Clemenseando

People en Español in English

People en Español is now also available in poorly-written English.

Feel the irresistible force of this compelling lede sentence:

"It all started as a rumor a couple of months."

Give in to the allure of this baffling home page pull-quote:

"Like Pablo, a lot of important things have happened to me, from singing in the White House to singing Mexican music with former president Fox in the plaza in Beijing.¨
- Pablo Montero, in an interview about naming his unborn son Pablo, even though his real name is Óscar Hernández"

Rhyme along with the translator:

"We searched high and low for him and his rep always said no."

And the list of examples is seemingly inexhaustible. The English-language articles on Peoplenespanol.com are a case study in how not to translate a Web site.

Mind you, the idea of translating People en Español into English may sound crazy but the concept actually makes sense. I am convinced there is a potential audience of Latino readers who are both Spanish-challenged and interested in reading about the Hispanic and Latin American celebrities that People en Español routinely cover.

The talented freelance reporter Derek Reveron referred to the new website in a recent Marketing y Medios article:

"People en Español did extensive research before launching its English-language Web site in January. "Had I not had the research, I probably would have done it anyway because it's abundantly clear that this should have happened a couple of years ago," said managing editor Peter Castro.

...

"In May, the Web site received 8.5 million page views and 550,000 unique visitors, according to Omniture. The site recorded up to 750,000 hits in one day when it featured content related to People en Espanol's "Los 50 Más Bellos" issue. The number of hits reached 450,000 the day the Web site broke an exclusive story about singer Juanes splitting from his wife, Karen Martínez."

That's all fine and dandy, but I wonder if some translator isn't pulling Mr. Castro´s leg.

I say that because the copy ("Confirmed: Pablo Montero Will Be A Father") sounds scripted for Iñigo Montoya in "The Princess Bride":

"Hello.  My name is Iñigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Full Disclosure: I unsuccessfully pitched People en Español a story idea several months ago. They very politely rejected my story idea but invited me to send along my cv so I could be considered for future assignments. I never did so. Somehow I don´t think they´ll be knocking down my door after reading this post. I used to write for Marketing y Medios and I have spoken to Derek Reveron a couple of times on the phone.

 

Presidential Candidates Flunk Spanish

Senator Christopher Dodd speaks very good Spanish and has called on other presidential candidates to participate in a Univision-sponsored debate. Yet, unless I am missing something, his campaign Web site does not have a separate Spanish-language section.

Senator Clinton does not speak Spanish and turned down Univision´s offer but does have information in español on her Web site.  The EN ESPAÑOL button is visible in the upper right hand corner of the home page. Once there, you can read about how Senator Clinton has "introducido proyectos legislativos". Yikes, introducir means insert rather than introduce legislation.

Governor Bill Richardson speaks Spanish fluently. Like a pro. But, the home page of the Spanish-language section of his Web site includes several amateurish grammatical errors. The most glaring mistake is "Bill Richardson está corriendo porque el próximo presidente ..."  In Spanish, unlike English, you cannot write a candidate is ´running´ for office. Yet, the writer opted for the literal translation of ´running´ as ´corriendo´. 

John Edwards´Web site features all of 174 words in Spanish. And the headline "El Mañana Comienza Hoy" strings four of them together in such a way as to defy comprehension. Unless, that is, you speak English and immediately recognize the phrase as another literal translation.

Senator Barack Obama´s campaign put out a press release stating six of its videos now feature Spanish-language subtitles. Well, the system didn´t work very well for me. The subtitles were confusingly out of sync with what was being said in the clip. Difficult to follow. Separately, the first line of text following "Bienvenido a BarackObama.com" is the grammatical train wreck "Esta campaña se trata de construir un tipo diferente de política y eso comienza contigo." That sentence is so poorly written that I don't know how to translate its sheer awfulness.

In sharp contrast, the reggaeton tune available on Amigosdeobama.com may well be the smartest bit of Hispanic marketing to date by any of the campaigns.  Catchy, even if you don´t care for the musical genre. However, I don´t understand why the transcription of the lyrics is completely lacking in accents for educacion, nacion and the frightfully misspelled imigracion.   

The only other sharp Hispanic marketing effort I´ve come across thus far is from the one Republican candidate with a Spanish-language section on his Web site. Craig Romney, son of Mitt, appears in a brief and simple video clip. Craig speaks in mildly-accented Spanish and describes his father as a man of faith and integrity. It is a straightforward and inviting pitch that might well resonate with socially conservative Hispanics. Oh, and the Web site manages to properly spell "inmigración" even if Romney´s immigration stance is not likely win over many Latino voters.

