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Harinas serpentiníticas
realizar la cesión global de un activo
Sep 27, 2011 14:04
12 yrs ago
Spanish term

título + fecha (format in translation)

Spanish to English Art/Literary Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
My question is a general one. In my source text I have the original title of an artwork followed by the year it was executed in parentheses. Assuming I want to provide a translation of the original title in parentheses, what's the correct format:

Original Title (Translated title, 19XX)

or

Original Title (Translated title) (19XX)

I suppose the first option seems preferable to me, but is there a "rule" to be followed on this point?

TIA
Proposed translations (English)
5 Original Title (Translated title, 19XX)
4 Kumquats in Syrup [Quinotos en Almíbar]. 1947.
4 This is a decision made by the designer that also depends where the information appears

Discussion

Ross Andrew Parker (asker) Sep 29, 2011:
Thanks to everyone for your input and suggestions. The detailed points made by Charles in the discussion were particularly useful. It's one of those cases where it's hard to assign the points to one particular person. I guess I'll have to give them to the answer that proposes (or confirms) the format I actually ended up using in this particular case.
Ross Andrew Parker (asker) Sep 28, 2011:
Thanks for taking the time to give that very thourough answer, Charles. My text is something like an exhibition catalogue, so translated title + date in parentheses looks like the best option in this case.
Charles Davis Sep 27, 2011:
To clarify: if the text is a formal piece of academic research, the house style of the publisher or journal must be used, and this, by default, will tend to be MLA rules for the US (see Pablo Julián's answer) and MHRS (whose style guide is silent on this point) for the UK. Square brackets would certainly be appropriate in this context.
On the other hand, for books and essays of a less formally academic kind, or for exhibition catalogues, for example, putting the date after the translated title within the same parentheses is quite normal.
Of course this question only arises when both an original and a translated English title are given, and when translating from Spanish into English this will normally only happen with Spanish works, and not always then. Some titles, such as Las Meninas, will not be translated at all, by convention. When the Spanish source text refers to a non-Spanish work under a translated Spanish title (as often happens), it obviously makes no sense to retain this in the English version; just an English title will normally be sufficient. And of course if there is only one title it just goes in italic and the date follows in parentheses.
Charles Davis Sep 27, 2011:
@Ross The rule is whatever the client/editor says it is, but my default practice nowadays, unless they've told me otherwise, is Original title (Translated title, Date): i.e. as in your first example. If it's for someone I haven't worked with before I draw attention to this in a note. Some clients give you a style sheet; otherwise, where possible, I ask in advance and/or try to look at their previous publications. Jenni is absolutely right that often only the translated title is used. And I have also seen Pablo's style, using square brackets, quite often. It's best to clear this up with the client in advance if you can, because it's always risky leaving it up to them to change the presentation of titles to their desired style; deadlines are often short and things get missed.
Jenni Lukac (X) Sep 27, 2011:
In answer to your question, again it's a matter of style, but many of the art books and catalogues that I own use either the English title or the best known title (italicized) in the body of the text. For example, on page 465 of my copy of Janson's History of Art, only the English titles of works by Parmigiano are used, both in the text and reproduction captions. However, in the "New Painting" catalog mentioned in my entry below, only original titles are given in the body of the text and translations are provided in the captions of the illustrations. These are style sheet items that should be worked out with the writer, editor or publisher. In any case, once established, the same rule should applied throughout the document.
Ross Andrew Parker (asker) Sep 27, 2011:
Just to clarify, I'm interested in the best approach to use when this appears in the main body of the text (not in the foonotes or bibliography).
Silvina P. Sep 27, 2011:
Perdón, con Mercedes!!!! ;)
Silvina P. Sep 27, 2011:
estoy de acuerdo con Ross
Marta Moreno Lobera Sep 27, 2011:
@ Ross Yo diría la primera. Saludos. Marta.

Proposed translations

9 mins
Selected

Original Title (Translated title, 19XX)

The first option is the most correct.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, Magali!"
39 mins

Kumquats in Syrup [Quinotos en Almíbar]. 1947.

Kumquats in Syrup [Quinotos en Almíbar]. 1947.

See http://www.noodletools.com/helpdesk/kb/index.php?action=arti... for MLA (Modern Language Association) form. Art works are italicized, this is pretty standard form. The translation, in my view, should not be, and it should be in square brackets to set it off clearly as a translator's rendition of the title. The date should be separate from the title of the artwork. This is how I would approach it in bibliographical form. If it's within the text, I would change the period after the square brackets to a comma.

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Note added at 40 mins (2011-09-27 14:45:10 GMT)
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Sorry, I forgot to add: putting the year in parentheses, if this is an in-text citation, would be perfectly fine. I also meant to say that the date should absolutely be separate from the translated title of the artwork. Thanks!

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Note added at 42 mins (2011-09-27 14:47:04 GMT)
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If the artist gave the work an alternate title in another language, then in this case, for instance, I would render the title this way: Kumquats in Syrup/Quinotos en Almíbar - but this pretty clearly seems not to be the case with your query.
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1 hr

This is a decision made by the designer that also depends where the information appears

Just as an example, the format used in the exhibition catalog published by The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco for The New Painting Impressionism 1874-1886 varies within the same publication. Examples:

Pierre-Auguste Renoir
La Seine à Champrosay, 1876 - followed by:
Now known as Bords de Seine à Champrosay (title in italics) and the translation of the new title, Banks of the Seine at Champrosy, in parentheses.
However, on the facing page, the style shifts a bit:
Alfred Sisley
Scieurs de long, 1876
Pit Sawyers
The only information placed in parentheses here is the conversion of inches into metric measurement.

Another catalogue on my bookshelf from the Thyssen-Bornemisa Museum more or less follows the same form, however it is worth noting that it gives titles in Spanish followed by titles in English, both in italics (although the date is not in italics) and does not mention a German title for a work borrowed from the Städel Museum in Frankfurt:
ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER
La maravillosa historia de Peter Schlemihl, 1915
Peter Schlemihl's Wonderful Story

I won't go on and on, but I do suggest asking what the book designer prefers for book entries and what the museum or gallery owner or curator would prefer for wall labels.

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