May 10, 2005 23:05
19 yrs ago
7 viewers *
Spanish term
Trabajo de hormiga
Spanish to English
Other
Other
Informal language
Quisiera saber el equivalente de la frase castellana "trabajo de hormiga", que se refiere a un trabajo arduo y minucioso, justamente como el de las hormigas. También se dice "trabajo de presos", en un lenguaje más vulgar, refiriéndose a los trabajos desagradables y extenuantes a los que eran sometidos los presos antiguamente.
Muchas gracias.
Muchas gracias.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 | to beaver away the job |
CMJ_Trans (X)
|
| 4 +2 | bee's work |
Coral Getino
|
| 4 +1 | dirty work |
marybro
|
| 5 | painstaking job/ task |
David Hollywood
|
| 5 | Hard work |
ConstanzaG
|
| 5 | laborious or arduous or painstaking work..to work like a slave |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
|
| 4 | thorough work |
Mónica Belén Colacilli
|
| 4 | meticulous work |
Oso (X)
|
| 4 | strenous work |
Lisbeth Benavides
|
| 4 | Industrious |
Roberto Hall
|
| 4 | tireless and tedious work |
Bill Greendyk
|
| 4 | menial work/task |
Aisel
|
| 4 | grunt work |
Muriel Vasconcellos
|
Proposed translations
7 hrs
Selected
to beaver away the job
it's the sort of job where you have to beaver away at the details
There is no real equivalent in English. In French they use the same expression as in Spanish so it's obviously a Latin-language thing.
I prefer "beaver" to "bee" because of the notion of "beavering away" but it is not the exact equivalent you are looking for.
In context, you could perhaps call it a back-breaking job or a fiddling (little) job because it is something that requires a lot of time-consuming, painstaking effort
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Note added at 2005-05-11 06:51:56 (GMT)
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you would probably refer to this sort of job as : a thankless task
There is no real equivalent in English. In French they use the same expression as in Spanish so it's obviously a Latin-language thing.
I prefer "beaver" to "bee" because of the notion of "beavering away" but it is not the exact equivalent you are looking for.
In context, you could perhaps call it a back-breaking job or a fiddling (little) job because it is something that requires a lot of time-consuming, painstaking effort
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Note added at 2005-05-11 06:51:56 (GMT)
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you would probably refer to this sort of job as : a thankless task
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a lot for your answer!"
+1
3 mins
dirty work
Declined
dirty work
An unpleasant, distasteful, or thankless task or job. For example, Jane complained that she had to do all the dirty work while her colleagues took long vacations.
http://www.answers.com/dirty work
An unpleasant, distasteful, or thankless task or job. For example, Jane complained that she had to do all the dirty work while her colleagues took long vacations.
http://www.answers.com/dirty work
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Russell Gillis
: This gets across the idea of "undesirable". Another one I can think of (more colloquial) is "grunt work".
4 mins
|
|
yes, grunt work is a great idea
|
4 mins
Mónica Belén Colacilli
Argentina
Argentina
Native in Spanish
Argentina
20yrs exp. Specialized in Med/Pharma
Native in: Spanish (Variants: Argentine, Latin American)
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, Spanish
Related KudoZ points
:
4
thorough work
Declined
My suggestion. Hope it helps!
2 mins
David Hollywood
Native in English
worked for int. orgs (IMF, OAS, IDB)
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
186
painstaking job/ task
Declined
couple of options
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Note added at 3 mins (2005-05-10 23:09:12 GMT)
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can be \"painstaking work\" too
The painstaking work of compiling the six volume set,
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Note added at 5 mins (2005-05-10 23:11:11 GMT)
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definition of painstaking: conscientious: characterized by extreme care and great effort; \"conscientious application to the work at hand\"; \"painstaking research\"; \"scrupulous attention to details\"
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Note added at 3 mins (2005-05-10 23:09:12 GMT)
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can be \"painstaking work\" too
The painstaking work of compiling the six volume set,
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Note added at 5 mins (2005-05-10 23:11:11 GMT)
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definition of painstaking: conscientious: characterized by extreme care and great effort; \"conscientious application to the work at hand\"; \"painstaking research\"; \"scrupulous attention to details\"
6 mins
meticulous work
Declined
Otra idea para el trabajo arduo y minucioso, no tanto para el trabajo desagradable.
