Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
darse al ayuntamiento
English translation:
happily getting down and dirty
Added to glossary by
Claudia Vale
Mar 27, 2008 14:04
16 yrs ago
Spanish term
United Kingdom
Qualified Teacher of French and Spanish
Native in: English
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English
darse al ayuntamiento
Spanish to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
The setting is a women's prison where the women plaster on make-up, get drunk, listen to music and dance themselves into a frenzy before stripping and playing with themselves in front of everyone. It then says:
"Muy a menudo yo tenía aquel grotesco espectáculo en mi celda: las dos asesinas, aquellas focas pintarrajeadas se daban alegremente al ayuntamiento sin importarles en absolute que yo estuviera presente ni que las mirara.”
I get the gist of it (!) but am not able to gauge whether this is a euphemism or something cruder. Thanks!
"Muy a menudo yo tenía aquel grotesco espectáculo en mi celda: las dos asesinas, aquellas focas pintarrajeadas se daban alegremente al ayuntamiento sin importarles en absolute que yo estuviera presente ni que las mirara.”
I get the gist of it (!) but am not able to gauge whether this is a euphemism or something cruder. Thanks!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+6
20 mins
Kate Major Patience
Spain
Spain
Native in English
Works in field
Spain
Analytical and creative (DipTrans, MA)
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, Galician to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
52
Selected
happily getting down and dirty
I think this option gets the gist across without actually saying 'sex' as in the original. Loads of on line hits for this, especially in relation to euphemisms for sexual intercourse...
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Note added at 25 mins (2008-03-27 14:30:01 GMT)
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"Very often I was witness to that grotesque spectacle in my cell: the two murderers, those two tarted-up fat cows, were getting down and dirty/ got down and dirty /would get down and dirty without caring one bit that I was there or watching them/ without caring at all that I was present or if I watched.
Etc
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Note added at 25 mins (2008-03-27 14:30:01 GMT)
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"Very often I was witness to that grotesque spectacle in my cell: the two murderers, those two tarted-up fat cows, were getting down and dirty/ got down and dirty /would get down and dirty without caring one bit that I was there or watching them/ without caring at all that I was present or if I watched.
Etc
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Janine Libbey
1 hr
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Gracias y viva Madrid :)
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| agree |
Sandra Holt
: I have to say I like this option best.
1 hr
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Thanks very much :)
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| agree |
Sp-EnTranslator
1 hr
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Gracias CloHoHo! :)
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| agree |
BrettMN
: This is the best one
3 hrs
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Thanks Brett :)
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| agree |
Egmont
4 hrs
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Gracias AVRVM :)
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| agree |
Jesús Cordero-Salvado
: down and dirty, perfect!!
5 hrs
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Gracias Jesús :)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you to Kate and everyone else for their ideas!"
9 mins
margaret caulfield
Native in Spanish
&
English
Accurate, natural and very hard-working
Native in: English 
, Spanish
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish, French to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
22
happily offered themselves to the town hall (personnel)
I think this fits the picture
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Ruth Rubina
: in this context ayuntamiento is sexual intercourse
5 mins
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It may be the case, Ruth, although I've never heard this term used this way!
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+1
19 mins
Sandra Holt
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
RELIABLE AND EFFICIENT, NATIVE EN-GB.
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
.... tarted up/heavily made up fat women/cows quite happily had sex...
.... tarted up/heavily made up fat women/cows quite happily had sex, not bothered with my presence or if I was watching them.
If you feel that it needs a crude translation then it could be something like this.
http://www.wordreference.com/definicion/foca
foca
f. Nombre común de diversos mamíferos del orden de los pinnípedos, de aproximadamente 1 m de largo, con el cuerpo dotado de aletas y cubierto de pelo, que habita generalmente en los mares fríos.
col. desp. Persona muy gruesa:
con lo que come no me extraña que esté hecho una foca.
