[Person Man]

So, Defiance, Ohio has a fairly large population of Hispanics, many of whom who don't speak English (especially the elderly people). I have several of them in my medical practice, and they appreciate the fact that I can speak to them in Spanish and I can understand them and they understand me and they don't need to bring along a relative to translate for them.

I just got back from one of the nursing homes I visit monthly, and the director of marketing (who is Hispanic herself) decided to put up signs in Spanish underneath all the English signs in the building, since they recently had several Hispanics move in who don't understand English. I also happen to know she speaks Spanish fluently herself.

Evidently she didn't translate the signs herself, and they actually spent money on these signs:

1. Conference Room = Sala de reuniones. (huh? why not conferencias?)
2. Soiled Linen (Closet where dirty laundry goes) = Lino de soiled. ("Soiled" is apparently a Spanish word).
3. Staff Lounge = La microonda en el uso. (Funny thing is, there's no microwave in the staff lounge. I've been in there).
4. Copy Room (room where the photocopier is) = Copie el espacio. ("Copy the space." Brilliant).
5. Not an Exit = No Una Salida (Not broken per se, but I think this could be worded better).

I bet the director of marketing is regretting the decision to let someone else order the signs.

[Chuckit]

Sadly, even Babelfish could do better.

[- - e r i k - -]

Didn't I get Voodoo banned?

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

Didn't I get Voodoo banned?

Again?

[Chuckit]

No. Voodoo is not among the baninated.

BTW, for my Spanish-impaired edification, how should "Not an exit" be phrased?

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

No. Voodoo is not among the baninated.

BTW, for my Spanish-impaired edification, how should "Not an exit" be phrased?

"No una salida" is ok, but I keep thinking there's got to be something better. As I'm not a native speaker of Spanish, I can't think of anything else.

I can think of several things in Greek, but we're talking about broken Spanish, here.

[- - e r i k - -]

I see that his last holiday ended May 16

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

Didn't I get Voodoo banned?

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

No. Voodoo is not among the baninated.

No, he's only "sedated"

Originally Posted by reader50 

voodoo {sedated}

-t

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Sadly, even Babelfish could do better.

I’m almost entirely sure that is courtesy of BabelFish Translations, Inc.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

I’m almost entirely sure that is courtesy of BabelFish Translations, Inc.

I don't see how BabelFish could have taken "staff lounge" and come up with "the microwave in the use."

[Oisín]

Well, not direct Babelations. They took something that may or may not have been related to the English words on the signs, and put that through Babelfish. Lino de soiled can only be a Babelation; no human would do that.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

I’m almost entirely sure that is courtesy of BabelFish Translations, Inc.

That's what I thought, especially with "Lino de soiled," but Babelfish can actually translate "Conference Room" correctly. So it seems like even if it was used, Babelfish must have been fed pre-screwed-up sentences.

[angelmb]

Conference Room - "Sala de Reuniones", "Sala de Conferencias"

The real purpose of the room would give you the right term. 'Sala de Reuniones' would be aimed to the internal facility staff, while 'Sala de Conferencias' would imply that conferences & congress are given there to any e.g. medical staff wishing to attend no matter if they work in your hospital or not.


Soiled Linen - "Ropa de Oficio"

I am not 100% sure about this one, I have asked to a neighbor which is a doctor. Thing is there is a jargon medical term to mean that, but I am only 75% sure about it being Ropa de Oficio

You don't need to go with 'cuarto de ropa blanca sucia' or 'armario' instead of cuarto if the place is kind of small, a proper closet that is…


Staff Lounge - "Sala de Juntas"

As for Conference Room it depends on the real purpose of the room. Are we talking about doctors discussing diagnoses?, or taking a break and a coffee privately?? 'Sala de Reuniones' and 'Sala de Juntas' are kind of the same thing but 'Sala de Juntas' would be aimed only to the people in charge of the facility, directors and so…


Copy Room - "Fotocopiadora"

Are we talking about a xerox machine?, then you wouldn't need more than that. Avoid 'Sala de la Fotocopiadora', that's a given.


Not an Exist - "Sin salida"

That is it.

Originally Posted by Person Man 

1. Conference Room = Sala de reuniones. (huh? why not conferencias?)
2. Soiled Linen (Closet where dirty laundry goes) = Lino de soiled. ("Soiled" is apparently a Spanish word).
3. Staff Lounge = La microonda en el uso. (Funny thing is, there's no microwave in the staff lounge. I've been in there).
4. Copy Room (room where the photocopier is) = Copie el espacio. ("Copy the space." Brilliant).
5. Not an Exit = No Una Salida (Not broken per se, but I think this could be worded better).

I bet the director of marketing is regretting the decision to let someone else order the signs.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by angelmb 

Conference Room - "Sala de Reuniones", "Sala de Conferencias"

The real purpose of the room would give you the right term. 'Sala de Reuniones' would be aimed to the internal facility staff, while 'Sala de Conferencias' would imply that conferences & congress are given there to any e.g. medical staff wishing to attend no matter if they work in your hospital or not.