No candidate or company is obligated to provide information online in Spanish. And the writing does not have to warrant a Nobel Prize for Literature. However, it strikes me as common sense to avoid bush league grammatical mistakes if you are trying to woo Latino voters in Spanish.

This post is based on only a brief review of the Web sites of some but not all of the presidential candidates. I believe a longer and closer examination would reveal plenty more translation gaffes and poor writing.

Botched Translation

Full Disclosure: Marketing y Medios published a couple dozen of my articles until December, 2005 when competing trade publication Multichannel News asked and paid me to write for them on an exclusive basis.)  

A Spanish-language press release issued this week by Marketing y Medios, a trade publication dedicated to covering Hispanic marketing and media, is riddled with errors of grammar, syntax and style. So much so that I am inclined to believe (or would like to believe) no one at the magazine actually read it.

The most egregious mistake is the use of the made-up word "visionaje", which is used as a translation of "viewing". Using "visionaje" in a Spanish-language release is akin to Nielsen putting out a release in English talking about television "viewage".

The author not only invented words but also translated the wrong ones. For instance, Marketing y Medios editor Nancy Ayala is quoted in the original release as stating "The spots say cool, uninhibited, free. Stodgy feelings be gone." Nice quotation. "Cool, uninhibited, free" has a certain ring to it. Same with "Stodgy feelings be gone". Well, the translator turns the two sentences into real clunkers. "Los anuncios hablan de soltura, desinhibición, libertad. Nada de sentimientos de abulia."  And "stodgy" somehow became "abulia", which means apathy. (Actually, it is more often used to describe extreme apathy a la Oblomov.) "Anticuado" for old-fashioned or "aburrido" for dull would have worked better.   

The release informs us that the "Hispanic Creative Best Spots of 2006" (an ugly phrase in English) were selected "de acuerdo a su penetración en este tipo de audiencia" (emphasis added). Nielsen Business Media "ayuda a los negocios a introducirse en el mercado con mayor efectividad y eficiencia" according to the release (again, emphasis added). Both penetración and introducirse are words that have "double entendre" thrust upon them.

Many of the mistakes unintentionally provoke laughter such as "Desde su primera aparición impresa y por Internet". The writer meant to say "since its first appearance in print and online" but instead uses the word "apparition" suggesting a spectral quality to the magazine that has gone from standalone publication to monthly insert.

I've written about translation gaffes and goofs before and how they demonstrate a fundamental lack of respect for the Spanish-speaking segment of the Latino market. The problem is that poorly written Spanish-language press releases continue to be routinely and widely circulated. Even by those who should know better.

Lost In Translation

Very early this morning I was reading an article in Employee Benefit News. Not normally how I start my day, but there you have it. The piece started off well. It included plenty of relevant examples. The quotations were just fine, "'Stop using the word translation. It should be adaptation,' advises Scott Anderson, senior communications consultant at Mercer Human Resource Consulting. 'You can accurately translate something and totally miss the point.'" Good point, Mr. Anderson. And I am thinking the reporter has written a good piece on what could be an otherwise dull topic. But, then, the article is laid low by the sentence that immediately follows the Anderson quote. Namely, "Anderson has worked on Spanish communications for 14 years, starting in Los Angeles and working in Brazil and Mexico City."

So now they speak Spanish in Brazil - go figure.

The article reminded me of an anecdote that Victor Arroyo at Cultura shared with me the other day. He was in Spain trying to locate his hotel in Madrid. Victor couldn't find the address so he called the hotel chain's call center in the United States and asked for it. Logical, no? Upon hearing his request, the person who answered the phone asked him, "What state is [Madrid] in?"

Body By Tadeo

I have a soft spot for cheeky self promoters but chutzpah can only compensate for so much.

A friend forwarded to me a press release yesterday about Tadeo, a personal trainer on a mission to sell workout DVDS. So far, so good. I am catholic when it comes to stories and will hear out almost anyone pitching just about any topic. 

But my eyes narrowed as I read the first paragraph of the release, "Young, charismatic Tadeo brings a message of better health for a better life to the Latino community with a dual message of promoting a healthy lifestyle while creating community economic opportunities.  Tadeo launches his health and fitness program on the American Latino scene through the release of the CUERPASO! (The Ultimate Body!) Bi-Lingual Fitness DVD. Straightforward and gimmick-free, Tadeo’s fitness program sends an upbeat, honest, friendly, how-to invitation to Latinos to adopt and maintain a healthier lifestyle."

