Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
bocas superiores
English translation:
upper openings
Added to glossary by
Matt Valentine
Apr 16, 2015 23:40
9 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Spanish term
Norway
bocas superiores
Spanish to English
Art/Literary
Music
Musical instruments
Hi,
I'm translating a descriptions of musical instruments for an exhibition. The text is in Spanish and is to be translated into British English. The expression features in a description of a bongo drums. It is provided below to give you full context:
"El bongó es un instrumento membranófono conformado por un juego de dos cuerpos de madera ligeramente troncocónicos, uno más pequeño que el otro, unidos por un listón de madera. Sus bocas superiores (las de diámetro mayor) están cubiertas por cuero sin pelo que se tensa con un anillo de metal a través de llaves metálicas."
I'm not 100% sure of the phrase to use for this. Is "upper mouths" suitable or is there something better please? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I'm translating a descriptions of musical instruments for an exhibition. The text is in Spanish and is to be translated into British English. The expression features in a description of a bongo drums. It is provided below to give you full context:
"El bongó es un instrumento membranófono conformado por un juego de dos cuerpos de madera ligeramente troncocónicos, uno más pequeño que el otro, unidos por un listón de madera. Sus bocas superiores (las de diámetro mayor) están cubiertas por cuero sin pelo que se tensa con un anillo de metal a través de llaves metálicas."
I'm not 100% sure of the phrase to use for this. Is "upper mouths" suitable or is there something better please? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +3 | upper openings |
Charles Davis
|
| 3 | heads |
George Rabel
|
Proposed translations
+3
1 hr
Selected
upper openings
George is quite right that the playing surface of a drum is called the head, but strictly the head (consisting of the skin and a frame to hold it) is fitted onto the opening of the tube. You couldn't say "the heads (those with the larger diameter), because there is only one head on each tube. I think the word you want here is "opening":
"The conga drum was brought to Cuba by African slaves and was first constructed from a hollowed-out trunk with a hide membrane nailed onto the upper opening"
Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 9, 213
https://books.google.es/books?id=liV8AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA213&lpg=P...
"The upper opening was covered with a laced timpanum of sharkskin lashed to the lower end by means of cords through rectangular slots around the bottom rim of the drum"
Mervyn McLean, Weavers of Song: Polynesian Music and Dance, 56
https://books.google.es/books?id=GhEpKUITQUIC&pg=PA56&lpg=PA...
"The conga drum was brought to Cuba by African slaves and was first constructed from a hollowed-out trunk with a hide membrane nailed onto the upper opening"
Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 9, 213
https://books.google.es/books?id=liV8AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA213&lpg=P...
"The upper opening was covered with a laced timpanum of sharkskin lashed to the lower end by means of cords through rectangular slots around the bottom rim of the drum"
Mervyn McLean, Weavers of Song: Polynesian Music and Dance, 56
https://books.google.es/books?id=GhEpKUITQUIC&pg=PA56&lpg=PA...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
neilmac
6 hrs
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Cheers, Neil ;)
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| agree |
Joel Schaefer
6 hrs
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Thanks, Joel :)
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| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
1 day 8 hrs
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Many thanks :-) Have a good weekend!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, Charles!"
45 mins
George Rabel
Native in Spanish
TRANSLATIONS THAT READ LIKE ORIGINALS
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
36
heads
That's what the playing surface is called.
Discussion