Thread: Most correct translation??

Hey guys!

I just need help with getting the most correct Spanish translation for the line:

"I know who I am, and who I may be, if I choose ..."

It is from Don Quixote, and this is like one of the more abridged English translations for like a whole paragraph! lol! ... It's just this particular phrase I'm needing a translation for.

So far I've been given

-Yo sé quién soy y de quién puede ser si elijo

-Sé quiénes soy y quiénes puedo ser si elijo

-Yo se quien soy, y quien puedo ser. Si elijo

-Yo sé quien soy y que yo pueda ser, si elijo

Urrgh so confused!! This is for a tattoo design so I need it to be perfect!

Thanks guys!

-Cat

yo se de quien soy yo y que yo pueda ser si escoga (accents not included)

hmmm all of the translators im using says that comes out as

"I was who am I and that I would be if you choose"

or should I be throwing the translators out the window??

I'm really sorry to doubt you but I'm just paranoid, lol.

ok so using several online translators:

"Sé quiénes soy y quiénes puedo ser… si elijo"

And

"Sé a quién soy, y a quién puedo ser … si elijo"

are coming out as the closest exact translations, what I'm wondering is why no one who ACTUALLY speaks Spanish is giving me any of these?? I do have a few friends who speak Spanish and they have all given me different translations and none have been close to the above two??

cheers for the help guys! I really appreciate it!

These are some options, Human translation.

It can be also expressed:

I know who I am and who I could be if I want to.
Se quien soy y quien podria llegar a ser, si quiero.

I know who I am and what I may become If I choose.
Se quien soy y lo que puedo llegar a ser, si lo elijo.

I know who I am and who I may become If I choose.
Se quien soy y quien puedo llegar a ser, si elijo.

I know who I am and who I may become If I choose.
Se quien soy y quien puedo llegar a ser, si elijo.

En la version original del Quijote dice: "Yo se quien soy y se que puedo ser..." pero tu version es correcta tambien.

Hope it helps! Saludos, Lady

Originally Posted by Naranja

yo se de quien soy yo y que yo pueda ser si escoga (accents not included)

No es de quien soy yo, ya que el de quien indica pertenencia a algo o a alguien.

Y la segunda parte no suena natural.

Saludos, Lady

I would go with the one you used in your first post:

"Yo se quien soy, y quien puedo ser, si elijo..."

However, I haven't read Don Qujote, so I'm not sure if that's correct or not, it depends on the context.
But ladyargentina gave you a good idea, you could look for the original version and see how they wrote it, not to copy it, but to understand what's the idea that they are trying to convey, you know?

Hope this helps!

Hey guys!

Thank you so much for all the help!

I have gone to the original text and the English translations of the paragragh I'm interested in comes out as:

"I know who I am," replied Don Quixote, "and I know that I may be not
only those I have named, but all the Twelve Peers of France and even all
the Nine Worthies, since my achievements surpass all that they have done
all together and each of them on his own account."

which ... would make for a huuge tattoo! haha! but some of the abridged versions i have found, as well as some scripts and some general breakdowns and analysis' of the text simplify it down to:

"I know who I am, and who I may be, if I choose"

but I'm loving

"I know who I am and who I may become If I choose."
(Se quien soy y quien puedo llegar a ser, si elijo.)

I guess I'm just a little nervous and paranoid lol! the last thing I want is to get this tattooed to me and have someone who actually speaks Spanish to laugh at it! ... and just you case you were wondering I'm choosing to have it written in Spanish because it's more authentic to the original text ... and yes cuz spanish writing just looks waaaay cooler!

I am not so hopeful. We'd have heard about it long before now.Plus, I would probably have had to pay for a computer upgrade.