Never mind the clichés such as "better health for a better life." For a moment, set aside the impression that Tadeo has only one name and is therefore Indonesian like Suharto or Sukarno. Focus instead on what I find it impossible to ignore. Cuerpaso, which is also the name of his website, should be spelled with a z (Cuerpazo) and not an s. That letter s just sticks in my craw.

The best that can be said of the Spanish-language content on the website is that it is not much worse than the English-language material, which includes the following testimonial, "This is one of the most handsome and sexy men that I have ever seen in my life and best of all I hear that he is single! I truly hope that one day I have the pleasure of dating someone as enticing as Tadeo. This according to "Xiomara, Salon Owner."

Perhaps my undue animosity can be attributed to the fact that I lack "The Ultimate Body" and cannot remember any woman ever describing me as "one of the most handsome and sexy men." That is, aside from my wife. Maybe I should take advantage of the summer discount mentioned on the website. The DVD is now selling for only $9.95 down from $14.95 "an amazing savings of 25%." Wait a minute. Five dollars off a fifteen dollar item sounds like a 33.3% discount not 25%.

The press release says Tadeo studied at USC. 

Thaddeus, consider this an "upbeat, honest, friendly" invitation requesting you learn to spell in Spanish and learn some basic math before sending out another press release.

The Universal Language

Those of us who write in both English and Spanish navigate a linguistic minefield. "False cognates" lurk behind every corner and must be ceaselessly beaten back with a mataburros. Past a certain age, more words are forgotten in both languages than learned in either one.

Yesterday, during an afternoon nap I saw a pinwheel in a dream. But, I couldn't remember the word for pinwheel in English or Spanish. While still dreaming I thought about writing a good friend and copy editor and asking her what do you call that toy, which is a stick with a star that blows in the wind and has curved points. The word pinwheel didn't blow back into my memory until this morning.

I mention this just to say I understand the why of mistakes such as "uso justo" and "mamás de estos tiempos" (below see "No Hablar Espanol") even if they greatly annoy me for their crude grasp of Spanish. Mistakes made in English are no less irksome.

Washington's Voz is a bilingual newspaper and website that offers news in English and Spanish. A recent front page features a headline that reads "Latinos can't afford to breath fresh air." Yep, "breath" instead of breathe. I like to think my breath is fresh even though as a resident of Mexico City I breathe some of the most polluted air on the planet.

At first, I figured maybe the missing e was pocketed by a rogue copy editor  except that the same mistake is repeated in the text of the article. "But it seems there are communities where people literally can't afford to breath, and Latinos and African American seem to partake most often on that privilege. A report by the Sierra Club shows that even if they don't die everyday, good breathing has become a luxury for many Hispanics."

Even if I don't die everyday, I find good writing has become a luxury.

I take some solace in an observation García Márquez once made. He said, "el idioma universal no es el inglés, sino el inglés mal hablado." Y mal redactado, for that matter.

No Hablar Espanol

Sun Maid has a Spanish-language press release on Hispanic PRWire that is riddled with grammatical and stylistic errors. "Las mamás de estos tiempos" is not the same as "Today's moms." I don't know what the phrase "cuando las energía comienzan a mermar en la oficina" is supposed to mean, but it sure ain't "when your energy wanes at the office." Por lo tanto (not "por tanto" as it says in the release) the raisin growers cooperative may need to consider hiring a correctora de estilo to review and edit their Spanish-language promotional material.

Le Mot Juste

Mariana C. King is my favorite bilingual language maven. (Full disclosure - She is also one of my wife's best friends. And my friend, too, for that matter.) I know of no one better at sniffing out false cognates in  poorly-written, Spanish-language ad copy.  This she does in a hilarious monthly column. Take a peek at the latest installment, "When Words Are Unjustly Used".

"periodistas bulingues"

I routinely cover Hispanic marketing and media for a trade publication and routinely come across egregious examples of butchered syntax such as this want ad for "periodistas bulingues").

It is our dirty secret, the Latino community's skeleton in the closet.  Many of us who were born or raised in the States don't really speak our mother's tongue very well and cannot draft a get well card to our abuelita in her native language even if her life depended on it.  No doubt, some readers will claim "Yo si hablo espanol" without noting the absence of the inverted exclamation points, the tilde or the accent on the i.