escambell

English translation: bumps and rocks as big as footstools!

20:32 Jun 12, 2009
Catalan to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Geography
Catalan term or phrase: escambell
This is a visitor waxing lyrical about the Camí Ral.

"....qui digué del Camí Ral que hi havia moltes berrugues i roques com escambells"

I am guessing by "warts" here he means protruberances. But the dictionary definition of escampbell as "stool" doesn't seem right to me in this context. Unless he was simply stating poetically that the road was full of huge bumps. Any thoughts folks? I've been at it all day and my brain is dead ;-)
Berni Armstrong
Spain
Local time: 20:05
English translation:bumps and rocks as big as footstools!
Explanation:
The fact that they say 'que obliga a fer un tros a peu, per tenir tanta berruga i roques com escambells' makes me think that's exactly what they mean. Big bumps and rocks as big as footstools, or something similar.

HTH


Sheila

Is this your text?

Del camí ral, el 1790 es diu que anava de Madrid a Barcelona, trobant-si la Font de la Reyna, en uns paratges abundants de molins paperers, i és alegre per les moltes hortes i aigua corrent. Aquest punt era considerat negre, pel pendent de Vallbona, ***que obliga a fer un tros a peu, per tenir tanta berruga i roques com escambells***. L'any 1866 s'elaborà un projecte de rehabilitació de l'antic traçat i un any desprès es demanà l'enllaç amb la carretera de Vilanova a Calaf.

http://www.santa-barbara.capellades.net/historia.htm


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 minutes (2009-06-12 20:49:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

This writer also uses some very poetic analogies:

Y luego de muntat al pescante lo Francesch, hem continuat lo camí casi ab las mateixas dificultats per sa desigualtat del terreno, ***ab tanta berruga com hi havia, y algunas rocas com uns escambells***, continuant en pasar per cerca de alguns molins paperers, hem pasat per la vora de un poble a la esquerra, nomenat La Pobla, del qual la iglésia és nova y ***lo campanar semblava un carabasó***, encara no del tot acabat en lo de sobre la cupuleta, faltant-li el panell, ni las campanas encara posadas, si que en lo altre campanat ochavat, algo més apartat, ab quatre palitroques (3) sobre, a modo de cucurulla, ab las campanas de horas y quarts.

http://www.xtec.es/~evicioso/anoia/10set1.htm

Maybe simply the shape of the rock is similar to a footstool, or they are the same size and you might trip over them etc. I'm really not sure.

Good luck! :)


Sheila

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Note added at 29 minutes (2009-06-12 21:01:41 GMT)
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Hi Berni,

Goodness knows how my Google found it :) I don't know how that happens. BTW, there appears to be a rock in Montsant called 'L'Escambell' - lovely photo here (although not much help for your translation). Better get back to mine now! Why is it that someone else's text always seems so much more interesting than your own?! :)

http://agnessetrill.blogspot.com/2009/03/foto-curiosa-del-mo...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 heures (2009-06-13 08:43:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here are some examples of the word 'berruga' being used in conjunction with rocks (in rock climbing to be precise). To be honest, I think it's used to describe any surface wth 'wart-like' lumps/protuberances on it (be it bark, a leaf, a rock, etc.). I imagine that the common denominator would be the shape of the raised lumps - i.e. rounded and wart-like rather than long, think raised parts.


Llarg 5 (V-): Sortint recte de la reunió, un parabolt, i ja saltem a la paret de la dreta (la berruga) on tenim un parell de parabolts més que ens porten al cim.

http://antxpavil.blogspot.com/2007/10/via-tintin-variant-arr...


3 llarg: Vº- Pujada evident per placa, just per l'esquerra de la berruga amb un pas més fi de Vº- i sortida cap a la dreta, per a muntar reunió damunt de la berruga.

http://esgarrapacrestes.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html


la berruga relliscosa...


Passat el temut flanqueig , la berruga relliscosa , ens barra el pas de la via. El nostre cap de corda , amb moviments lents, però efectius , guanya alçada i fa reunió. Ja hi som, en Jové surt com un llamp. Va cantussejant, s'enfila com un llangardaix, i ni pedra negra ,ni que punyetes.



http://sotoelevenineire.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html
Selected response from:

Sheila Hardie
Spain
Local time: 20:05
Grading comment
This is a case where we really should be able to divide the points. Both answers helped me a lot. In such cases, I always give priority to the first to answer. But, I'm sure I'll be awarding Ross points again soon ;-)

Thanks to both of you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4(protruding) rocks
Ross Andrew Parker
2bumps and rocks as big as footstools!
Sheila Hardie


  

Answers


8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
(protruding) rocks


Explanation:
It seems the word “escambell” is often used to refer to something that’s an appropriate size to step on in order to reach or climb up to something. Still “rocks as big as footstools” would sound rather odd to me. I’d say the trail was “full of protruding/exposed roots and (sizeable/big) rocks” or "exposed/gnarled roots and (protruding) rocks".


Considering this: 5 servir d'escambell (a algú) fig Ajudar a enlairar-lo,

I think the “berrugues” are the roots that stick out of the ground (see definition below).

Accepcions

es•cam•bell m. (pl. escambells)

1. tamboret.
2. Tamboret de poca alçada que serveix per a posar-hi els peus quan hom està assegut, o per a pujar-hi de peus.

[edita] Expressions

Servir d'escambell = Ajudar a enlairar-lo.

tamboret >
2 Escambell per a posar-hi els peus quan hom està assegut.

