July better than half done.
Jul. 23rd, 2024 09:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
which_chickIt's almost time for tomatoes. I've gotten the harbingers of tomato, the first fruits. It's all grape tomatoes over here because my crappy yard cannot ripen full sized worthy tomatoes (Brandywines. I'm talking about Brandywines.) before frost in most years. Grape tomatoes at least get ripe, regularly, in quantity, in my less than stellar yard. And some tomatoes are better than no tomatoes.
Most years tomatoes are full on August but it's been reliably hot here and so the tomatoes are early. I'm OK with that. I've been watering them religiously (it's been hot and dry here for quite a while) so that they keep living and growing.
In other news, I'm still sucking at Spanish.
I could discuss politics, but... no. I think we're going to get enough of that going into November that we don't need more from me.
I could talk about my horse or my other horse (both fine) or my baby cacti (suffered some losses but I think some of them will actually survive) or how I didn't kill the basil this year (a first!!) by freezing it or by neglect or about my sourdough bread project (needed for tomato sandwiches). But nope, it's Spanish.
I can read... basic Spanish. I can read young adult novels and have done some. Duolingo says I have "B1" understanding of Spanish, which I think is somewhat generous. But anyway, what about porn?
Can I read porn in Spanish? (Sorry, I meant "romance novels", of course. Romance novels. Definitely not porn.)
There are going to be a lot of words that the owl does not cover. (I mostly study Spanish using DuoLingo which I realize is not ideal but it's free and I can manage fifteen minutes a day on the app... every day. All the days. Three hundred and forty eight days, at current count. The studying that you do is better than the studying that you don't do even if the studying that you do is with the silly little owl app.)
Where would I even get porn in Spanish?
It's not hard. That's what she said!
Oh, snap. I have Kindle Unlimited, which offers books in Spanish as an option. So I'm not paying any more for it than I pay for my space opera and weird isekai and kung fu and gamelit slush. It's included.
What am I reading as Porn in Spanish?
The chosen novel is Casada con un Íncubo by Regine Abel. This is Married to an Incubus, more or less. The picture on the cover is a fairly ripped looking grey demon dude with leathery bat wings and four horns. (When I say "chosen" I mean "first one in the list of Spanish romance novels". The selection process was not so much a process as a "right, then, this'll do.")
There's a summary at the front.
"Una pareja hecha en e Infierno" (A pairing/marriage made in hell...)
Cuándo la reporter de investigación, Malaya Velasco descubre accidentalmente la currupción de uno de los mas altos jueces del sistema judicial Obosiano, es inculpada y condenada a cadena perpetua en el mortifero planeta prision Molvi. En su desesperación suplica a la Agencia Primaria un matrimonio concertado con uno de los guardianes de la prision. Su pareja? Un Señor del infierno Obosiano pecaminosamente apuesto de lengua afilada, piercings intrigantes y ojos azul hielo lo bastante frios como para congelar el infierno.
When the investigative reporter Malaya Velasco accidentally discovered corruption of one of the highest judges of the Obosiano judicial system, she was "inculpada" (culpar o acusar a alguien de algo)... ACCUSED and condemned to ?? life sentence in the mortifero (que ocasiona o puede ocasionar la muerte)... DEADLY prison planet Molvi. In her desperation, she begged the Primary Agency for a marriage contract with one of the guardians of the prison. Her spouse? An ??? Obosiano (this is a race or class, not a real word) ???, piercings??, and icy blue eyes so cold that they could freeze over hell. (more or less. I am super shitty at Spanish.)
Tras recuperar recientemente la libertad de su esclavitud, lo último que necesita Kronos es más drama alienigena y mucho menos una supuesta alma gemela humana que resulta ser nanda menos que una criminal. Sin embargo hay que hacer justicia y proteger un alma tan pura y fascinante como la de Malaya, cueste lo que cueste.
Here, we're going to lean heavily on being genre savvy. The first paragraph in these summaries tells about our heroine, Malaya. The second paragraph generally tells about our hero, the piece of the plot. I'm gonna guess that this is the case as well for this summary.
"After recently getting his freedom back (from servitude or slavery), the last thing that Kronos needed was more alien drama and much less a ??? human soul twin (I'm gonna go genre savvy here and claim that alma gemela humana is "human soul mate") that is nothing more than a criminal. However, he has to seek justice (hacer is more "make/do/be, but we don't say "do justice", that is not our way) and protect a soul as pure and ... interesting as that of Malaya, whatever the cost."
