Mar 29, 2010 21:32
14 yrs ago
Hindi term
machoot sala oloo ka pahta chaar sau bees
Non-PRO
Hindi to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Biju is an Indian living illegally in the US, and dreaming of getting the green card one day:
After two weeks, Biju could walk with the aid of a stick. Two more weeks and the pain left him, but not, of course, the underlying green card problem. That continued to make him ill.
His papers, his papers. The green card, green card, the machoot sala oloo ka patha chaar sau bees green card that was not even green. It roosted heavily, clumsily, pinkishly on his brain day and night; he could think of nothing else, and he threw up sometimes, embracing the toilet...
can you please translate this line of - i guess - hindi expression?
After two weeks, Biju could walk with the aid of a stick. Two more weeks and the pain left him, but not, of course, the underlying green card problem. That continued to make him ill.
His papers, his papers. The green card, green card, the machoot sala oloo ka patha chaar sau bees green card that was not even green. It roosted heavily, clumsily, pinkishly on his brain day and night; he could think of nothing else, and he threw up sometimes, embracing the toilet...
can you please translate this line of - i guess - hindi expression?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | abusive language |
Shera Lyn Parpia
|
Proposed translations
+1
10 hrs
Shera Lyn Parpia
Italy
Italy
Native in English
Italy
translating meaning, not just words
Native in: English 
Works in: English to Italian, Italian to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Selected
abusive language
three swear words, rough equivalents, sorry they aren't sweet but the asker could not know this. And if yu see the actual meaning in teh dictionary, they mean nothing unless you have the cultural background
machoot - mother fucker
oloo ka pattha - SoB - son of a bitch (literally "owl baby"!)
char sau bees - fraudster thief (literally four hundred and twenty, refers to section 420 of the criminal code)
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Note added at 16 hrs (2010-03-30 13:44:58 GMT)
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As Prakaash says, sala means brother in law - it's also a term of abuse in it's own right, though I'm not sure why!
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Note added at 18 hrs (2010-03-30 15:42:35 GMT)
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see http://en.allexperts.com/q/Indian-Culture-2871/cursing.htm
where it says:
One of Hindi's worst insults is to call a man brother-in-law, because it insinuates that you have slept with his sister.
machoot - mother fucker
oloo ka pattha - SoB - son of a bitch (literally "owl baby"!)
char sau bees - fraudster thief (literally four hundred and twenty, refers to section 420 of the criminal code)
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Note added at 16 hrs (2010-03-30 13:44:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
As Prakaash says, sala means brother in law - it's also a term of abuse in it's own right, though I'm not sure why!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2010-03-30 15:42:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
see http://en.allexperts.com/q/Indian-Culture-2871/cursing.htm
where it says:
One of Hindi's worst insults is to call a man brother-in-law, because it insinuates that you have slept with his sister.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
PRAKASH SHARMA
: sala- wife's brother, conveying your sister is my wife.
2 hrs
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thanks, I left that bit out inadverdently!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "thanx a lot"
Discussion
this is from a novel by kiran desai, i've come across other hindi words too that appeared quite crude, and since i don't know the language, it's hard for me to appreciate how disagreeable it is
this is by no means to hurt anyone's feelings, i just need to know what she wants to say so i can translate it properly. i'd be grateful if you can help, thank you