Italian to English Translation help

[Mark Grant]

A few weeks ago I received an enquiry through my website 'contact us' form in Italian.

Using google translate I did eventually work out over a lengthy exchange of emails translated with google what the customer wanted to buy and arranged payment.

Never easy as googgle translate does not always get it right.
(it was a power cable with mains connector to work in Italy)

The package was delivered on Friday in Italy and a few hours later this email arrived:


MARK,
IL CAVO DI ALIMENTAZIONE MI E' STATO CONSEGNATO NEL POMERIGGIO.FUNZIONA MOLTO BENE.SUONO PIU' LIMPIDO E POTENTE.PROSSIMAMENTE ACQUISTERO' CAVI DI SEGNALE ED IL CAVO DEL SUBWOOFER.SALUTI. (I have taken the customers name out)


google translated version says this:

MARK
THE POWER CORD AND MI 'been consigned POMERIGGIO.FUNZIONA BENE.SUONO MUCH MORE' CLEAR AND POTENTE.PROSSIMAMENTE buy 'SIGNAL CABLES AND CABLE SUBWOOFER.SALUTI.

I am guessing 'clear and potente' is good, not sure what the rest actually says ? I can see he wants to buy signal cables and subwoofer, i can work that out, it is the POMERIGGIO etc I dont understand.

Any clues anyone ?

Thanks,

Mark.

[Stratmangler]

http://dictionary.reverso.net/italian-english/pomeriggio

[Marco]

Hi Mark,

Lol - you should've directed this at me when you received it - I am, after all, Italian! ;)

Though why the chap should think you'd understand Italian is somewhat of a mystery.... :scratch:

Anyway,


MARK,
IL CAVO DI ALIMENTAZIONE MI E' STATO CONSEGNATO NEL POMERIGGIO.FUNZIONA MOLTO BENE.SUONO PIU' LIMPIDO E POTENTE.PROSSIMAMENTE ACQUISTERO' CAVI DI SEGNALE ED IL CAVO DEL SUBWOOFER.SALUTI.


means:

"The power cord has been delivered this afternoon. It works really well. It sounds clearer and more 'powerful' [potente is difficult to translate directly]. Next I will buy some interconnect and subwoofer cables. Regards."

If you get anything like this again, just give me a shout! :cool:

Marco.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Potente - potent?
from Latin potēns able, from posse to be able

[Marco]

Hi Hamish,

Yes 'potent' is exactly the literal translation, but in English that's not a word normally used to describe the effect of a cable ;)

When you say 'potente' in Italian, when referring to audio, it carries a different meaning which doesn't translate well into English :)

Marco.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Hi Hamish,

Yes 'potent' is exactly the literal translation, but in English that's not a word normally used to describe the effect of a cable

but capable could be a word used in English. looking at the Latin word it's derived from you can see that although capable and potent arnt nessasarily synonyms they are from the same family. And since they are from the same family it's easier to understand the meaning of an italien word the comes from the same Latin word ... Ya get me?

[The Vinyl Adventure]

this sorta stuff should be in my bolderdash and piffle thread, which is ironic as balderdash and piffle was a tv program about the etymology of words

[Marco]

but capable could be a word used in English. looking at the Latin word it's derived from you can see that although capable and potent arnt nessasarily synonyms they are from the same family. And since they are from the same family it's easier to understand the meaning of an italien word the comes from the same Latin word ... Ya get me?

Totally :)

But I'd never use the word "potent", or necessarily "capable", when describing the sonic effect of cables. There are better and more useful adjectives. YMMV.

"Potente" works in Italian, though, in that context, because Italians derive a different meaning from it than we do.

Marco.