And in paragraph three, we get the summary-ish thing.
Con su enemigo siempre dos pasos por delante, tanto la vida de su compañera como el futuro de su Casa estan en juego. Sera Kronos el protector que Malaya necesita tan desesperademente minetras ella demuestra su innocencia o están ambos condenados al fracaso?
"With their enemy always two steps ahead, the very life of his companion as well as the future of their House is in play. Will Kronos be the protector that Malaya so desperately needs while she proves her innocence or are they both condemned to failure?"
I mean, it's a romance *ahem* novel so my money is on "will be the protector that Malaya so desperately needs". But if you're new here, feel free to put your money on "condemned to failure". The house needs a new pair of shoes, too. :)
The book opens in the end of the trial for Malaya.
De pie en la sala del tribunal Obosiano ante el juez más repugnante del universo, escuche con rabia hirviente mi sentencia. Encaramado en su alto asiento a unos metros frente a mi, el Juez Wuras sonreia con indisimulada malicia meintras pronunciaba las palabras de mi condena.
On foot in the Obosiano courtroom in front of the most repugnant judge in the universe, I heard my sentence with rage (hirviente?). On his high seat a few meters in front of me, the Judge Wuras laughed with visible malice while he spoke the words of my sentence.
(I am missing nuance, but the broad strokes here are pretty decent.)
Genre savvy stuff helps a lot. Teneís unas últimas palabras, condenada? Do you have any last words, prisoner?
"Todo lo que tengo que decir es que puede que hayaís ganado esta batalla pero no habeís gandado la guerra. Vuestra corrupción acabara mas pronto que tarde y el mundo os concocera por lo que realmente sois"
All I have to say is that you may have won this battle but you haven't won the war. Your corruption will stop sooner rather than later and the world will know what you really are." (this is our Heroine speaking to the evil judge.)
I'm not to the sex parts yet. I don't read Spanish very quickly but I do undertake the adventure with only the help of the Spanish dictionary (in Spanish) that comes with the book. I lack entirely all the words for fictional sex because Duolingo does not deal with that. There is no porn in Duolingo.
I'm on Chapter 2. (I read Spanish very slowly. If this were a book in English, it'd be more of a hot knife through butter affair.)
In Chapter 1, Malaya went to jail (solitary) and was visited by her lawyer (who thinks she is innocent because he's an empath and can see her innocence blah blah aliens) and then by the high level ambassador and wife (feathery aliens) who will be trying to find her some husband (wings but no feathers, more bat-like demon wings) to marry on the prison planet Molvi so that she can be not-in-jail but instead be sort of under-house-arrest of said husband. This house arrest marriage will let her seek justice and prove evil judge is evil, because of the more or less limited freedom it provides. She can't leave Molvi but it's better than four walls and a cot.
In Chapter 2, Ambassador and Wife are visiting Kronos to try to talk him into marrying Malaya.
The plot here hinges on the point that the Obsianos (race or class) are super invested in justice and following the law. Like, in the same way that dwarves love gold and elves love nature, apparently Obsianos love rules and laws and stuff.
So, if Ambassador and wife can convince Kronos that Malaya is unfairly imprisoned and that evil judge is evil, he's going to work hard to prove her innocent and stop evil judge from being evil.
Linsea, wife of ambassador to Kronos: Una periodista lo estaba investigando. Había reunido pruebas irrefutables contra él y había programado una reunión con los Enforcers para entregarles lo que había encontrado. Ese mismo día la policía Obosiana la detuvo convenientemente por asesinato.
(The newspaper lady had been investigating. She had gathered up irrefutable proof against him and had set up a meeting with the Enforcers to hand over to them what she´d found. That same day the Obosiana police detained her conveniently for assassination.)
Our dude Kronos Una vez más miré sus almas. Fuera cual fuera la verdad, creían de verdad lo que me decían. Pero esto no podía ser real. (Once again, I looked at their souls. They were true, they believed in the truth of what they told me. But it could not be real.)
Linsea again Tenemos a tres Temerns trabajando en el tribunal de los Obosianos y defendiendo casos ante él. En los últimos años, ha condenado al menos a ocho personas de cuya inocencia estamos convencidos al cien por cien. A Wuras (the evil judge) no le importó.
We have three Temerns working for the Tribunal of Obosianos and defending cases against him. En the last few years he has condemned at least eight people whose innocence they were convinced of, 100 per cent. But to Wuras, this didn´t matter.
They go on discussing. Eventually Kronos is like...
