Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

los matorrales de la vida

English translation:

(slither back) into the undergrowth

Added to glossary by Barbara Cochran, MFA
Jan 3, 2021 16:35
3 yrs ago
34 viewers *
Spanish term

los matorrales de la vida

Spanish to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature In An Autobiography
Contexto:

Soltó Marta la fotografía como si se sintiese picada por una víbora. ¿Qué había sido, en efecto, Isagani para ella, la misma Marta, sino una víbora inmunda, rastrera y traicionera que después de vomitar el veneno en la copa divina de su honra, se escurría de sus manos triunfadora, para esconderse entre los matorrales de la vida, en acecho de otras víctimas? Y qué había sido aquella Tinay inerme, sino otra víctima propiciatoria de la misma víbora?

Gracias,

Barbara
Change log

Jan 4, 2021 22:59: Barbara Cochran, MFA Created KOG entry

Jan 4, 2021 23:01: Barbara Cochran, MFA changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/123909">Barbara Cochran, MFA's</a> old entry - "los matorrales de la vida"" to ""(slip back into) the thickets""

Discussion

Barbara Cochran, MFA (asker) Jan 3, 2021:
Couldn't it mean something like "to lurk in the darkest corners on earth"?

Proposed translations

+6
1 hr
Selected

(slip back into) the thickets

I don't think you need to translate "de la vida" since it is clear that the whole passage is figurative.
Peer comment(s):

agree Arthur Pahl : Steinbeck is an excellent citation for this
5 mins
thanks!
agree Steven Huddleston
34 mins
thanks!
agree Lisa McCarthy : Another option could be 'slither away/back/off into the undergrowth".
1 hr
Your option is nice!
agree David Hollywood : with Lisa "slither back into the undergrowth" (life implicit)
11 hrs
Thanks on behalf of Lisa ;-)
agree Marian Vieyra : With David and Lisa re slithering and undergrowth.
16 hrs
agree neilmac : "Undergrowth" gets my vote as well, because of the evocative "under" component
1 day 16 hrs
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3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
1 hr

(lurking amid) the mangroves of life

It depends on the context - would this happen to be taking place in a tropical country?
If so "mangroves" is a better translation than "bush" or such like.
Mangroves are easy pleaces for predators to hide, including vipers. They are creepy, sinister places where you feel anything might pounce at you.
Steinbeck says of them:
"noone likes the magnroves" (Log from the Sea of Cortez
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