country.

Answer 2

I think it's a good translation. "In the service of" almost always refers to someone in the employ of someone else, whether it be in the military (in the service of the Queen, country, etc.), civil service (in the service of the government), or the like. If the translator had merely said "Un sirviente de la Bruja Blanca," that would be something else (a servant as opposed to an employee). The phrase "en el servicio de" is used, but it seems to be used most often in other contexts (such as "They found fault with the service of the tourist office"). Finally, I think using "pagado" here underscores the idea that the faun has "sold out," as he seems to be embarrassed to admit that he is working for the witch.

That's my take, anyway. I'll send a bill for two cents.

Answer 3

How about "en acto de servicio"