Kronos: Incluso suponiendo que esta fantástica historia suya fuera cierta, ¿por qué me traen esto a mi? ¿Qué esperan que haga al respecto?
Even supposing that this fantastic story of yours was true, why are you bringing it to me? What do you hope-want me to do about it?
Kayog (ambassador): Como has adivinado con exactitude basándote en mi presencia, estamos aquí para emparejar a Malaya. Queremos una coincidencia que le permita proseguir su investigación y atrapar a Wuras. Al menos una de sus víctimas está en realidad bajo tu tuetela y encarcelada en tu Sector.
As you've guessed?? we are here to marry off Malaya. We want a situation that will let her pursue her investigation and catch Wuras. At least one of the judge's victims is under your supervision and imprisoned in your sector.
Kronos: Aunque no veo cómo eso aydará a su investigación, y aunque normalmente no celebramos bodas para los reclusos, puedo arreglarlo, si te sirve de ayuda.
Although I don't see how this would help her investigation and although normally we don't do weddings for the prisoners, I can arrange it if it will help you.
Kayog: No queremos emparejarla con un preso, Lord Kronos. Queremos emparejarla contigo.
We don't want to marry her to a prisoner, Lord Kronos. We want to marry her with you.
LOL. Kronos is nonplussed.
Kronos: ¿Conmigo? ¿Han perdido la cabeza? ¿Por qué en nombre de Tharmok, me casaría con una asesina?
With me? Have you lost your mind? Why in the name of Tharmok would I marry up with an assassin?
Kayog explains that she's not really an assassin and also goes on thusly: Acudimos a tí primero porque Malaya es tu alma gemela. No es por presumir, pero estoy seguro de que has oído hablar de mi reputación cuando se trata de buscar pareja. Nunca me he equivocado, y esta vez tampoco. Dadas las circunstancias no podría haber esperado una bendición mayor que la de que ustedes dos formaran una pareja perfecta.
We came to you first because Malaya is your soulmate. Not trying to presume, but I'm sure you have heard talk of my reputation when it comes to matchmaking. I've never been wrong and not this time either. Given the circumstances, you could not hope for a better blessing than that the two of you would form a perfect couple.
Kronos isn't super thrilled even so but they leverage him into it because
(a) she will go to the worst sector of the prison planet if he doesn't.
(b) there is a six month trial period and he can divorce her after
and (c) if he can help prove the evil judge is evil, it'll be a feather in his cap for his law-abiding people.
He eventually agrees to give it a go and that's the end of chapter 2.
Most years tomatoes are full on August but it's been reliably hot here and so the tomatoes are early. I'm OK with that. I've been watering them religiously (it's been hot and dry here for quite a while) so that they keep living and growing.
In other news, I'm still sucking at Spanish.
I could discuss politics, but... no. I think we're going to get enough of that going into November that we don't need more from me.
I could talk about my horse or my other horse (both fine) or my baby cacti (suffered some losses but I think some of them will actually survive) or how I didn't kill the basil this year (a first!!) by freezing it or by neglect or about my sourdough bread project (needed for tomato sandwiches). But nope, it's Spanish.
I can read... basic Spanish. I can read young adult novels and have done some. Duolingo says I have "B1" understanding of Spanish, which I think is somewhat generous. But anyway, what about porn?
Can I read porn in Spanish? (Sorry, I meant "romance novels", of course. Romance novels. Definitely not porn.)
There are going to be a lot of words that the owl does not cover. (I mostly study Spanish using DuoLingo which I realize is not ideal but it's free and I can manage fifteen minutes a day on the app... every day. All the days. Three hundred and forty eight days, at current count. The studying that you do is better than the studying that you don't do even if the studying that you do is with the silly little owl app.)
Where would I even get porn in Spanish?
It's not hard. That's what she said!
Oh, snap. I have Kindle Unlimited, which offers books in Spanish as an option. So I'm not paying any more for it than I pay for my space opera and weird isekai and kung fu and gamelit slush. It's included.
What am I reading as Porn in Spanish?
The chosen novel is Casada con un Íncubo by Regine Abel. This is Married to an Incubus, more or less. The picture on the cover is a fairly ripped looking grey demon dude with leathery bat wings and four horns. (When I say "chosen" I mean "first one in the list of Spanish romance novels". The selection process was not so much a process as a "right, then, this'll do.")
There's a summary at the front.
"Una pareja hecha en e Infierno" (A pairing/marriage made in hell...)