If you feel that it needs a crude translation then it could be something like this.
http://www.wordreference.com/definicion/foca
foca
f. Nombre común de diversos mamíferos del orden de los pinnípedos, de aproximadamente 1 m de largo, con el cuerpo dotado de aletas y cubierto de pelo, que habita generalmente en los mares fríos.
col. desp. Persona muy gruesa:
con lo que come no me extraña que esté hecho una foca.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
jude dabo
: fair enough
10 hrs
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Thanks Jude69, I know it's more on the cruder side but they are in prison.
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+2
28 mins
they abandoned themselves to their carnal desires
An option
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Sandra Holt
: I also like Maria's option too.
1 hr
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thanks Sandra
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| agree |
Sp-EnTranslator
: 'merrily abandoned themselves'... Good option.
1 hr
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thanks Claudia
|
11 mins
Ruth Rubina
United States
United States
Native in Spanish
&
English
United States
Accurate, confidential, reliable.
Native in: English (Variant: US) , Hebrew , Spanish
Works in: Hebrew to English, Spanish to English, English to Hebrew, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
The two murderers, those painty seals where getting involved happily with sexual intercourse without
?
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Note added at 15 mins (2008-03-27 14:20:34 GMT)
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were happily getting involved in sexual intercourse
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Note added at 1 hr (2008-03-27 15:46:06 GMT)
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A recent national survey based on the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health found that only 23% of older adolescents are involved in regular alcohol use, that 16% of older adolescents use marijuana on a regular basis, and just half of older adolescents ****had been involved in sexual intercourse. ****The numbers for younger adolescents were lower.
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Note added at 15 mins (2008-03-27 14:20:34 GMT)
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were happily getting involved in sexual intercourse
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Note added at 1 hr (2008-03-27 15:46:06 GMT)
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A recent national survey based on the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health found that only 23% of older adolescents are involved in regular alcohol use, that 16% of older adolescents use marijuana on a regular basis, and just half of older adolescents ****had been involved in sexual intercourse. ****The numbers for younger adolescents were lower.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Diane Kenyon
: not a pretty picture, but I agree that this is what it means here.
11 mins
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| disagree |
Kate Major Patience
: Sorry to disagree: I rarely do and less when I've answered too, but *where* is simply wrong (were) and I don't think you can say "get involved with sex" in this way. Sorry again.
54 mins
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I think you actually can say that. I posted a sample sentence from another site.(I also corrected the were)
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| neutral |
BrettMN
: Your sample sentence uses the preposition "in," not "with". Even that use is uncommon, but "involved with sexual intercourse" is not used. (I don't really know why, as "involved with drugs" is OK, but that's the way it is). Sorry!
3 hrs
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2 hrs
Nelida Kreer
Native in Spanish
English/Spanish/Eng Certified Translator
Native in: Spanish (Variants: Argentine, Latin American, Uruguayan)
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, Spanish, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
19
wantonly abandoned themselves to copulation/pairing off
"ayuntamiento" comes from "yunta" which is "pair", "couple". Yunta de bueyes, for instance.
I don't really think that the source text is being euphemistic, rather, it is calling a spade a spade, and the translator should do the same.
See DRAE's entry 5 below
ayuntamiento.
(De ayuntar).
1. m. Acción y efecto de ayuntar o ayuntarse.
2. m. Corporación compuesta de un alcalde y varios concejales para la administración de los intereses de un municipio.
3. m. casa consistorial.
4. m. junta (‖ reunión de personas para tratar algún asunto).
5. m. coito.
coito.
(Del lat. coĭtus).
1. m. Cópula sexual.
I don't really think that the source text is being euphemistic, rather, it is calling a spade a spade, and the translator should do the same.
See DRAE's entry 5 below
ayuntamiento.
(De ayuntar).
1. m. Acción y efecto de ayuntar o ayuntarse.
2. m. Corporación compuesta de un alcalde y varios concejales para la administración de los intereses de un municipio.
3. m. casa consistorial.
4. m. junta (‖ reunión de personas para tratar algún asunto).
5. m. coito.
coito.
(Del lat. coĭtus).
1. m. Cópula sexual.
Discussion
http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=ayu...
http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=ayu...