Given what you say here, "Sala de Conferencias" sounds like the best term. They use it to hold conferences with family members of the residents to give them updates on their medical care and progress.

Soiled Linen - "Ropa de Oficio"

I am not 100% sure about this one, I have asked to a neighbor which is a doctor. Thing is there is a jargon medical term to mean that, but I am only 75% sure about it being Ropa de Oficio

You don't need to go with 'cuarto de ropa blanca sucia' or 'armario' instead of cuarto if the place is kind of small, a proper closet that is…

How about just "Ropa Sucia." Simply "Dirty Clothes."

Staff Lounge - "Sala de Juntas"

As for Conference Room it depends on the real purpose of the room. Are we talking about doctors discussing diagnoses?, or taking a break and a coffee privately?? 'Sala de Reuniones' and 'Sala de Juntas' are kind of the same thing but 'Sala de Juntas' would be aimed only to the people in charge of the facility, directors and so…

The staff lounge is where the nurses and other caregivers that work there go to take their breaks.

Copy Room - "Fotocopiadora"

Are we talking about a xerox machine?, then you wouldn't need more than that. Avoid 'Sala de la Fotocopiadora', that's a given.

Yes, agreed. In fact, that's what I recommended for that one.

Not an Exist - "Sin salida"

Much better sounding.

That is it.

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by Person Man 

How about just "Ropa Sucia." Simply "Dirty Clothes."

Simple and effective. No problem at all. It is just that over here people likes to use the jargon since that makes them look more capable LOL, but I don't think you would even have a standardized -so to speak- spanish term to refer to the dirty clothes, I can't imagine a third party employee asking about where the hell is ropa de oficio's closet located. So yes, 'Ropa Sucia' is going to be more 'user friendly'

The staff lounge is where the nurses and other caregivers that work there go to take their breaks.

Then 'Sala de Reuniones' and 'Sala de Juntas' are NOT OK.
'Sala de descanso para el personal' o simply 'Sala del Personal' would be accurate.

As opposed to 'Sala de Espera' aimed to family members of the residents (waiting room).

[voodoo]

angelmb is of course the resident Spanish expert, being a 100% native

[angelmb]

In all honest cenutrio would give a better advice but he is missing, hopefully due to his entrepreneurial adventure.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

angelmb is of course the resident Spanish expert, being a 100% native

And you're not?

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by angelmb 

Then 'Sala de Reuniones' and 'Sala de Juntas' are NOT OK.
'Sala de descanso para el personal' o simply 'Sala del Personal' would be accurate.

As opposed to 'Sala de Espera' aimed to family members of the residents (waiting room).

Sala del Personal it is, then.

How about medical records? They are using "Historiales médicos," but I don't think historiales is the right word either.

Dining room they have as comedor, which is fine, and Unit Manager is director de unidad which I think is also ok.

I love the "copie el espacio" one... copy room. The computer translation they used took copy as a verb instead of a noun.

On a side note, I work at a place called "Defiance Clinic." (Defiance being the name of the town I live in). When I use OS X's translation widget to go from English to Spanish back to English I get:

Defiance Clinic --> clínica del desafio --> clinic of the challenge.

With Greek I get:

Defiance Clinic --> Κλινική περιφρόνησης --> Clinic of Scorn. I really like that. I work at the Clinic of Scorn.

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by Person Man 

And you're not?

I am also with fever and not very coherent at the moment

fever aside, maybe I can suggest "medical records" = "historia clínica"

sounds somehow ok to me

[Oisín]

The term I most commonly see for a medical record is expediente médico (in my line of work, usually to go along with a more relevant informe médico, a clinical update).

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by Person Man 

How about medical records? They are using "Historiales médicos," but I don't think historiales is the right word either.

'Historiales médicos' is the right word. While 'expediente médico' could be also an option actually 'expediente' carries legal connotations so I wouldn't use it.

Dining room they have as comedor, which is fine, and Unit Manager is director de unidad which I think is also ok.

Yes, both are right.

On a side note, I work at a place called "Defiance Clinic." (Defiance being the name of the town I live in). When I use OS X's translation widget to go from English to Spanish back to English I get:

Defiance Clinic --> clínica del desafio --> clinic of the challenge.

You could always use spanglish… you can't go wrong with it -j.k.-

[angelmb]

fever aside, maybe I can suggest "medical records" = "historia clínica"

I missed that post, indeed, "Historia clínica" it is by law the accurate term. Technically, a family doctor is supposed to call it 'Historia de Salud' but in all honest everyone uses 'historial' so you don't have to deal with clínica or salud…

[cenutrio]

From a Spain (spanish) point of view, I see no trouble with the translations here suggested. And from my limited experience with friends from Mexico, Colombia or Argentina, I can guess that they would follow 100%.

Basically, you nailed it just fine.

All the best