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English translation: ravines in an east-west orientation (or axis)

19:26 May 17, 2006
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Geography / water source from mountains
Spanish term or phrase: quebradas de eje
Text about the Punta Negra salt basin - Chile.

Estos dos macizos captan aguas lluvias y nieves que escurren algunos kilómetros superficialmente por *quebradas de eje* este-oeste para gradualmente infiltrarse y alimentar subterráneamente la base de equilibrio de la cuenca que comprende al Salar de Punta Negra.

Is there such a thing in geography as a 'shaft gulley?' I think not...
What is a correct English term for this? Many thanks in advance.
skport
Brazil
Local time: 07:48
English translation:ravines in an east-west orientation (or axis)
Explanation:
I think it reads quebradas (de eje este-oeste) and not (quebradas de eje) este-oeste
Selected response from:

Kathryn Litherland
United States
Local time: 06:48
Grading comment
Thanks to all three answerers - it was difficult to select one because in the end I decided to use 'gorges running from east to west', which is a mixture of all three answers. Thanks for pointing out that I had misunderstood where the emphasis in the sentence was - that made the meaning clear.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3ravines in an east-west orientation (or axis)
Kathryn Litherland
5(east-west) gorges
Henry Hinds
4gulleys/washes running from east to west
Muriel Vasconcellos


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
ravines in an east-west orientation (or axis)


Explanation:
I think it reads quebradas (de eje este-oeste) and not (quebradas de eje) este-oeste

Kathryn Litherland
United States
Local time: 06:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks to all three answerers - it was difficult to select one because in the end I decided to use 'gorges running from east to west', which is a mixture of all three answers. Thanks for pointing out that I had misunderstood where the emphasis in the sentence was - that made the meaning clear.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rachel Fell
15 mins
agree  Mariela Malanij: agree with your interpretation.
30 mins
agree  Daniel Burns (X)
54 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
(east-west) gorges


Explanation:
lluvias y nieves que escurren algunos kilómetros superficialmente por quebradas de eje este-oeste = rain and snow that flow a few kilometers on the surface down east-west gorges

"Eje" has just been eliminated. In northern Chile the valleys or gorges (very narrow) are all transverse, flowing from the Andes down to the Pacific (east to west). The water eventually disappears underground and may occasionally surface at an oasis here and there.

Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 04:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 39
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
gulleys/washes running from east to west


Explanation:
The "eje" has to do with the direction of the runoff. I think "gulleys" is your best choice here (called "washes" in southwestern US). According to three of my hardcopy dictionaries, "quebrada" means 'stream' in Latin America. However, your text seems to be describing a "wash" or a "gulley" rather than a year-round stream.

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 03:48
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36
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