Выбрать из множества учителей по предмету английский...
Laura
Menos mal que ... in English
How would you translate this sentences in English?
1. MENOS MAL (in an ironic way)
a) Menos mal que no ibas a comer chocolate: You said to me you were not going to it chocolate any more but you did. Could it be: so much for you not eating chocolate?
b) Menos mal que iba a llover: The forecast said it was going to rain but it is sunny. Could it be: so much for the forecast it said it was going to rain?
2. MENOS MAL (in a serious way)
a) Menos mal que estás bien: You had a car accident but you were not injured. Could it be: thankfully you are fine.
b) Menos mal que no suspendiste el examen: You sit a text and you didn't failed it. Could it be: lucky you, that you didn't fail the test?
How would you use MENOS MAL in the examples above in a natural way?
22 нояб. 2015 г., 16:24
Ответы · 3
3
For (1) (irony), I really like your translation “so much for….” For number (2), your ideas are good, although I believe you may be over-thinking it — perhaps it would be more natural, and more in keeping with the everyday nature of “menos mal,” to simply say “it’s a good thing that….” This also preserves the grammatical structure of the Spanish, by using a subordinate clause instead of an adverb like “thankfully,” or an interjection like “lucky you.”
I believe there’s also a third possibility, between irony and seriousness, which I would translate as “It’s just as well….” You might also use this for a somewhat less ironic interpretation of “Menos mal que iba a llover” — “It’s just as well it didn’t rain.”
22 ноября 2015 г.
Все еще не нашли ответы?
Напишите свои вопросы, и пусть вам помогут носители языка!
Laura
Языковые навыки
каталонский, английский, испанский
Изучаемый язык
английский
Статьи, которые тебе могут быть интересны

Same Word, Different Meaning: American, British, and South African English
17 нравится · 14 Комментариев

How to Sound Confident in English (Even When You’re Nervous)
15 нравится · 12 Комментариев

Marketing Vocabulary and Phrases for Business English Learners
12 нравится · 6 Комментариев
Еще статьи
