Translating English verbal collocations into Spanish: On distribution and other relevant differences related to diatopic variation

Language varieties should be taken into account in order to enhance fluency and naturalness of translated texts. In this paper we will examine the collocational verbal range for prima-facie translation equivalents of words like decision and dilemma, which in both languages denote the act or process of reaching a resolution after consideration, resolving a question or deciding something. We will be mainly concerned with diatopic variation in Spanish. To this end, we set out to develop a giga-token corpus-based protocol which includes a detailed and reproducible methodology sufficient to detect collocational peculiarities of transnational languages. To our knowledge, this is one of the first observational studies of this kind. The paper is organised as follows. Section 1 introduces some basic issues about the translation of collocations against the background of languages’ anisomorphism. Section 2 provides a feature characterisation of collocations. Section 3 deals with the choice of corpora, corpus tools, nodes and patterns. Section 4 covers the automatic retrieval of the selected verb + noun (object) collocations in general Spanish and the co-existing national varieties. Special attention is paid to comparative results in terms of similarities and mismatches. Section 5 presents conclusions and outlines avenues of further research.Published versio

The local intelligibility of brazilian learners’ speech in english (l2) to argentinian and german listeners : a discussion on non-native perception from a complex, dynamic perspective

This thesis aims to investigate the intelligibility of the L2 English spoken by Brazilian learners when perceived by other non-native learners. We examine the local intelligibility (MUNRO; DEWING, 2015) of words with the vowels [æ] – [ɛ] and [i] – [ɪ]. We adopt a Complex, Dynamic view of language (DE BOT; LOWIE; THORNE, 2013, BECKNER et al., 2009; LARSEN-FREEMAN, 2017) and apply two complementary analyses, inferential and exploratory, in order to observe (a) the intelligibility rates of the target words produced by our participants; (b) the variables that have effects on the identification of the target vowels; and (c) the acoustic and participant-related characteristics that play a role in that identification. We collected samples produced by six Brazilian learners of English, at three levels of proficiency, all native speakers of Porto-Alegrense Brazilian Portuguese. Additionally, two native speakers of Canadian English provided baseline tokens. We selected 128 sentences as stimuli for the forced-choice perception task. Our 46 listeners were organised in two groups: Argentinian native speakers of Riverplate Spanish, and German native speakers of Central German. As for our first goal, our mixed-effects logistic models show an effect of the listener’s L1 on the intelligibility rates of the words with the [æ] – [ɛ] vowels. Tokens with [æ] were more intelligible to Germans, and the ones with [ɛ] were more intelligible to Argentinians. L1 was not significant for the accurate identification of words with [ɪ], but it was for tokens with [i]; Germans showed higher accuracy rates than Argentinians. As for our second goal, our model calculated L1 as a significant predictor variable of vowel identification for the mid/low pair, but not for the tense/lax one. F1 was not a significant predictor for the identification of [æ] and [ɛ], but it was for [i] and [ɪ]. F2 was significant for both pairs. The inferential statistics was complemented by an exploratory analysis, which took into account those statistically significant variables, as well as speakers’ proficiency levels and the length of the vowels in the stimuli. As for our third goal, our stimulus-by-stimulus analyses suggest that participant-related characteristics and acoustic cues are combined by the listeners in different ways, leading to emerging phenomena. We found that the temporal cue seems to play a strong role in the perception of the four vowels by Germans, a role that is not so clear in the perception of [ɛ] or [i] by Argentinians. Our exploratory investigation also suggests that both groups of listeners take the temporal cue in combination with F1 and F2, though the decisive status of those spectral cues appears more clearly in Argentinian identifications. Overall, our analyses suggest that the hybrid nature of both the non-native speakers’ and listeners’ systems will lead to emerging phenomena, as a result of the Complex, Dynamic way in which individual systems have developed. We understand that our findings highlight the need to take both speaker and listener into account when investigating L2 speech intelligibility, thus confirming the dynamic and complex nature of this process.O presente trabalho investiga a inteligibilidade do inglês (L2) falado por aprendizes brasileiros quando percebido por outros aprendizes não-nativos. Avalia-se a inteligibilidade local (MUNRO; DEWING, 2015) de palavras com as vogais [æ] – [ɛ] e [i] – [ɪ]. O trabalho adota uma visão de língua como Sistema Dinâmico e Complexo (DE BOT et al., 2013, BECKNER et al., 2009; LARSEN-FREEMAN, 2017) e utiliza-se de métodos complementares de análise, inferenciais e exploratórios, para investigar (a) a inteligibilidade das palavras-alvo produzidas pelos falantes no presente estudo; (b) as variáveis que têm efeitos sobre a identificação das vogais-alvo; e (c) o papel de características acústicas e relacionadas aos participantes nessa identificação. Foram coletadas produções de seis brasileiros aprendizes de inglês, em três níveis de proficiência, nativos da variedade porto-alegrense de português brasileiro. Dois falantes nativos de inglês canadense forneceram tokens de controle. Foram selecionados 128 estímulos para a tarefa de percepção de escolha forçada. Os 46 ouvintes compunham dois grupos: argentinos nativos de espanhol rio-platense, e alemães nativos de alemão central. Em relação ao primeiro objetivo da presente dissertação, os modelos logísticos de efeitos mistos mostraram efeito da L1 do ouvinte na inteligibilidade de palavras com as vogais [æ] – [ɛ]. Palavras com [æ] foram mais inteligíveis para alemães, e aquelas com [ɛ], para argentinos. A L1 não foi significativa para a identificação correta de palavras com [ɪ], mas o foi para palavras com [i]; alemães tiveram maior acuidade do que argentinos. Em relação ao segundo objetivo, o modelo apontou que L1 constitui variável preditora significativa na identificação de vogais do par médio/baixo, mas não do tenso/frouxo. A variável F1 não foi significativa para a identificação de [æ] e [ɛ], mas o foi para a de [i] e [ɪ]. F2 foi significativa para ambos os pares. A análise estatística foi complementada pela exploratória. Esta última considerou as variáveis estatisticamente significativas, bem como o nível de proficiência dos falantes e a duração das vogais nos estímulos. A análise estatística foi complementada, em relação ao terceiro objetivo, com a análise estímulo-por-estímulo, que sugere que tanto características relacionadas aos participantes quanto pistas acústicas são combinadas de diferentes maneiras pelos ouvintes, levando a fenômenos emergentes. Os resultados indicam que a pista temporal tem um papel forte na percepção das quatro vogais do inglês pelos alemães, papel esse menos claro na percepção de [ɛ] or [i] pelos argentinos. A análise exploratória sugere, ainda, que ambos os grupos de ouvintes tomaram a pista temporal em conjunto com F1 e F2, embora o status decisivo dessas pistas espectrais pareça mais claro nas identificações por argentinos. De modo geral, os resultados do presente trabalho sugerem que a natureza híbrida dos sistemas dos falantes e dos ouvintes não nativos permitiram a emergência de fenômenos, em função da maneira dinâmica e complexa com que cada sistema individual se desenvolve. Entende-se que os resultados apresentados evidenciam a necessidade de considerar tanto ouvinte quanto falante em investigações acerca da inteligibilidade da fala em L2, confirmando, assim, a natureza dinâmica e complexa desse processo

