Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

"segu�a con mis afanes"

English translation:

I carried on with what I was doing

Added to glossary by reubenius
Nov 29, 2005 07:09
18 yrs ago
Spanish term

"seguía con mis afanes"

Spanish to English Art/Literary Idioms / Maxims / Sayings use of word \
I can´t tell from this passage whether "afanes" means that the girl keeps unpacking, or that she keeps doing sthg else (worrying?). This is from a contemporary novel in which a 17-yr old girl is pregnant and has gone to stay at the house of her much-older lover until she gives birth. She has just arrived and he´s led her to what is to be her room.
CONTEXT
"Me acompañó a mi habitación. Dijo que al día siguiente me llevaría para escoger algún otro mueble que pudiese necesitar dado que mi estancia iba a ser larga....Sonrió recuperando por un instante su expresión habitual de persona sin demasiadas dudas. Sonreí incrédula de que aún en ese trance lo acompañara su obsesión. Continué ***con mis afanes*** mientras él se acercaba a la ventana y miraba al jardín, pensativo."

Discussion

Susana Galilea Nov 29, 2005:
How about "I focused on my task" -- vague enough?
ldillma (asker) Nov 29, 2005:
Hm. I think I agree with the concept (of busying herself), but in English we busy ourselves WITH SOMETHING, no? And she has just walked into the room and there�s no mention of what she might be doing (despite the use of "continu�"). Re: the comment below, she definitely IS worried, bec. she�s 17 and pregnant by a 40-something, the "sonrisa incr�dula" here is not a happy one - she can�t believe her lover is still obsessed by another woman (didn�t know how much detail I should go into in the orig. explanation, sorry if I caused confusion). Any ideas how to make it sound natural, and yet vague, in English - without expressing what she might be busying herself with?

Proposed translations

+2
59 mins
Spanish term (edited): seguia con mis afanes
Selected

I carried on with what I was doing

An alternative phrasing for you

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Note added at 1 hr 6 mins (2005-11-29 08:16:06 GMT)
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Just a 'thought' -she seems to be doing a lot of thinking. Couldn't you say something like 'I continued my train of thought'
Peer comment(s):

agree Christina Townsend : I like this option, it sounds authentic to me and flows well within the context
1 hr
thank you Christina.
agree Carmen Riadi
4 hrs
Thank you Carmen
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, everyone. I think the train of thought expresses it very well - cheers. xlisa"
+2
12 mins
Spanish term (edited): continu� con mis afanes

I continued to busy myself

así lo entiendo


... my office to talk to me. I only half listened as I continued to busy myself with things on my desk. It wasn't until halfway through ...
faithfulhope.com/readingroom/item.cfm?doc_id=403 - 9k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages
Peer comment(s):

agree ken1 : that's how I understand, too. says "sonreí.., incrédula.." so she is not "worried" at all.
9 mins
agree Lila Castillo : También estoy de acuerdo...
22 mins
Something went wrong...
1 hr

I continued to potter around...

Vague and yet she could be doing something or not much at all...

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Note added at 1 hr 16 mins (2005-11-29 08:25:30 GMT)
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potter around
v : move around aimlessly [syn: putter, potter, putter around]

another variant: "puttering"
put·ter 2 (ptr)
v. put·tered, put·ter·ing, put·ters
v.intr.
To occupy oneself in an aimless or ineffective manner.
v.tr.
To waste (time) in idling: puttered away the hours in the garden.

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