Part de fora tenia certa retiransa ab la casa de Margarida del Fausto. Una
finestra voltada de brins de campanetas atapahidas de fullas; al costat la porta y
dos grahonets forans per baixar al terrat; á dalt la xamaneya, ***petita com un
escambell*** que, ben segur, anava plena ab una pipada de fum de tabaco, sino
s'ennuagava.

l’herba fa dos pams, l’ovella no bela / madura és la maduixa al maduixar / servint-me
d’una pedra com d’escambell / ara he fustejat per distracció. /


luego de muntat al pescante lo Francesch, hem continuat lo camí casi ab las mateixas dificultats per sa desigualtat del terreno, ab tanta berruga com hi havia, y algunas rocas com uns escambells, continuant en pasar per cerca de alguns molins paperers, hem pasat per la vora de un poble a la esquerra, nomenat La Pobla, del qual la iglésia és

Doble Pensar: El cas Scala: Terrorisme d'Estat
- [ Translate this page ]
Quan l'octubre de 1977, els partits polítics amb representació parlamentaria, oblidant-se dels sindicats que havien utilitzat com a escambells per pujar, ...
doblepensament.blogspot.com/2009/03/el-cas-scala-terrorisme-destat.html –




berruga

[1371; del ll. verrūca, íd.]

f 1 BOT Protuberància a l'escorça d'un arbre, en una fulla, etc.


Ross Andrew Parker
Local time: 20:05
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Sheila Hardie: I'm not sure if they mean protruding roots by berrugues - I think the term is used to describe any protruding, rounded, 'wart-shaped' lump. But I could be totally wrong :)
3 hrs
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
bumps and rocks as big as footstools!


Explanation:
The fact that they say 'que obliga a fer un tros a peu, per tenir tanta berruga i roques com escambells' makes me think that's exactly what they mean. Big bumps and rocks as big as footstools, or something similar.

HTH


Sheila

Is this your text?

Del camí ral, el 1790 es diu que anava de Madrid a Barcelona, trobant-si la Font de la Reyna, en uns paratges abundants de molins paperers, i és alegre per les moltes hortes i aigua corrent. Aquest punt era considerat negre, pel pendent de Vallbona, ***que obliga a fer un tros a peu, per tenir tanta berruga i roques com escambells***. L'any 1866 s'elaborà un projecte de rehabilitació de l'antic traçat i un any desprès es demanà l'enllaç amb la carretera de Vilanova a Calaf.

http://www.santa-barbara.capellades.net/historia.htm


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 minutes (2009-06-12 20:49:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

This writer also uses some very poetic analogies:

Y luego de muntat al pescante lo Francesch, hem continuat lo camí casi ab las mateixas dificultats per sa desigualtat del terreno, ***ab tanta berruga com hi havia, y algunas rocas com uns escambells***, continuant en pasar per cerca de alguns molins paperers, hem pasat per la vora de un poble a la esquerra, nomenat La Pobla, del qual la iglésia és nova y ***lo campanar semblava un carabasó***, encara no del tot acabat en lo de sobre la cupuleta, faltant-li el panell, ni las campanas encara posadas, si que en lo altre campanat ochavat, algo més apartat, ab quatre palitroques (3) sobre, a modo de cucurulla, ab las campanas de horas y quarts.

http://www.xtec.es/~evicioso/anoia/10set1.htm

Maybe simply the shape of the rock is similar to a footstool, or they are the same size and you might trip over them etc. I'm really not sure.

Good luck! :)


Sheila

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 29 minutes (2009-06-12 21:01:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hi Berni,

Goodness knows how my Google found it :) I don't know how that happens. BTW, there appears to be a rock in Montsant called 'L'Escambell' - lovely photo here (although not much help for your translation). Better get back to mine now! Why is it that someone else's text always seems so much more interesting than your own?! :)

http://agnessetrill.blogspot.com/2009/03/foto-curiosa-del-mo...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 heures (2009-06-13 08:43:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here are some examples of the word 'berruga' being used in conjunction with rocks (in rock climbing to be precise). To be honest, I think it's used to describe any surface wth 'wart-like' lumps/protuberances on it (be it bark, a leaf, a rock, etc.). I imagine that the common denominator would be the shape of the raised lumps - i.e. rounded and wart-like rather than long, think raised parts.


Llarg 5 (V-): Sortint recte de la reunió, un parabolt, i ja saltem a la paret de la dreta (la berruga) on tenim un parell de parabolts més que ens porten al cim.

http://antxpavil.blogspot.com/2007/10/via-tintin-variant-arr...


3 llarg: Vº- Pujada evident per placa, just per l'esquerra de la berruga amb un pas més fi de Vº- i sortida cap a la dreta, per a muntar reunió damunt de la berruga.

http://esgarrapacrestes.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html


la berruga relliscosa...


Passat el temut flanqueig , la berruga relliscosa , ens barra el pas de la via. El nostre cap de corda , amb moviments lents, però efectius , guanya alçada i fa reunió. Ja hi som, en Jové surt com un llamp. Va cantussejant, s'enfila com un llangardaix, i ni pedra negra ,ni que punyetes.



http://sotoelevenineire.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html

Sheila Hardie
Spain
Local time: 20:05
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
This is a case where we really should be able to divide the points. Both answers helped me a lot. In such cases, I always give priority to the first to answer. But, I'm sure I'll be awarding Ross points again soon ;-)

Thanks to both of you!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Sheila. Google never took me to that text. (¿-?) That is not my text, but my author is obviously quoting from that. Thanks a lot! I think your option is sweet - but I'll wait the recommended 24 hours before awarding the points.

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