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[-] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago

That's quite the leap. Must be a very well-known game, with a board that never changes.

[-] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 11 points 1 month ago
[-] PartyAt15thAndSummit@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 month ago

Oh. Thanks. I never knew any of this. Also, TIL that the last name of one of my favorite authors, Paulo Coelho, means "rabbit."

[-] lvxferre@mander.xyz 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Paulo Coelho is one of those authors that remind me how huge the impact of a good translator is.

I read three of his books: Veronika Decide Morrer (Veronika Decides to Die), O Alquimista (The Alchemist), and Onze Minutos (Eleven Minutes). All in the original, in Portuguese. They weren't as bad as people say, but they all felt lacking polish and substance.

Then I checked Margaret Jull Costa's translation of Veronika, and it's like she sprouted life into it. It's all in the subtle things: replacing a metaphor with another that works better, removing indirection from a more emotional moment, this kind of thing does wonders to make a book feel more alive, like she breathed life into it, while still being faithful to the original.

(Another situation reminding me this impact is Interview with the Vampire. Anne Rice's original is… okay? Kind of meh, to be honest. Clarice Lispector's translation into Portuguese is a gem, though.)

[-] WalleyeWarrior@midwest.social 9 points 1 month ago

I have Salvadorian in-laws that play a similar looking game called "loteria" which is similar to bingo and played at family gatherings. I assume most Central/South American countries have a similar game.

[-] lvxferre@mander.xyz 7 points 1 month ago

It's more like a lottery than a board game. But a really popular one, regardless of the prohibition against gambling, and the numbers / critters association never changes.

There are other popular expressions from the same game. Like "deu zebra" (the result was zebra) for something extremely unlikely to happen. (Note how there's no zebra in the sheet.)

this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2026
605 points (99.5% liked)

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