This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
entidade residente cambial
levantou a bola para o empreiteiro cortar

Glossary entry

Portuguese term or phrase:

Essa sem rabo não é uma concorrente: é uma com o cu rente!

English translation:

That flat-ass bitch is not a contestant: she's an ass-pirant

Added to glossary by airmailrpl
Dec 3, 2016 15:21
7 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Portuguese term

Essa sem rabo não é uma concorrente: é uma com o cu rente!

Homework / test Portuguese to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature Pun. (Mozambican Portuguese)
I am translating a short story written by a Mozambican author (Mia Couto).
I trying to recreate the following pun into English, but at the moment I lack of imagination.

Essa sem rabo não é uma concorrente: é uma com o cu rente!

Any suggestions?
Proposed translations (English)
4 That flat-ass bitch is not a contestant: she's an ass-pirant
4 She's just a half-assed competitor... literally!
4 That skinny ass dame aint no contender, she's a c*nt-ender
3 That bootyless one is not a contestant, as her ass is simply vacant!
3 That flat-ass bitch is not a contestant: she's a non-ass-tenant
Change log

Dec 5, 2016 01:24: airmailrpl Created KOG entry

Discussion

Mario Freitas Dec 5, 2016:
Creativity/Transcreation What the evaluator is looking for is creativity and transcreation. There is nothing more "thinking out of the box" than comming up with a creative solution that would work in English. I actually think we do have some nice suggestions, and the pun must be preserved. Of course it cannot be translated, and I don't think any of the suggestions tried that. And of course I would use my suggestion, LOL!
A great day to you all.
Erica Franceschini (asker) Dec 4, 2016:
Susanne Thanks guys. I actually agree with the point you made. This translation is for evaluation purposes, so they are really looking into my ability to come up with a pun that would work. Nevertheless, Susanne that would not really work in the context of the short story I am translating. (One of the contestant turns out to be the daughter of the protagonist... it is unclear wether she is actually the one of the comment, but I would not go that far)
Susanne Rindlisbacher Dec 4, 2016:
Mário Right, but translating puns hardly ever works. To me, the suggestions so far sound half-assed at best and I can’t think of anything better myself. This is why I suggest thinking out of the box.
Mario Freitas Dec 4, 2016:
@ Susanne Erica needs the pun. See her comments below.
Susanne Rindlisbacher Dec 4, 2016:
How about trying something a little different like "The one with no ass is on the wrong show. She should take part in a beauty pageant for young boys!"
Erica Franceschini (asker) Dec 3, 2016:
I got specifically asked to create a pun in English.
How about: 'This one is clearly not a booty contestant' ?
Or something along the line...
gninolps (X) Dec 3, 2016:
I really think you shouldn't worry about that level of perfection. When you're localizing a joke, if you have the option to keep the original meaning while still making a joke that makes total sense in the target language, go for it.

I also wonder why you want to make it 'softer'. There's absolutely nothing soft about 'rabo' or 'cu'. (Unless, of course, you mean literally soft...)
Erica Franceschini (asker) Dec 3, 2016:
or playing with beauty and booty?
Erica Franceschini (asker) Dec 3, 2016:
It is not particularly strong. The main character is at a beauty contest and makes some comments about thecontestants, before discovering one of them is his daughter. I would use something 'softer' in terms of meaning and predilect the 'rhyme'. The only thing I could come up with was something with posterior and prosperous. Or something that rhymes or a word that can be 'decomposed' or create a similar effect.

Proposed translations

13 hrs
Selected

That flat-ass bitch is not a contestant: she's an ass-pirant

Essa sem rabo não é uma concorrente: é uma com o cu rente! => That flat-ass bitch is not a contestant: she's an ass-pirant

as·pir·ant
ˈaspərənt,əˈspīrənt/
adjective
adjective: aspirant

1.
(of a person) having ambitions to achieve something, typically to follow a particular career.
"an aspirant politician"

noun
noun: aspirant; plural noun: aspirants

1.
a person who has ambitions to achieve something.
"an aspirant to the throne"
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Brilliant idea. I did not think of that! I will play with it and with beauty/booty as well. Thank you very much!"
28 mins

She's just a half-assed competitor... literally!

Suggestion.
Something went wrong...
1 hr

That bootyless one is not a contestant, as her ass is simply vacant!

Hope it fits into your text.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2016-12-03 16:45:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or then "...as her ass is hopeless vacant!
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

That flat-ass bitch is not a contestant: she's a non-ass-tenant

Suggestion, trying to keep the pun.
Note from asker:
Thank you for the suggestion.
Something went wrong...
8 hrs

That skinny ass dame aint no contender, she's a c*nt-ender

That skinny ass dame aint no contender, she's a c*nt-ender
Note from asker:
Nice suggestion, but a bit too strong for me. Thank you anyways!
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search