I’m always looking for glossaries, dictionaries and other resources that can help working professionals. Thanks to a Venezuelan colleague, in her blog La Traducción al descubierto, I discovered Invertext.com -a dictionary that covers different business areas. It has around 100 terms in English and Spanish with definitions that are constantly updated. All are welcome to contribute. The dictionary is free.

The dictionary covers the following subjects:

• Banking
• Stock Markets
• Accounting
• Money and Currencies
• Corporate Banking
• Retail Banking
• Money-Laundering
• Retail Banking
• Money-Laundering

Readers interested in professional translation  services may find this website useful : Business Translation Spanish.

The Royal Spanish Academy and the Association of Spanish Language Academies present a New Grammar for Spanish Language. This is the first time the academy produces a grammar book since 1931.The two volumes, and a third one being published soon, is a result of eleven year of work from the twenty-two academies of Spanish Language. The new grammar books seeks to unify Spanish language. This is the first time the grammar at an academic level covers all varieties of Spanish Language.

As I promised here’s the last part of the glossary of Neutral Spanish terms, which I shared with you in previous posts.

quitar (take off, take out)
rabo (tail)
rasurar (shave)
refresco (soda,”coke”)
refrigerador (fridge)
renta (rent)
retrete, excusado (toilet)
rosquillas  (donuts)
sabroso (tasty, yummy)
sala (living-room)
salchicha  (hot dog)
sanitario (lavatory, w.c., bathroom)
sofá (couch, sofa)
sortija (ring)
sostén (bra)
sudar (sweat, perspirate)
sujeto (guy,chap)
tienda (store, shop)
tienda (de campaña) (tent)
tina (bathtub)
tocino (bacon)
tontería (silly thing)
traje de baño (swimsuit, bathing suit)
trasero, nalgas (butt, bottom, bum, buttocks)
trozo (piece, bit)
tubo, tubería (pipe, pipes)
velada (evening/night)

I’d like to remind you once more that this glossary was created mainly for subtitling and voice over. Although it’s a useful guide, some terms are debatable.

In the US, when a transcript contains a translation of conversations spoken in a foreign language, a qualified witness must authenticate and verify the translation. See United States v. Llinas, 603 F.2d 506, 509-10 (5th Cir. 1979).

A party who wishes to challenge the accuracy of a translation is responsible for presenting another translation. The jury may then choose which version to believe. United States v. Rosenthal, 793 F.2d 1214, 1238 (11th Cir. 1986) (citing Llinas, 603 F.2d at 509).

For more information, please visit:

http://www.leagle.com/unsecure/page.htm?shortname=infco20091124124

There are many variants in the Spanish language and one is not better than the other. In some fields, such the movie industry, it would be recommendable to reach some sort of agreement regarding the most common used words (all those in the Dictionary of the Spanish Language of the Royal Spanish Academy). That was the idea behind this Neutral Spanish Glossary.

This third part of the glossary (just one more left) is a continuation of my previous posts. Below are words from letter F to P.

falda (skirt)
fontanero  (plumber)
fregadero  (sink; kitchen)

fresa (strawberry)

frijol (bean)
gafas, lentes (glasses)
galleta (cracker, cookie)
gaveta (drawer)
golpiza (beating, thrashing)
goma de mascar (chewing/bubble gum)
grifo (faucet, tap)
guapo, apuesto (good-looking, handsome)
guisado (stew, casserole)
guisante (pea)
hornear (bake)
hule (rubber)
jalar (pull)
junta (meeting)
la semana entrante (next week)
lanzar (throw)
lavandería (laundry room)
letrero (sign, post)
litera (bunk = built-in bed)
lodo (mud)
lunático (crazy, mad)
mantequilla (butter)
marcharse/largarse    (go, leave)
matrícula    patente (license plate, license number)
mejilla (cheek)
melocotón (peach)
moteado (spotted)
mujerzuela (whore, prostitute)
niña, muchacha, joven (girl)
niño, muchacho, joven (boy)
obsequio    (gift, present)
ocurrir, suceder (happen, occur)
palabrotas (profanity)
paleta (lollipop)
panecillo (muffin, cupcake, bun, roll, etc.)
papel tapiz (wallpaper)
parque (square, park)
pastel (pie, cake)
patata (potato)
pequeño (small, little)
periódico    (paper, newspaper)
perro caliente (hot dog)
piña (pineapple)
piscina (swimming pool)
plátano (banana)
pluma (pen)
preparatoria (high school)
prisa (hurry)
prisión (prison, jail, gaol)

(To be continued, and ended, in the next post. Until next time.)