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Este vertedero se localiza potencialmente aguas arriba de la parcela a vender.
Una lesión en TAC compatible con IFI en un estadio superior al del halo
This question was closed without grading. Reason: No acceptable answer
Jun 4, 2008 09:02
15 yrs ago
Spanish term

tus ojos se deben alimentar del azufre del infierno

Spanish to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
The protagonist has had a long journey and finally reaches her friend's house. Peering through a window, she spots him sitting in a chair, watching her and laughing, instead of leaping up to greet her. It's all good-natured teasing. She then calls him "Maldito zorro viejo" and says "tus ojos se deben alimentar del azufre del infierno."

I should point out that this guy has weird-looking, yellow eyes like a cat and much is made of this elsewhere in the text. He has the kind of eyes that penerate right into you when he looks at you and they freak some people out. However, I think that at this point in the text she is just having a gentle go at him for not rushing to greet her straight away.

I thought a possible translation would be "Damn your eyes!" but it seems too brief and also a bit old-fashioned. Is this an insult anyone has ever heard before or is she playing on the fact that her friend has strange-looking eyes, I wonder?

Thank you!
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 your eyes are lit by the fires of hell
4 Your eyes must take sustenance from the brimstone of Hell!
4 Sulphur-lit eyes from Hell!
4 Hell must be missing its fire/sulphur for it's all there/reflected in your eyes
4 the flames in your eyes surely feed from the sulphur of Hell
4 the fire in your eyes must be from the flames of hell
4 your eyes are like Evil´s balls of fire
3 damn your eyes' yellow flames to hell
3 a few ideas (brainstorming!) below

Discussion

Marcelo González Jun 5, 2008:
I`ve just your suggestion and wonder what you think in terms of register (and the importance of retaining the level of formality of the source text)? Also, when and where does the story take place?
Claudia Vale (asker) Jun 5, 2008:
Thank you all I've had some really interesting suggestions but as it's casual speech, I've come up with a slightly more mundane translation which, while it may not be as close to the original or, indeed as colourful, expresses the idea of good-natured teasing (I hope!):
“What the hell are you looking at with your yellow eyes, you rotten old devil?!”
I really appreciated all your help, though. :)

Proposed translations

16 mins

damn your eyes' yellow flames to hell

Just an idea. It does sound old fashiones, but so does the source in Spanish (try insulting anyone that way --they'll probably laugh their pants off.
I googled up ojos+alimentar+"azufre del infierno" (see the link below) and the only place this exact phrase come up is your question, so I don't think it ever was an idiom or popular saying.

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Note added at 17 mins (2008-06-04 09:19:24 GMT)
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Sorry for the typos...
Example sentence:

damn your eyes' yellow flames to hell

Reference:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=es&lr=&q=ojos+alimentar+azufre.del.infierno&start=10&sa=N

Note from asker:
Thanks Gabriel. Good point about sulphur being yellow, which is the same colour as the friend's eyes. You're right though, you couldn't actually say that to someone!
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50 mins

a few ideas (brainstorming!) below

I agree that it sounds old-fashioned, and perhaps this should be retained?

A few possibilities, none of them literal translations, and some a bit odd - like the ST. And it depends how humerous you want to be:

Go take an eyebath in hell's sulphur, Yellow Eyes!

Go to hell, Sulphur Eyes!

To hell with you!

Go to hell - your eyes could do with a sulphur top-up!

______


No doubt more to follow after topping up the caffein levels!
Just for fun, a few g-hits for "hell's sulphur". I like the Bush one!:

PUBLIC RADIO & TV STATIONS IN UTAH: JIM MATHESON APPROVES COLOMBIA ...5 Mar 2008 ... Recall that in his address to the U.N., Chavez called Bush "Satan" and said that Bush reeked of hell's sulphur. Ever since then, Bush has ...
utahpublicstations.blogspot.com/2008/03/jim-matheson-approves-colombia-sending.html - 76k - Cached - Similar pages

The Edinburgh literary journal; or, Weekly ... - Google Books Result1829
... It can sweep the heart of its high-wrought feelings ; The hate, that roll'd like Hell's sulphur tide, The love that blazed, a celestial name, ...
books.google.co.uk/books?id=404FAAAAQAAJ...

22 Nov History: This Date"Of all the ills that men suffer, none is worse than Hell's sulphur." "Of all the ills that men endure, none is worse than those which women endure.” ...
www.safran-arts.com/42day/history/h4nov/h4nov22.html - 124k - Cached - Similar pages

New look helps make Rugby SpecialIn fact, it was a far from cosy grilling, filmed apparently by the light of hell's sulphur and with the camera in tight on Woodward's face while Eddie ...
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2002/03/10/... - 40k - Cached - Similar pages

The Edinburgh literary journal; or, Weekly ... - Google Books Result1829
... It «in rob tue soul of its bright revealing« ; The !,..!,', that roll'd like Hell's sulphur tide, May to a stagnant pool subside ; The love that blazed, ...
books.google.co.uk/books?id=MlUFAAAAQAAJ...


Note from asker:
Wow! Lots of ideas there, Carol. Some of them really made me laugh out loud! Thank you. ;o)
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58 mins

Your eyes must take sustenance from the brimstone of Hell!

Stilted, I know.
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2 hrs

Sulphur-lit eyes from Hell!

yet another variation!
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+2
2 hrs

your eyes are lit by the fires of hell

I may use this on someone I know...:)

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Note added at 4 hrs (2008-06-04 13:29:49 GMT)
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No, not a friend :). Just an annoying neighbour...
Note from asker:
Not a good friend, I hope?! Thanks Juliana.
Peer comment(s):
agree Cassandra Neace (X)
51 mins
thanks Cassandra
agree Egmont
8 hrs
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5 hrs

Hell must be missing its fire/sulphur for it's all there/reflected in your eyes

sugg
Note from asker:
Lydia, I really like your translation. It's good enough to be a lyric from a song! However, I think it may be a little too poetic for spoken banter. Thanks anyway. :)
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9 hrs

the flames in your eyes surely feed from the sulphur of Hell

Another possible wording......
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9 hrs

the fire in your eyes must be from the flames of hell

Something like this might work just fine.


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Note added at 9 hrs (2008-06-04 18:43:08 GMT)
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Another (very similar) option might be "...must be the (very) flames of hell" :-)

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Note added at 9 hrs (2008-06-04 18:53:03 GMT)
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Since his eyes are "yellow," it might be a good idea to include this in the translation, e.g., "must be (from) the yellow flames of hell"

Resultados 11 - 20 de aproximadamente 86,600 de "yellow flames". (0.09 segundos) http://www.google.com.mx/search?hl=es&q="yellow flames"&star...
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16 hrs

your eyes are like Evil´s balls of fire

another poetical way!
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