Buena suerte y saludos del Oso ¶:^)
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Note added at 2005-05-10 23:14:16 (GMT)
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me·tic·u·lous
adj.
1. Extremely careful and precise.
2. Extremely or excessively concerned with details.
[From Latin met¥culÿsus, timid, from metus, fear.]
me·tic\'u·los\'i·ty (-lo<breve>s\'i<breve>-tï) or me·tic\'u·lous·ness n.
me·tic\'u·lous·ly adv.
SYNONYMS meticulous, painstaking, careful, scrupulous, fastidious, punctilious. These adjectives mean showing or marked by attentiveness to all aspects or details. Meticulous and painstaking stress extreme care: “He had throughout been almost worryingly meticulous in his business formalities” (Arnold Bennett). Repairing the fine lace entailed slow and painstaking work. Careful suggests circumspection and solicitude: A careful examination of the gem showed it to be fake. Scrupulous suggests care prompted by conscience: “Cynthia was scrupulous in her efforts to give no trouble” (Winston Churchill). Fastidious implies concern, often excessive, for the requirements of taste: “Your true lover of literature is never fastidious” (Robert Southey). Punctilious specifically applies to minute details of conduct: “The more unpopular an opinion is, the more necessary is it that the holder should be somewhat punctilious in his observance of conventionalities generally” (Samuel Butler).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
Buena suerte y saludos del Oso ¶:^)
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Note added at 2005-05-10 23:14:16 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
me·tic·u·lous
adj.
1. Extremely careful and precise.
2. Extremely or excessively concerned with details.
[From Latin met¥culÿsus, timid, from metus, fear.]
me·tic\'u·los\'i·ty (-lo<breve>s\'i<breve>-tï) or me·tic\'u·lous·ness n.
me·tic\'u·lous·ly adv.
SYNONYMS meticulous, painstaking, careful, scrupulous, fastidious, punctilious. These adjectives mean showing or marked by attentiveness to all aspects or details. Meticulous and painstaking stress extreme care: “He had throughout been almost worryingly meticulous in his business formalities” (Arnold Bennett). Repairing the fine lace entailed slow and painstaking work. Careful suggests circumspection and solicitude: A careful examination of the gem showed it to be fake. Scrupulous suggests care prompted by conscience: “Cynthia was scrupulous in her efforts to give no trouble” (Winston Churchill). Fastidious implies concern, often excessive, for the requirements of taste: “Your true lover of literature is never fastidious” (Robert Southey). Punctilious specifically applies to minute details of conduct: “The more unpopular an opinion is, the more necessary is it that the holder should be somewhat punctilious in his observance of conventionalities generally” (Samuel Butler).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
9 mins
Lisbeth Benavides
Native in Spanish
&
English
Quality before Quantity
Native in: English 
, Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
strenous work
Declined
otra sugerencia!
11 mins
Hard work
Sé que es la opción más sencilla, pero creo que en este caso, también es lo más natural. Si uno piensa en trabajo de hormiga, es un trabajo que requiere esfuerzo y constancia y generalmente en inglés se utiliza la frase "hard work"
Hope it helps
Hope it helps
17 mins
Roberto Hall
Native in Spanish
&
English
Works in field
20 years exp.Marketing Insurance/Invest
Native in: English , Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Industrious
Otra sugerencia. Espero te ayude
2 mins
laborious or arduous or painstaking work..to work like a slave
Declined
the two levels...they are many expressions..these are some of them
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Note added at 3 mins (2005-05-10 23:09:15 GMT)
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you can also> to work like a busy bee....
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Note added at 22 mins (2005-05-10 23:27:52 GMT)
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A Busy Bee\'s work, personal life and social life take precedence over health.
