This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Spanish to English
  3. Fisheries

ayudantía

English translation: maritime command post

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:ayudantía
English translation:maritime command post
Entered by: Charles Davis

23:03 Jan 12, 2011
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Fisheries / type of fishing vessel (I believe)
Spanish term or phrase: ayudantía
Hi All,

This is a bit hard to categorize, because it's actually from a novel, but a novel about the fishing industry. There are two references to the term, which I'll quote below.

In the first, a sailor is explaining why he began working on a tuna seiner in the Pacific. He explains that there weren't enough tuna to fish in Palermo, so he took a job on a cruise ship, but he hated the tourists, so he got another job.

"En todo caso, prefirió las ayudantías. Se contrataba de mercenario en alguna operación de pesca especial..."
At this point, I took "ayudantía" to refer to the type of JOB he was doing, helping out, etc.
However, a page later, the same character is in a bar when a sailor tells him:

"Hay plazas en una ayudantía en la boca del Golfo de California."
Had it said "plazas DE ayudantía", I'd have been sure it was a post, but "en una" ayudantía"
makes it another story.

The novel is Mexican, btw.

Any help much appreciated!
Many thanks
xLisa
ldillma
United States
Local time: 04:38
maritime command post
Explanation:
I can't find any trace of a vessel called an ayudantía.
However, the word "ayudantía" is found in relation to maritime matters, in the sense of what I think you could call a command post. In Spain it is a kind of local naval post responsible for regulating maritime affairs in a particular area. There are several in the Canaries, of which there are descriptions in the Spanish navy's website:
"# Ayudantía Naval de La Palma
# Ayudantía Naval de La Gomera
# Ayudantía Naval de El Hierro
# Ayudantía Naval del Puerto del Rosario.- Fuerteventura
# Ayudantía Naval de Arrecife de Lanzarote"
http://www.armada.mde.es/ArmadaPortal/page/Portal/armadaEspa...
The Navy doesn't give an English equivalent for "Ayudantía", but they are described in a section called "Canary Islands Naval Command". Apparently they date back to the early nineteenth century.
The term "comandancia" is sometimes found as an equivalent.

Another enlightening document is this one, about the archive of the Ayudantía at Denia in Alicante (I've slightly edited this extract which was badly translated from Valencian):
"La Marina Española, representada en Denia por la Ayudantía, ejerce el control efectivo de todas las costas del litoral español [...] La Ayudantía de Denia, comandada por un capitán de corbeta o por un teniente de nave, [...] controlaba el Distrito Marítimo de Denia [...], controlando el espacio, las personas y los materiales adscritos a ella, tanto en cuestiones militares como civiles. [...] La mayor parte del volumen documental remite a cuestiones extramilitares en el que se refiere a personas, embarcaciones y actividades que están relacionadas con la costa y aguas bajo su jurisdicción."
http://www.denia.es/es/cultura/arxiu/docs/ajudantia_marina.p...

It seems quite likely that "ayudantía" refers to something similar in your novel. It may or may not be a naval/military post, so I've suggested the more neutral "maritime".
Hope this is some help.
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 10:38
Grading comment
Thanks so much, Charles. I wish I could find something that was some type of vessel, but it has got to be something along these lines. I am actually wondering if it could be a typo in the original (with the prepositions). This is certainly the closest thing. Much appreciated.
xLisa
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4INTERNSHIP
Christian [email protected]
3assistantship
Phoebe Anne
3maritime command post
Charles Davis


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
assistantship


Explanation:
This one could make sense...



Phoebe Anne
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

52 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
maritime command post


Explanation:
I can't find any trace of a vessel called an ayudantía.
However, the word "ayudantía" is found in relation to maritime matters, in the sense of what I think you could call a command post. In Spain it is a kind of local naval post responsible for regulating maritime affairs in a particular area. There are several in the Canaries, of which there are descriptions in the Spanish navy's website:
"# Ayudantía Naval de La Palma
# Ayudantía Naval de La Gomera
# Ayudantía Naval de El Hierro
# Ayudantía Naval del Puerto del Rosario.- Fuerteventura
# Ayudantía Naval de Arrecife de Lanzarote"
http://www.armada.mde.es/ArmadaPortal/page/Portal/armadaEspa...
The Navy doesn't give an English equivalent for "Ayudantía", but they are described in a section called "Canary Islands Naval Command". Apparently they date back to the early nineteenth century.
The term "comandancia" is sometimes found as an equivalent.

Another enlightening document is this one, about the archive of the Ayudantía at Denia in Alicante (I've slightly edited this extract which was badly translated from Valencian):
"La Marina Española, representada en Denia por la Ayudantía, ejerce el control efectivo de todas las costas del litoral español [...] La Ayudantía de Denia, comandada por un capitán de corbeta o por un teniente de nave, [...] controlaba el Distrito Marítimo de Denia [...], controlando el espacio, las personas y los materiales adscritos a ella, tanto en cuestiones militares como civiles. [...] La mayor parte del volumen documental remite a cuestiones extramilitares en el que se refiere a personas, embarcaciones y actividades que están relacionadas con la costa y aguas bajo su jurisdicción."
http://www.denia.es/es/cultura/arxiu/docs/ajudantia_marina.p...

It seems quite likely that "ayudantía" refers to something similar in your novel. It may or may not be a naval/military post, so I've suggested the more neutral "maritime".
Hope this is some help.

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 10:38
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 39
Grading comment
Thanks so much, Charles. I wish I could find something that was some type of vessel, but it has got to be something along these lines. I am actually wondering if it could be a typo in the original (with the prepositions). This is certainly the closest thing. Much appreciated.
xLisa
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

23 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
INTERNSHIP


Explanation:
CREO

Christian [email protected]
United States
Local time: 04:38
Native speaker of: Spanish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search