Wolf spider burrows from a modern saline sandflat in central Argentina: Morphology, taphonomy and clues for recognition of fossil examples

Pavocosa sp. (Lycosidae) burrows found in an open sparsely vegetated area on the edge of the Gran Salitral saline lake, in central Argentina, are described. Burrows were studied by capturing the occupant and casting them with dental plaster. The hosting sediments and vegetation were also characterized. Inhabited Pavocosa sp. burrows display distinctive features as open, cylindrical, nearly vertical, silk lined shafts about 120 mm long, subcircular entrances, a gradual downward widening, and a particularly distinctive surface ornamentation in the form of sets of two linear parallel marks at a high angle to the burrow axis. Instead, casts of vacated Pavocosa sp. burrows showed some disturbances caused either by the reoccupation by another organism or by predation of the dweller. Two morphologies are related to reoccupation of burrows: those with a structure in form of an ``umbrella'' and another with smaller excavations at the bottom of the burrow. Predation by small mammals produces funnel-shaped burrows. Both active and abandoned Pavocosa sp. burrow casts are compared with existing ichnogenera and inorganic sedimentary structures, highlighting its distinction. It is argued that key features like the presence of a neck, a downward widening and the described surface texture will allow recognition of wolf spider burrows in the fossil record. However, the putative spider burrows described in the literature either lack the necessary preservational quality or do not show ornamentation similar to the modern wolf spider burrows. Fossil wolf spiders are recorded since the Paleogene (possibly Late Cretaceous), therefore Cenozoic continental rocks can contain wolf spider burrows awaiting recognition. In addition, the particular distribution of Pavocosa sp. in saline lakes may imply that this type of burrow is linked to saline environments.Fil: Mendoza Belmontes, Fatima del Rosario. Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva. Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica. Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Melchor, Ricardo Nestor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Piacentini, Luis Norberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentin

