Nov 21, 2013 18:54
10 yrs ago
Spanish term
vertiente_watershed
Spanish to English
Other
Geography
In Mexico there are 21 species of the family Magnoliaceae, specifically Magnolia schiedeana Schltl. is found exclusively in TMCF in the central portion of the wathershed “vertiente” of the gulf of Mexico.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | watershed / drainage basin / catchment area |
Charles Davis
|
Change log
Nov 21, 2013 21:42: philgoddard changed "Field" from "Science" to "Other" , "Field (specific)" from "Botany" to "Geography"
Proposed translations
+1
1 hr
watershed / drainage basin / catchment area
It seems clear to me that the original Spanish text read "la cuenca vertiente del golfo de México". The translator looked up "cuenca" in the dictionary and found "watershed", but then didn't know what to do with "vertiente", so left it in Spanish. But "cuenca vertiente" is a synonym of "cuenca hidrográfica", and the whole phrase simply means "watershed", so "vertiente" doesn't need separate translation.
"Watershed" is used in American English but not in British English, where it means the drainage divide (the upper perimeter of the area). "Drainage basin" is a synonym, also used mostly in American English. "Catchment area" or just "catchment" would be more usual in British English.
And as has been pointed out, it's "watershed", not "wathershed".
Another small point is that although you commonly put "golfo de México" in Spanish, with a lower-case g, it should have a capital G in English: "the Gulf of Mexico".
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Note added at 3 hrs (2013-11-21 22:01:33 GMT)
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There's no need to change this part of the sentence. "The watershed of the Gulf of Mexico" makes perfect sense. It's a very large area, as Muriel has said. It includes the eastern part of Mexico. Here's a map of it:
http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/image_library/maps/gomwatershed...
According to this article (p, 2, map, and 17), Magnolia schiedeana Schltl. is found almost entirely in eastern Mexico, in the states of Querétero, Hidalgo and Veracruz and northern Oaxaca, an area which does indeed lie within the central portion of the watershed of the Gulf of Mexico. The only part of the distribution area which lies outside this watershed is a little pocket in Guerrero.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225768763_Magnolia_...
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Note added at 12 hrs (2013-11-22 07:40:56 GMT)
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I've put my comments in the discussion area so that everyone will see them (and correct anything I've got wrong).
"Watershed" is used in American English but not in British English, where it means the drainage divide (the upper perimeter of the area). "Drainage basin" is a synonym, also used mostly in American English. "Catchment area" or just "catchment" would be more usual in British English.
And as has been pointed out, it's "watershed", not "wathershed".
Another small point is that although you commonly put "golfo de México" in Spanish, with a lower-case g, it should have a capital G in English: "the Gulf of Mexico".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2013-11-21 22:01:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
There's no need to change this part of the sentence. "The watershed of the Gulf of Mexico" makes perfect sense. It's a very large area, as Muriel has said. It includes the eastern part of Mexico. Here's a map of it:
http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/image_library/maps/gomwatershed...
According to this article (p, 2, map, and 17), Magnolia schiedeana Schltl. is found almost entirely in eastern Mexico, in the states of Querétero, Hidalgo and Veracruz and northern Oaxaca, an area which does indeed lie within the central portion of the watershed of the Gulf of Mexico. The only part of the distribution area which lies outside this watershed is a little pocket in Guerrero.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225768763_Magnolia_...
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Note added at 12 hrs (2013-11-22 07:40:56 GMT)
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I've put my comments in the discussion area so that everyone will see them (and correct anything I've got wrong).
Note from asker:
| In Mexico there are 21 species of the family Magnoliaceae. The Magnolia schiedeana Schltl. is found exclusively in TMCF within the central portion of the watershed of the Gulf of Mexico. Thank you |
Discussion
Either "section" or "portion" could be used; perhaps "portion" is a shade better, since the area is not formally divided into sections. You could put either "in the Gulf of Mexico watershed" or "within the Gulf of Mexico watershed", as you now have it. The former is perhaps more natural, but the latter is OK and avoids repeating "in".
2. You can't say "The Magnolia schiedeana Schltl."; you have to say either "The species Magnolia schiedeana Schltl." or just "Magnolia schiedeana Schltl.". The latter is better here; there's no need to repeat "species".
3. Scientific names of species should be in italics (but only the genus and species, Magnolia schiedeana, not Schltl.). The family name Magnoliaceae, however, goes in upright type, not italics.
4. The first time the acronym TMCF is used in the text, it should be explained, by putting "tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF)". After that "TMCF" alone can be used. So it is fine to use it here if it has already been used and explained in the text.
Apart from all that, I agree with Muriel's way of expressing this. "In Mexico there are twenty-one species [...]" is OK, but "Mexico has twenty-one species [...]" is neater and more idiomatic. "The Gulf of Mexico watershed" is also neater and avoids the awkward repetition of "of the".
You also need to sort out the sentence. According to my reading, you have two separate clauses: (1) 'Mexico has 21 species of the family Magnoliaceae, and (2) Magnolia schiedeana Schitl. is found exclusively in tropical montane cloud forest in the central portion of the Gulf of Mexico watershed'.
Google 'Gulf of Mexico watershed' and you will see that it extends from Mexico to Canada, covering most of central USA as well as Mexico. It wouldn't make sense to talk of a single "vertiente" in this enormous area.
En un primer intento, creo que el texto original versaría así: En México hay 21 especies de la familia Magnoliaceae, la especie Magnolia schiedeana Schltl se encuentra exclusivamente en TMCF en la parte central de la vertiente del Golfo de México.