KudoZ: term help for translators

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español term

Jonathan Norris

México

26 questions

disparando para atras

español al inglés Otros General / Conversación / Saludos / Cartas Crime

In a transcribed interview, the witness says repeatedly that he observed the suspect "disparando para atras."

Mention 1: "I heard a gunshot. He was at the other end of the parking lot. And I ran over there. When I got to the same little curve, I saw him, you know, disparando para atras."

Mention 2: I was talking in a car. I left running. He -- I saw when the first gunshot -- that was the first one I heard. I ran over there. He was already over here (pointing on a map) disparando para atras."

Mention 3: I was, approximately, over here. My angle was facing him. Because he was yelling and, at the same time, shooting. I could see he was nervous. You know? And he was "disparando para atras." That's when what I told you previously happened.

In the first two mentions, "Shooting back" seems to fit, since he says somebody else had fired first. In the third mention it seems like it could be directional, but I still think he was shooting back. Plus you wouldn't say in English he was "shooting backwards."

Any help to clarify the meaning of "para atras" would be appreciated!

Proposed translations (inglés)

expecting return fire

Chris Maddux

References

Shooting backward/s

neilmac

Discussion

Elizabeth Joy Pitt de Morales May 15: Shooting back I heard this construction frequently in Mexicantown, in Detroit, Michigan when I lived there more than 30 years ago. "Le escribí pa'trás" -- "I wrote him back." "Dámelo pa'trás" -- "Give it back to me." "Llámame pa'trás" -- "Call me back." It's simply a calque. I remember watching an episode of a US cop show dubbed into American Spanish in which one cop grabbed the microphone in his car and said, "Llámame pa'trás" when he thought his partner had been shot. It struck me so funny that I decided to make it the topic for the paper I was required to write for a university class on Puerto Rican, Cuban and Mexican Spanish. Here's a paper that mentions this phenomenon: https://www.yumpu.com/es/document/view/14272112/untitled-bib... And here's what it says: "Una profesora se refiere al español que se habla en Estados Unidos, a frases como: ‘¿No está?, que me llame cuando pa'trás cuando llegue’. En lugar de: devuélvemelo, dámelo pa’trás. Y de alguien que regresó a su tierra comentan: ‘Se fue pa’trás a Puerto Rico’...Estos fenómenos se producen incluso individualmente.”
Nicolas Becco May 15: In my country (Uruguay) "Disparar" is also used to mean: run away. So here it could mean "running away"
MollyRose May 13: Was he running? Maybe he was running and shooting over his shoulder at whoever was chasing him (or firing at him, or whatever). It is strange that the statement is in English except for this phrase. If this is a translation for court or other legal purposes, guessing is dangerous. I would include a translator's note explaining the two possible translations and how they could be viable, if you can't figure it out by context or get more info. Then it would be up to the lawyers, etc. to question the witness for clarification.
Charles Davis May 13: Very interesting discussion. To my mind, "shooting backwards" is a rather strange idea. Would it mean shooting over your shoulder (or under your arm perhaps)? Without aiming? Do people do that? Shooting back, as in returning fire, seems more plausible, and although it seemed impossible on linguistic grounds, as Robert said, Román has provided an explanation that I find strangely convincing.
Jonathan Norris (asker) May 13: Hi Laia, It's a Cuban American speaker. Although it's not the dictionary use of the term, as Roman and Juan pointed out, this usage has made its way from English into Spanish in certain areas.
Jonathan Norris (asker) May 13: Thanks all, I appreciate the helpful input from those with real-world insight. Based on the full context and regional usage, I’m confident “disparando para atrás” means “shooting back” (i.e., returning fire). While para atrás is directional, in border-zone Spanish it often mirrors English phrasing like “put it back” or “call back”. This seems to be one of those cases. I think Roman nailed it and I re-opened the question if you want to submit your answer for the points. :)
Laia Sanz Fresno May 13: I think I depends on where the speaker is from. In Spanish from Spain, disparando para atrás would defintely refer to the direction, therefore the proper translation would be shooting backwards or shooting behind hime. However, as some of my colleagues hwo is in latin america it has other meanings like shooting back it could also refer to that. Is there any way you can know where the speaker is from?
neilmac May 13: Shooting back ... to me expresses both notions (returning fire and shooting backwards).
Robert Carter May 13: ¿Qué clase de "back-translation" es esto? So it's a back-mistranslation by way of mostly English-speaking people of Hispanic heritage? That's a great reference, Román, thank you for setting me straight (¿"colocándome derecho"?). Just the sort of gem that keeps me interested in this forum!
Juan Jacob May 13: Por supuesto con ambos: traducción literal de "shooting back".
Román René Orozco May 13: I have family in Texas. They were born in Mexico, but have lived most of their lives in the US. My aunts will use on a regular basis "ponlo pa' tras" meaning "put it back". I do believe "disparando para atrás" meant "Shooting back", even if 'para atrás' expresses directionality, I believe it just meant 'back'.
Robert Carter May 13: Unless the person speaking is not a native Spanish speaker, I have a hard time believing it means "shooting back," i.e., returning fire. "Para atrás" is entirely directional in meaning (nothing to do with returning or responding anything), but just what that's in relation to is what you need to work out.