Cuándo la reporter de investigación, Malaya Velasco descubre accidentalmente la currupción de uno de los mas altos jueces del sistema judicial Obosiano, es inculpada y condenada a cadena perpetua en el mortifero planeta prision Molvi. En su desesperación suplica a la Agencia Primaria un matrimonio concertado con uno de los guardianes de la prision. Su pareja? Un Señor del infierno Obosiano pecaminosamente apuesto de lengua afilada, piercings intrigantes y ojos azul hielo lo bastante frios como para congelar el infierno.
When the investigative reporter Malaya Velasco accidentally discovered corruption of one of the highest judges of the Obosiano judicial system, she was "inculpada" (culpar o acusar a alguien de algo)... ACCUSED and condemned to ?? life sentence in the mortifero (que ocasiona o puede ocasionar la muerte)... DEADLY prison planet Molvi. In her desperation, she begged the Primary Agency for a marriage contract with one of the guardians of the prison. Her spouse? An ??? Obosiano (this is a race or class, not a real word) ???, piercings??, and icy blue eyes so cold that they could freeze over hell. (more or less. I am super shitty at Spanish.)
Tras recuperar recientemente la libertad de su esclavitud, lo último que necesita Kronos es más drama alienigena y mucho menos una supuesta alma gemela humana que resulta ser nanda menos que una criminal. Sin embargo hay que hacer justicia y proteger un alma tan pura y fascinante como la de Malaya, cueste lo que cueste.
Here, we're going to lean heavily on being genre savvy. The first paragraph in these summaries tells about our heroine, Malaya. The second paragraph generally tells about our hero, the piece of the plot. I'm gonna guess that this is the case as well for this summary.
"After recently getting his freedom back (from servitude or slavery), the last thing that Kronos needed was more alien drama and much less a ??? human soul twin (I'm gonna go genre savvy here and claim that alma gemela humana is "human soul mate") that is nothing more than a criminal. However, he has to seek justice (hacer is more "make/do/be, but we don't say "do justice", that is not our way) and protect a soul as pure and ... interesting as that of Malaya, whatever the cost."
And in paragraph three, we get the summary-ish thing.
Con su enemigo siempre dos pasos por delante, tanto la vida de su compañera como el futuro de su Casa estan en juego. Sera Kronos el protector que Malaya necesita tan desesperademente minetras ella demuestra su innocencia o están ambos condenados al fracaso?
"With their enemy always two steps ahead, the very life of his companion as well as the future of their House is in play. Will Kronos be the protector that Malaya so desperately needs while she proves her innocence or are they both condemned to failure?"
I mean, it's a romance *ahem* novel so my money is on "will be the protector that Malaya so desperately needs". But if you're new here, feel free to put your money on "condemned to failure". The house needs a new pair of shoes, too. :)
The book opens in the end of the trial for Malaya.
De pie en la sala del tribunal Obosiano ante el juez más repugnante del universo, escuche con rabia hirviente mi sentencia. Encaramado en su alto asiento a unos metros frente a mi, el Juez Wuras sonreia con indisimulada malicia meintras pronunciaba las palabras de mi condena.
On foot in the Obosiano courtroom in front of the most repugnant judge in the universe, I heard my sentence with rage (hirviente?). On his high seat a few meters in front of me, the Judge Wuras laughed with visible malice while he spoke the words of my sentence.
(I am missing nuance, but the broad strokes here are pretty decent.)
Genre savvy stuff helps a lot. Teneís unas últimas palabras, condenada? Do you have any last words, prisoner?
"Todo lo que tengo que decir es que puede que hayaís ganado esta batalla pero no habeís gandado la guerra. Vuestra corrupción acabara mas pronto que tarde y el mundo os concocera por lo que realmente sois"
All I have to say is that you may have won this battle but you haven't won the war. Your corruption will stop sooner rather than later and the world will know what you really are." (this is our Heroine speaking to the evil judge.)
I'm not to the sex parts yet. I don't read Spanish very quickly but I do undertake the adventure with only the help of the Spanish dictionary (in Spanish) that comes with the book. I lack entirely all the words for fictional sex because Duolingo does not deal with that. There is no porn in Duolingo.
I'm on Chapter 2. (I read Spanish very slowly. If this were a book in English, it'd be more of a hot knife through butter affair.)
In Chapter 1, Malaya went to jail (solitary) and was visited by her lawyer (who thinks she is innocent because he's an empath and can see her innocence blah blah aliens) and then by the high level ambassador and wife (feathery aliens) who will be trying to find her some husband (wings but no feathers, more bat-like demon wings) to marry on the prison planet Molvi so that she can be not-in-jail but instead be sort of under-house-arrest of said husband. This house arrest marriage will let her seek justice and prove evil judge is evil, because of the more or less limited freedom it provides. She can't leave Molvi but it's better than four walls and a cot.
