Short version: These are English translations of Bunsen, a web comic by the Mexican artist/author Jorge Pinto. The long version starts here:
The best way to learn a language is by paying close attention to it. I read or listen to Spanish every day. Eventually I will wake up and be able to do things like provide directions to Union Station without unconjugated verbs, wrong-gender nouns, and wide arm gestures to mean “walk straight, then turn at the corner.”
So my language study usually means
- reading Reflejos, the local bilingual newspaper (“La Voz de los Latinos Suburbanos”)
- watching telenovelas (which generally seem bizarre to me, but then so do soap operas in English)
- flipping through a Spanish-English dictionary when I lie awake some nights, trying to fall asleep
- and relying on Google Translator tools to read Spanish news sites (the translation is rough, but gives the gist.)
But out of all these exercises, the most fun, most valuable and most interesting is following Spanish speakers on Twitter. That’s where I encountered Dr. Adel Ortega of the comic Bunsen. It is is no work at all to pay attention to Bunsen, it is just plain addictive. It is sooo cute! Especially the monkey.
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- Dr. Adel Ortega
A few days ago, as I checked a dictionary for a Bunsen word [the touristy phrase me despierto llorando, actually #178], I realized that I could learn a lot by trying to translate each comic into English – and maybe some people out there would be interested in reading the translations of Bunsen, if they don’t already read Spanish.
So I’m going to give it a try! But there are three comic strips a week– Even I’m wondering how long I’ll keep it up. This blog is guaranteed to lag behind the publication of the original Bunsen…because I’m both hyper-busy and pretty lazy when I am off duty. So I hope you will help me out by offering your translation of each episode. There’s a 90% chance I will botch the translation so feel free to jump in with clarifications of nuance, explanations of slang, or to say “Hey idiot, the character said escuela is not esquela.”
I may be functionally illiterate in Spanish now, but if I keep reading Bunsen and absorbing more Spanish words and grammar, SOMEDAY, God willing, I will be able to translate Mark Trail from English to Spanish.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! Yep, telenovelas are indeed bizarre. Even so, I used to watch a lot of them when I was a little kid (and not so little). Your way to learn Spanish is so cool that I might do the same to improve my English. Supposedly I should have finished translating a Ruby Programming Language for newbies but… oh well, whatever.
Have fun!
Hi, I just want to offer any help to you and your translations. I’m a mexican fan of bunsen (and well, if you need anyday some help with spanish, feel free to email me, also if you want i could send you the transcriptions of all the bunsen comics,)
I have all the hi resolution strips so maybe we could usethem to edit them and translate them, they are on a creative common licence, and also I could talk with Jorge Pinto about that.
Any way. good luck with your spanish.
Thanks. It has been fun. I *seem* to be learning something every day. There’s nothing wrong with books and classrooms — in fact it might help me from developing some terrible habits, such as making up words without realizing it. But lately I feel too old or too restless to go to a class. Maybe in time I’ll be ready.
Your English is excellent! Whatever got you to this point, it worked!
Thank you, Yair Lira. Yes, suggestions for alternative translations are always welcome, and let’s face it– usually necessary. I will be working at this pretty casually for the sake of learning a little more Spanish every day. Right now it’s a puzzle to figure out, however awkwardly. Jorge Pinto is very gracious to allow me to post English versions of here- hopefully allowing some of my friends or coworkers up here in Chicago to love Bunsen too. I guess if I do an atrocious job he might ask me to stop, but so far, so good.
I think it’s a great idea what are you doing with bunsen. I also offer my help. I’m a mexican Bunsen’s fan. So anytime you be doubtful about some meaning or word I can help you.