How to say "Earth's Building Blocks" in Spanish?
July 19, 2016 4:21 PM Subscribe
I'm helping to build an exhibit about common rock-forming minerals. The entire exhibit has been translated into Spanish by a professional translator, but one phrase was missed (wasn't sent). Can you give me a translation for the phrase "Earth's Building Blocks"?
It is the title on a card that goes on to say "Most of Earth's crust is composed from only a handful of different mineral groups. These common minerals are all silicates."
Location is in Oregon, USA, if dialect makes a difference. The reason I'm asking here rather than going back to the translator is that this needs to be finished up tonight!
It is the title on a card that goes on to say "Most of Earth's crust is composed from only a handful of different mineral groups. These common minerals are all silicates."
Location is in Oregon, USA, if dialect makes a difference. The reason I'm asking here rather than going back to the translator is that this needs to be finished up tonight!
I was also thinking the idiom doesn't exist. I might use fundamentales instead of esenciales though, to keep a little of the building-based imagery.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:57 PM on July 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:57 PM on July 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Someone has suggested 'cimientos de la tierra' as a possibility, translating to 'the foundation of the world/earth' as in a house's foundation. Does that make sense in this context?
posted by Secretariat at 5:03 PM on July 19, 2016
posted by Secretariat at 5:03 PM on July 19, 2016
unhappy face. lots of handwaving. "it's what supports earth, not what makes earth." i think that's a no. "fundamentales" was approved though.
(i apologise for this sad simulacrum of multi-culturalism, but deadline...)
posted by andrewcooke at 5:07 PM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
(i apologise for this sad simulacrum of multi-culturalism, but deadline...)
posted by andrewcooke at 5:07 PM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
One person here says "cimiento" is use more literally and "fundamento" more figuratively. There are also forum posts on questions about "building blocks," from which I'd take away "componentes fundamentales de La Tierra" also.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 5:17 PM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 5:17 PM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
I would say "Legos® de la tierra" and use a jpg of Legos but that's me.
posted by aniola at 6:15 PM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by aniola at 6:15 PM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yeah "Fundamentos de la Tierra" is nice. Shorter. Keeps some building imagery.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:05 PM on July 19, 2016
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:05 PM on July 19, 2016
Response by poster: Thank you, this is very helpful!
posted by Secretariat at 9:45 PM on July 19, 2016
posted by Secretariat at 9:45 PM on July 19, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
maybe? i'm sitting here with my (spanish speaking, chilean) partner and she's rejected my literal attempts with ladrillos and bloques de construcción - that phrase just doesn't exist in (chilean) spansh (according to her). so the above is the best we can think of - it's rather literal, though.
posted by andrewcooke at 4:50 PM on July 19, 2016