Thread: hello, need some help

Originally Posted by Pablohz

I'm translating a document and I got stuck with this:..... " I wish there was 24 hours in a day. Wuk hours, awake hours. Yew can keep y' sleep".... if someone knows something please let me know

I'll give this a try:


Ojalá que habia 24 horas en un dia. (Wuk=work) horas de trabajo, horas despierto. (Yew=you) puedas guardar (y'=your) su (el) sueño"

Yes, Pames! I agree with you!

Another --perhaps, more natural-- way of saying "Ojalá hubiera / hubiese 24 horas en un día" would be "Ojalá el día tuviera 24 horas de verdad/en realidad, sin contar las horas de sueño". The phrase "de verdad/en realidad" is not literally in the original text. However, as the person is emphasizing the issue of a 24-hour day (without sleeping), reference to this idea is made all the same. Therefore, I thought this phrase could convey the idea better. I also paraphrased "awake hours".

Hopefully, just an intervention to clarify the message...

Hi amigos

I can't argue with your Spanish!!

I'm not sure I agree with the interpretation though.

I read your version as "I wish the day actually had 24 hours without counting sleep hours" which means to me that you feel there are not enough hours in the day to do what you have to do but does not exclude the need or desire to sleep.

That's an excellent interpretation but this looks like a line from a poem to me, possibly entitled "I wish there was 24 hours in a Day". The words wuk, yew and the abbreviation y' are strange which suggests they are from a poem or antique writing and are deliberately written that way for a purpose so if you change "you can keep your sleep" you change the writer's message that sleep does not matter to him or that he doesn't want to sleep.

What do you think? How would you capture the meaning of "keep it!!" as in you can keep it, I don't want it.

Wow, Vicente! I am impressed with your analysis! And --actually-- it is valid! I haven't thought of that, of course...

It's true we didn't ask for the source of this extract (or more context), which would definitely help us with our "final" decision.

Then, Pame's option: "Puedes guardarte tu sueño" would be right for "keep it" in the sense you describe, Vicente. Also: "Puedes quedarte con tu sueño".

Perhaps, Pablo can tell us how he solved the issue with our interpretations...

Originally Posted by pames

How about las "las horas de sueño... ¡guárdatelas!"

Yes, Pame! You may also add exclamation marks for emphasis purposes

Originally Posted by Guadalupe

Wow, Vicente! I am impressed with your analysis! And --actually-- it is valid! I haven't thought of that, of course...

It's true we didn't ask for the source of this extract (or more context), which would definitely help us with our "final" decision.

Then, Pame's option: "Puedes guardarte tu sueño" would be right for "keep it" in the sense you describe, Vicente. Also: "Puedes quedarte con tu sueño".

Perhaps, Pablo can tell us how he solved the issue with our interpretations...

Thanks Guadalupe and pames...now I know how to say Keep it!!

I'm sure Pablo got what he wanted from your translations. I would also like for him to tell us more. What is the origen and context of the phrase? Is it from a poem or just somebody's poor English?