Spanish translation of "She was adept at featherwork" - "tenía como afición la tejeduría y el arte plumario"

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135 months ago

Carlos Pablo MIGUES-LABANCA, B.A. (a guest user) asked this question:

Language pair:	English > Spanish
Subject:	General
Level of diffculty:	Difficult / demanding
Word or term in question:	She was adept at featherwork
Context:	Literary piece. "My grandmother conceded that her daughter had been very beautiful at eighteen, with large slanted eyes and a full, rather sullen mouth. She was adept at weaving and at featherwork, very skilful at trapping and catching wild jungle birds for their plumage. She had refused several men who wanted to marry her, and her parents did not press her to get a mate". She obviously makes cushions, pillows and quilts -or the like- with the feathers. However, I cannot think of an umbrella term (hyperonym) in Spanish for them, a suitable equivalent for "featherwork". "Trabajos con plumas" just doesn´t work for me. Every suggestion will be most welcome !! Thank you all very much in advance.

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Complete list of answers and comments

135 months ago

Mandrake wrote:

Ella mostró conocimiento y habilidad en trabajo con plumas

135 months ago

Vicki Santamaria wrote:

tenía mucha destreza para tejer y bordar

My comment:

From the context, it is unclear what "featherwork" means. "Featherwork," in dictionaries of the English language and in my lexicon as a native English-speaker who knows how to embroider, is a type of embroidery. Of course, the next sentence alludes to collecting feathers, but I don't think that "making things out of feathers" is the correct translation. First, because "featherwork" is written as a single word, and second, because the novel seems to be set in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Back in those days, English-speaking women all learned how to embroider.

My references:

Random House Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

135 months ago

wrote:

De acuerdo con el principio, pero no con bordar (demasiado general). En el contexto dicen "catching wild jungle birds", entonces es artesanía con plumas de cualquier aspectom y no solamente bordado.

135 months ago

Peonia Kempenich wrote:

diestra para la confección con plumas

My comment:

Era diestra para tejer y para la confección con plumas

My references:

Me refiero también al arte plumario... "los amantecas eran los artesanos que se dedicaban a la confección de atavíos y ornamentos compuestos de plumas finas"

135 months ago

Eva Mehringer wrote:

Era muy hábil con la artesanía con plumas

My comment:

In this context, the expression definitely refers to "handicraft". That's why I'd choose "artensanía". For "adept", I'd use "hábil" or "tenía mucho talento"

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

135 months ago

Eva Mehringer wrote:

I have to correct myself: "Era muy hábil con la artesanía de plumas"

135 months ago

Claudia wrote:

trabajo con plumas

My comment:

Que pena, aunque no suene muy bonito si es trabajo con plumas, se me hace que suena peor plumario.

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

135 months ago

giulianoscarpa wrote:

El arte plumario, o arte plumaria, es como se define esta actividad que yo creo se corresponde plenamente con featherwork. No es un término frecuente y por eso puede llamar la atención su uso, pero una búsqueda rápida en internet lo confirmará enseguida.

135 months ago

giulianoscarpa wrote:

tenía como afición la tejeduría y el arte plumario

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

135 months ago

giulianoscarpa wrote:

Esta traducción me gusta mucho.

The asker rated this answer best

135 months ago

Abril Wagner wrote:

Le gustaban las artesanías con plumas

My comment:

Le gustaba el tejido y las artesanías con plumas

135 months ago

martynback wrote:

xxxx

My comment:

I don't agree that she's making cushions! If she's using the feathers of jungle birds, she's making beautiful objects from the feathers, possibly headdresses or jewellery. The feathers are referred to as "plumage", which suggests they are used for their beauty, not to stuff quilts. I think you need to say something like "crafting things from feathers".

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

135 months ago

giulianoscarpa wrote:

Of course, no one denies your idea, but if you have a look at my reference (Mexican featherwork) you have the Spanish translation

135 months ago

Theresa Bernardes - TBerTranslations wrote:

arte plumario

My comment:

Hope it helps

135 months ago

Theresa Bernardes - TBerTranslations wrote:

estaba apasionada por el tejido y la plumería