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Word choices. Automatic translation.

by utopio_projekto, March 2, 2017

Messages: 4

Language: English

utopio_projekto (User's profile) March 2, 2017, 10:00:32 PM

When "water" refers to the ocean or sea:

> Do you see the sparkles on the water?

sparkles = sparkles of light.

Is Google's translation sparkles -> "brilantaj" correct?

Does it make sense to use the direct translation water -> akvo when referring to the surface of the ocean?

Vestitor (User's profile) March 4, 2017, 2:00:13 AM

If the water in question is a distinct body of water, then you refer to it by its name: the sea, a river, a lake. If you're talking about the water contained in one of those bodies, then it's just 'water'.

Sparkles is, to me, not usual English. To sparkle, with reference to liquids, really means to effervesce rather than reflections of light or a 'glint' or 'shimmer' or 'glisten'.

Poetically I would ask: Ĉu la lumo dancas sur la akvo?

tommjames (User's profile) March 10, 2017, 11:50:42 AM

Is Google's translation sparkles -> "brilantaj" correct?
"Brilantaj" is a plural adjective meaning "shining". I would use the verb "trembrili" here, so:

La akvo trembrilas
Ĉu vi vidas la trembrilojn sur la akvo

But there are other ways of putting it - Vestitor's "lumo dancas" is quite nice.

Mustelvulpo (User's profile) March 14, 2017, 8:17:21 PM

I like trembrili. Momentary flashes of light could be described as ekbriloj.

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