Help translate job titles for Italian exchange student
Apr 2nd, 2004 | 08:10 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 315
Likes: 0
Help translate job titles for Italian exchange student
My family will be hosting an 18 year old Italian foreign exchange student for 6 weeks this summer, and her family would like to know something about us, what we do for a living, etc. I am the chief investigator for a district attorney's office (state criminal prosecutors office), Something akin to "province" size jurisdiction, and my wife works in employee training/development at a federal prison. I remember having a great deal for trouble explaining what we did when asked in Italy a couple of summers ago. Are there similar job functions in Italy that we could use to describe our work?
Apr 3rd, 2004 | 01:16 PM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,721
Likes: 0
Here's they came out using an online translation program(http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/):
Your job:
"ricercatore principale per un ufficio dell'avvocato di distretto (ufficio criminale dei procuratori della condizione)"
Your wife's:
"addestramento e sviluppo degli impiegati ad una prigione federale."
I think it unlikely that an equivilant postition to your wife's even exists in Italy, so they may no understand what your are trying to say in any case!
Hopefully an Italian native will chime in with how to clarify and simplify these so that they'll make sense to your student's family.
Your job:
"ricercatore principale per un ufficio dell'avvocato di distretto (ufficio criminale dei procuratori della condizione)"
Your wife's:
"addestramento e sviluppo degli impiegati ad una prigione federale."
I think it unlikely that an equivilant postition to your wife's even exists in Italy, so they may no understand what your are trying to say in any case!
Hopefully an Italian native will chime in with how to clarify and simplify these so that they'll make sense to your student's family.
Apr 3rd, 2004 | 04:27 PM
#6
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Jim
Leslie is probably correct in saying that there is probably no equivalent position in Italy's prison system. I would also wager that a specific specialized position such as yours although not unheard of is not a distinct profession.
Although I am not a native speaker of Italian I can tell you right off that bablefish stinks. So until a native speaker comes along to tell you otherwise, an Italian would mostly likely understand what you do if you describe your position as:
Capo investigatore provinciale impiegato dalla procura regionale.
Your wife's position could be described as:
l'istruttatrice agli impiegati dun penitenziario federale.
It is usually best, however, to keep things simple particularly when you don't know the language that well. If you have a law degree it would be acceptable to say you are un'avvocato or if you have a Phd then dottore.
Maestra would do for your wife. Sooner or later your exchange student will figure it out, when he does would you please share with us what she says.
And a note to CafeBatavia...not all all crimes worthy of investigation in Italy are committed by the mafia. Your comment was specious and uncalled for regardless of your intent.
Leslie is probably correct in saying that there is probably no equivalent position in Italy's prison system. I would also wager that a specific specialized position such as yours although not unheard of is not a distinct profession.
Although I am not a native speaker of Italian I can tell you right off that bablefish stinks. So until a native speaker comes along to tell you otherwise, an Italian would mostly likely understand what you do if you describe your position as:
Capo investigatore provinciale impiegato dalla procura regionale.
Your wife's position could be described as:
l'istruttatrice agli impiegati dun penitenziario federale.
It is usually best, however, to keep things simple particularly when you don't know the language that well. If you have a law degree it would be acceptable to say you are un'avvocato or if you have a Phd then dottore.
Maestra would do for your wife. Sooner or later your exchange student will figure it out, when he does would you please share with us what she says.
And a note to CafeBatavia...not all all crimes worthy of investigation in Italy are committed by the mafia. Your comment was specious and uncalled for regardless of your intent.
Trending Topics
Apr 4th, 2004 | 04:06 PM
#8
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Jim,
You asked,
>Sicula, how did you pick your screen name? It caught my eye because my great grandfather came from Lucca Sicula, Sicily.<
I chose Sicula for a variety of reasons beginning with my great love for the history and culture of Sicily to the fact that my mom was born in Palermo and I grew up in a home dominated by le cose nostre siciliane.
The Siculi (Sikels) were one of the original settlers of Sicily in the late Bronze Age along with the Sicani (Sikans). It would have made more sense for me to choose Sicana because the Sicani are more likely identified with Western Sicily but I liked the sound of Sicula better. Besides feminine derivatives of other tribal names such as Ausoni, Morgetes or Elymians would not be as easily recoginized and I wanted a name that would reflect both my pride and my interest. Thus I have hoped to dispel the typical negative stereotypes that the word sicula/siculo sometimes conjures. I wonder what kind of response you would have gotten if you had said that your exchange student was German or Polish or Ad Infinitum.
Never mind.
You probably already know that Lucca Sicula where your great grandfather came from is a dot on the map, if that, on the coast near Agrigento. It a recent
development having been established in 1622 by Francesco Lucchesi. I am not sure why he did that.
Thanks for giving me an opportunity to chew on your ear.
You asked,
>Sicula, how did you pick your screen name? It caught my eye because my great grandfather came from Lucca Sicula, Sicily.<
I chose Sicula for a variety of reasons beginning with my great love for the history and culture of Sicily to the fact that my mom was born in Palermo and I grew up in a home dominated by le cose nostre siciliane.
The Siculi (Sikels) were one of the original settlers of Sicily in the late Bronze Age along with the Sicani (Sikans). It would have made more sense for me to choose Sicana because the Sicani are more likely identified with Western Sicily but I liked the sound of Sicula better. Besides feminine derivatives of other tribal names such as Ausoni, Morgetes or Elymians would not be as easily recoginized and I wanted a name that would reflect both my pride and my interest. Thus I have hoped to dispel the typical negative stereotypes that the word sicula/siculo sometimes conjures. I wonder what kind of response you would have gotten if you had said that your exchange student was German or Polish or Ad Infinitum.
Never mind.
You probably already know that Lucca Sicula where your great grandfather came from is a dot on the map, if that, on the coast near Agrigento. It a recent
development having been established in 1622 by Francesco Lucchesi. I am not sure why he did that. Thanks for giving me an opportunity to chew on your ear.
