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-   -   Quick Italian translation, please (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/quick-italian-translation-please-612755/)

Vera May 3rd, 2006 01:36 PM

Quick Italian translation, please
 
We leave tomorrow, and I need to print up a card that says I cannot eat raw onions or scallions, but can eat them if they have been cooked a long time like in a soup or sauce.
So this is what Babel Fish gave me, and I want to check its accuracy:
Prego nessun cipolle grezze. Le cipolle o gli scallions mi rendono il malato a meno che siano state cucinate un molto tempo come dentro una minestra o una salsa.

Correct?
Grazie,
Vera

Vera May 3rd, 2006 02:00 PM

ttt

lhs624 May 3rd, 2006 02:09 PM

I don't know Vera..but if you get no response from her then I would ask your hotel once you get there to make sure the translation is correct.

Have a wonderful trip!

lhs624 May 3rd, 2006 02:10 PM

i meant "No response from here" not her.

Neopolitan May 3rd, 2006 02:14 PM

I'm no expert but from my past experience with Babel Fish translations, that probably is the proper way to ask if they will put you in a big pot and cook you into some onion soup.

bellastarr May 3rd, 2006 02:18 PM

I would change just one word in the Babel fish translation. Instead of grezze (which means raw, as in uncut, rough) I would use the word "crude" (Cipolle crude) which means raw, as in uncooked.

SeaUrchin May 3rd, 2006 02:19 PM

I have learned from experience (trying to find out if a soup or a dish had beef in it) not to get too detailed in my question or they will just say no to get the question ended.

I think just say I can't eat onions and leave it at that, if they don't speak enough English to converse about the cooking procedure, etc.


SeaUrchin May 3rd, 2006 02:20 PM

but really if what you order is cooked how could it have raw onions in it?

bellastarr May 3rd, 2006 02:23 PM

Good point S, but then Vera migth be ordering a salad which she wouldn't wan to contain onions, and a minestra which could have onionds or a pasta which might have onions in the sauce.

This is making me hungry, think I'll go have some dinner!

bellastarr May 3rd, 2006 02:24 PM

So sorry, Maybe after I eat my spelling will improve!!!

Vera May 3rd, 2006 02:33 PM

LOL about the pot of onions. That's why I asked. Don't trust Babel fish either.
Bellastarr:
So I've changed the first line to: "Non posso mangiare cipolle crudo."
Would it be clearer to say, "mi fare malato..." instead of "mi rendono il malato"?
I can't find "siano state" in my phrase book, and is "dentro" correct for saying "Like in a soup or sauce?"

I'm going to print this up so I can give it to a waiter and if necessary he can print it on a card. The reason I worded it this way is that sometimes people freak out and say, but we have onions in everything. For instance, how could I eat at a Mexican restaurant? So it is important to say if it has been cooked a long time it is okay.

Grazie ancora,

Vera

bellastarr May 3rd, 2006 02:46 PM

Vera, yes, it's better to say mi fanno than mi rendono.

Also if you use the adjective crudo/cruda
you should either la cipolla cruda (which is better- it means onions in general.)
or a more English literal translation: le cipolle crude (the plural form of the adjective to go with the plural noun).

I love the idea of sharing your note with your waiter so he can help you out. That will make it a fun experience, and I bet you'll end up with a perfect translation!

PS:
IMO, Babelfish can be be like asking a robot how to express "I love you"!.


Vera May 3rd, 2006 02:53 PM

Grazie Mille!

Vera

bellastarr May 3rd, 2006 02:58 PM

Scusi Vera-
either
Non posso mangiare della cipolla cruda
"Mi fa malata"

Or here another try:

Sono allergìca a la cipolla cruda. Mi fa malata.
Però posso mangiarla solo quando e cucinata molto bene, come in una salsa, o una minestra.

May this will help, and I pray you don't end in in the soup pot!!!!!

Have a lovely trip, and Mangia benissimo!


Vera May 3rd, 2006 03:21 PM

Bravissimo. Tutto va bene!

Ciao,

Vera

shirleyvonhaven May 3rd, 2006 03:27 PM

I have your problem! In English, I
say, Onions hate me (to the waiter)/
After I've ordered, my husband asks
if there are fresh onions involved
...and there are LOTS OF wonderful
Italian dishes that are. I'm planning
to have our hotel staff write a note
for me....although when my daughter and
I went to Belgium, I spoke with chefs
(they almost always spoke English)
and told them my problem. Good luck.

catama1 May 3rd, 2006 03:39 PM

Ciao Vera, my Italin is good after having lived in Florence for 13 yeras and married to an Italian. First of all it would be unusual to find Italians eating raw onions! They do however, esp. in Tuscany eat scallions raw dipped in olive oil called "pinzimonio".
So the other posters got it almost right.
I would say, "Per piacere, sono molto allergica alla cipolla cruda. Mi fa molto male. La posso mangiare solo se e' cotta bene. Grazie"
Buon Viaggio

catama1 May 3rd, 2006 03:42 PM

My Italian is good but my typing is terrible!

bellastarr May 3rd, 2006 03:47 PM

Thanks from me too catama1, I was hoping someone with real expertise would see this thread and jump in so I could learn something new!

SHADRACH May 3rd, 2006 04:08 PM

"Non posso mangiare della cipolla cruda perché mi fa male. La posso mangiare soltanto se è cucinata a lungo, come per esempio in una minestra oppure in un sugo."

eurotravlr May 3rd, 2006 05:53 PM

"I am allergìc to the raw onion. It does me sick. However I can eat it alone when and cooked a lot well, like in a sauce, or a soup"

Here's your English translation that bellastarr gave you.

Vera May 3rd, 2006 06:27 PM

Now I have a bouquet of suggestions. I am sure that everyone is trying to be helpful and I appreciate it. But it looks like I'll have to pick the likliest phrasing and then make penciled in corrections when I get to Italy. (Although I'm sure there are many ways to say the same thing.)
At least I know I was right to doubt Babel Fish as an authority.
Thanks again,
Vera

bellastarr May 4th, 2006 02:41 AM

lol euro traveler
yes, you can use the singlulasr for "onions in general" in Itlaian though not in English.
and the verb fare means to do or to make and has mulitple uses.
When you try to make literal translations from Italian into English, it does does sound rather silly, as in your translation. For example, the phrase "ti voglio bene" is literally "I want you well or (good)" in English, and it is used to express "I love you" in Italian.

Vera, if you don;t mind I think i'll print out use this thread in my class this weekend...hope that's OK.

In my class, when people disagree or stumble, we don't as a rule make fun of them, we use it as an opportunity for discussion and learning. In fact, the thing that provokes disagreement the most often is attempts at literal translation between Italian and English!

eurotravlr May 4th, 2006 04:07 AM

It really sounds silly and I know it happens a lot to other languages too. Thanks to Google!



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