STEAL ‘EM WHEN YOU CAN

EIGHT VS. THREE

How to move from a three word phrase in English to eight in Spanish? Word inflation between the two languages runs from 15%-20% EN>ES.  For years I interpreted at a local Driver Intervention Program/DIP for those driving under the influence. Instead of a three or six day stay in the pokey, folks spend the weekend holed up with other drunk drivers to view films, chat in group activities and undergo evaluations. Once Joe Offender finishes, the Program notifies the court that he successfully finished that portion of his sentence.

MY CLUMSY FALSE COGNATE

How to render DIP into English? Until I spotted programa de orientación para el conductor infractor on a DIP application last week, the straightforward programa de intervención de conductor served well enough. My rendering hardly defines or explains what the Program does. Whomever translated the document understood the driver/transgressor/ offender attends classes and learns to avoid another arrest. I researched http://www.linguee.com for parallel texts and gladly agreed with the author. The term soon surfaced again, rolled off my tongue, Mr. Offender readily understood and the day went along nicely. Just for curiosity’s sake, how to you render DIP in your area? Please comment.

http://www.linguee.com/english-spanish/search?source=spanish&query=conductor+infractor