If these people don\'t make time for health now, to paraphrase Lester ...
www.usaweekend.com/02_issues/ 020106/020106healthsmart.html - 24k - May 9, 2005 - Cached - Similar pages
short_stories
... But he was not just a busy bee. He was overwhelmed with work. He would rise
early from his nest in the morning, and get to the honeycomb before any of ...
www.tig-grr.com/liz/short_stories/ - 16k - Cached - Similar pages
Busy Bee Stationery - About Email Stationery Pick
... What better way to show how busy you are (writing email) than this stationery
featuring a truly busy bee. See full stationery preview ...
email.about.com/cs/topstationery/a/sp081901.htm - 30k - Cached - Similar pages
also: to work like a slave is un trabajo de condenado..you have to verbalize your translation to make it fit....
Hace un trabajo de condenado.
He works like a slave. See?
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2005-05-10 23:09:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
you can also> to work like a busy bee....
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2005-05-10 23:27:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
A Busy Bee\'s work, personal life and social life take precedence over health.
If these people don\'t make time for health now, to paraphrase Lester ...
www.usaweekend.com/02_issues/ 020106/020106healthsmart.html - 24k - May 9, 2005 - Cached - Similar pages
short_stories
... But he was not just a busy bee. He was overwhelmed with work. He would rise
early from his nest in the morning, and get to the honeycomb before any of ...
www.tig-grr.com/liz/short_stories/ - 16k - Cached - Similar pages
Busy Bee Stationery - About Email Stationery Pick
... What better way to show how busy you are (writing email) than this stationery
featuring a truly busy bee. See full stationery preview ...
email.about.com/cs/topstationery/a/sp081901.htm - 30k - Cached - Similar pages
also: to work like a slave is un trabajo de condenado..you have to verbalize your translation to make it fit....
Hace un trabajo de condenado.
He works like a slave. See?
1 hr
Bill Greendyk
United States
United States
Native in English
Works in field
United States
Literature and lyrics true to original!
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish, English
tireless and tedious work
This would be my take on it.
Cheers!
Bill
Cheers!
Bill
+2
2 hrs
Coral Getino
United States
United States
Native in Spanish
Specializes in field
United States
Spanish Language Solutions, Inc
Native in: Spanish (Variant: Standard-Spain)
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, Spanish, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
bee's work
blork blog: Habanero
... Doing a little ***bee's work*** with a Q-tip gets you a crop. Posted by: Alan | September 8, 2004 12:39 PM. "I hope my own aging will be as elegant." ...
blork.typepad.com/blorkblog/2004/09/habanero.html - 31k - Cached - Similar pages
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Queen Pedauque, by Anatole ...
... fables of the Greeks into the "Metamorphoses," I will do a ***bee's work*** and gather ... curious person shall read my memoirs he will easily recognise that a candid ...
library.beau.org/gutenberg/etext04/8qpdq10.txt - 101k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages
... Doing a little ***bee's work*** with a Q-tip gets you a crop. Posted by: Alan | September 8, 2004 12:39 PM. "I hope my own aging will be as elegant." ...
blork.typepad.com/blorkblog/2004/09/habanero.html - 31k - Cached - Similar pages
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Queen Pedauque, by Anatole ...
... fables of the Greeks into the "Metamorphoses," I will do a ***bee's work*** and gather ... curious person shall read my memoirs he will easily recognise that a candid ...
library.beau.org/gutenberg/etext04/8qpdq10.txt - 101k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages
3 hrs
menial work/task
an idiom
3 hrs
Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Each translation a gem!
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: Spanish to English, Portuguese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
67
grunt work
I think this is a close match, and it's certainly idiomatic. It refers to dull, repetitious work, often used in connection with repetitious tasks on the computer, but also in other contexts (see third example below).
... to access the database is always the same grunt work again and again. ...
c2.com/cgi/wiki?CodeGeneration
... generators allow the engineer to offload grunt-work so that they can concentrate ...
www.codegeneration.net/tiki-index. php?page=ModelsIntroduction
... This is the grunt work of personal faith and of spiritual community. ...
rockefeller.uchicago.edu/ Sermons/alison/042102sermon.htm
... to access the database is always the same grunt work again and again. ...
c2.com/cgi/wiki?CodeGeneration
... generators allow the engineer to offload grunt-work so that they can concentrate ...
www.codegeneration.net/tiki-index. php?page=ModelsIntroduction
... This is the grunt work of personal faith and of spiritual community. ...
rockefeller.uchicago.edu/ Sermons/alison/042102sermon.htm
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