In Chapter 2, Ambassador and Wife are visiting Kronos to try to talk him into marrying Malaya.
The plot here hinges on the point that the Obsianos (race or class) are super invested in justice and following the law. Like, in the same way that dwarves love gold and elves love nature, apparently Obsianos love rules and laws and stuff.
So, if Ambassador and wife can convince Kronos that Malaya is unfairly imprisoned and that evil judge is evil, he's going to work hard to prove her innocent and stop evil judge from being evil.
Linsea, wife of ambassador to Kronos: Una periodista lo estaba investigando. Había reunido pruebas irrefutables contra él y había programado una reunión con los Enforcers para entregarles lo que había encontrado. Ese mismo día la policía Obosiana la detuvo convenientemente por asesinato.
(The newspaper lady had been investigating. She had gathered up irrefutable proof against him and had set up a meeting with the Enforcers to hand over to them what she´d found. That same day the Obosiana police detained her conveniently for assassination.)
Our dude Kronos Una vez más miré sus almas. Fuera cual fuera la verdad, creían de verdad lo que me decían. Pero esto no podía ser real. (Once again, I looked at their souls. They were true, they believed in the truth of what they told me. But it could not be real.)
Linsea again Tenemos a tres Temerns trabajando en el tribunal de los Obosianos y defendiendo casos ante él. En los últimos años, ha condenado al menos a ocho personas de cuya inocencia estamos convencidos al cien por cien. A Wuras (the evil judge) no le importó.
We have three Temerns working for the Tribunal of Obosianos and defending cases against him. En the last few years he has condemned at least eight people whose innocence they were convinced of, 100 per cent. But to Wuras, this didn´t matter.
They go on discussing. Eventually Kronos is like...
Kronos: Incluso suponiendo que esta fantástica historia suya fuera cierta, ¿por qué me traen esto a mi? ¿Qué esperan que haga al respecto?
Even supposing that this fantastic story of yours was true, why are you bringing it to me? What do you hope-want me to do about it?
Kayog (ambassador): Como has adivinado con exactitude basándote en mi presencia, estamos aquí para emparejar a Malaya. Queremos una coincidencia que le permita proseguir su investigación y atrapar a Wuras. Al menos una de sus víctimas está en realidad bajo tu tuetela y encarcelada en tu Sector.
As you've guessed?? we are here to marry off Malaya. We want a situation that will let her pursue her investigation and catch Wuras. At least one of the judge's victims is under your supervision and imprisoned in your sector.
Kronos: Aunque no veo cómo eso aydará a su investigación, y aunque normalmente no celebramos bodas para los reclusos, puedo arreglarlo, si te sirve de ayuda.
Although I don't see how this would help her investigation and although normally we don't do weddings for the prisoners, I can arrange it if it will help you.
Kayog: No queremos emparejarla con un preso, Lord Kronos. Queremos emparejarla contigo.
We don't want to marry her to a prisoner, Lord Kronos. We want to marry her with you.
LOL. Kronos is nonplussed.
Kronos: ¿Conmigo? ¿Han perdido la cabeza? ¿Por qué en nombre de Tharmok, me casaría con una asesina?
With me? Have you lost your mind? Why in the name of Tharmok would I marry up with an assassin?
Kayog explains that she's not really an assassin and also goes on thusly: Acudimos a tí primero porque Malaya es tu alma gemela. No es por presumir, pero estoy seguro de que has oído hablar de mi reputación cuando se trata de buscar pareja. Nunca me he equivocado, y esta vez tampoco. Dadas las circunstancias no podría haber esperado una bendición mayor que la de que ustedes dos formaran una pareja perfecta.
We came to you first because Malaya is your soulmate. Not trying to presume, but I'm sure you have heard talk of my reputation when it comes to matchmaking. I've never been wrong and not this time either. Given the circumstances, you could not hope for a better blessing than that the two of you would form a perfect couple.
Kronos isn't super thrilled even so but they leverage him into it because
(a) she will go to the worst sector of the prison planet if he doesn't.
(b) there is a six month trial period and he can divorce her after
and (c) if he can help prove the evil judge is evil, it'll be a feather in his cap for his law-abiding people.
He eventually agrees to give it a go and that's the end of chapter 2.