Ichthyological ecoregions of Argentina

The Argentine Republic is situated in the southernmost portion of the American continent, occupying over 2,785,600 km2 not including the Antarctic territory. The country ranges from subtropical areas (21º46’S) to subantarctic regions (55º03’S), extending latitudinally over about 4,000 km. It possesses significant latitudinal and altitudinal variation (33º of latitudinal range, and heights from Bajo de San Julián in Santa Cruz province at 105 m below sea level, up to Mt. Aconcagua, 6,959 m over sea level), as well as two gradients of physical variability, extending in north-south and east-west directions. Owing to these features, the country presents a wide range of climates and soil types, being one of the countries with greatest diversity of biogeographical units (Lean et al., 1990, In: Bertonatti & Corcuera, 2000). There are four main hydrographic systems: Río de la Plata basin, the Atlantic and Pacific drainages, and several endorrheic systems. Within these basins, the ichthyofaunistic assemblage is well represented, with different magnitude in accordance with the different taxonomic groupings and regions considered. From an ichthyogeographic standpoint, and according to the works of Ringuelet (1975) and Arratia et al. (1983), Argentina is included in the Brasilic and Austral Subregions. The first of these is represented by two domains: the Andean Domain, comprising the southernmost portion of Titicaca Province, and the Paranensean Domain, including part of Alto Paraná and Paranoplatensean Provinces. The Austral Subregion is represented in Argentina by the Subandean-Cuyan and Patagonian Provinces. The present survey indicates that there are about 441 fish species in Argentina, distributed throughout the country; this number represents less than 10% of the total fish species occurring in the Neotropical Region. There is a recognizable trend of faunal impoverishment, both in North-South and East-West direction, reaching its maximum expression in the provinces of Tierra del Fuego (situated at approximately 52º30’S to 55ºS, and 65ºS to 68º50’W) and San Juan (approximately 28º50’S and 67ºW to 70º45’W), which have 4 and 5 fish species respectively. In north-south direction, one of the regional indicators of this phenomenon is the Salado river basin in Buenos Aires province, which constitutes the southern distributional boundary for the majority of the paranoplatensean ichthyofauna; 12 of the families occurring in the Paraná-Plata system are absent from this pauperized paranensean ichthyofaunal assemblage. Most of the continental fish fauna of Argentina belongs to the primary division of Myers (1949), while some elements are included in the secondary division and others in an amphibiotic or ‘marine penetration’ category. This ichthyofaunistic scope encompasses a wide range of morphological, biological, ecological and ethological types (benthic and pelagic, migrating and sedentary, haematophagous or parasites, annual species, inhabitants of plains or heights, estivation-adapted, etc.) inhabiting different regions within the national territory

Alberto Ginastera\u27s Twelve American Preludes : descriptive analysis and performer\u27s guide

This monograph presents a detailed descriptive analysis and performer’s guide for Alberto Ginastera’s Twelve American Preludes Op.12. The author emphasizes the study of specific compositional and pianistic techniques for the performer who wishes to develop a deeper understanding of this remarkable twentieth century work. Equally important is the attempt to develop a greater appreciation of the importance and contributions of one Argentina’s greatest composers

Y Wladfa Gymreig:Outbound diasporic tourism and contribution to identity

Diasporic tourism is acknowledged as a powerful force in travel, but there has been more focus to date on inbound forms. Significant outbound Welsh diasporic tourism takes place to the colony known as Y Wladfa Gymreig in Argentinean Patagonia, founded in 1865. The Welsh Patagonian example is interesting because it is a settlement-based phenomenon, which has had less academic focus than those centred on ‘homecoming’. Travelling to a place of dispersion may also generate strong cultural attachment and emotional connection, particularly where identity politics in the origin has become diluted through globalisation. Using Bond and Falk’s tourism and identity-related motivation theoretical framework, we examine tourists who have visited this unusual destination. Questionnaires with potential tourists as well as interviews with visitors are combined with a research visit to the region to investigate the framework aspects of identity development; identity maintenance and identity moderation and reconstruction. Attributes that framed identity construction were experiencing Welshness, personal connections, events, nostalgia, novelty, language, and loyalty. We also found the potential for such visits to unsettle identity, so that ultimately articulation of ‘home’ is far from being fixed or permanent in the tourism context. These findings illustrate the dynamic and hybrid nature of identity, and the importance of tourism in its negotiation

Sunset Boulevard in Spanish Performance: Translations on the Musical Stage

This article focuses on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Sunset Boulevard (1993), in order to present some relevant aspects of the production and reception of musicals both in an original and a target context. The study will first describe the eventful creative process of this musical text in its Anglophone source contexts, and will then move on to examine it from the perspective of its performance in Spanish translation. Recently translated for a Spanish-language production staged in Tenerife in 2017 (soon followed by another one in Argentina in 2018), Sunset Boulevard is a good example of the powerful impact that the importation of Anglo-American musicals has had in Spain in recent decades (see Mateo 2008) while it also serves to illustrate interesting aspects of the evolution and current situation of musicals’ production in this country. This macro-level study will therefore examine Lloyd Webber’s musical performed in sung translation, addressing it from a contextual standpoint and with a focus in Spain, with the aim of contributing to a deeper knowledge of theatre translation when it involves musical plays

Genetic differentiation of North-East Argentina populations based on 30 binary X chromosome markers

Alu insertions, INDELs, and SNPs in the X chromosome can be useful not only for revealing relationships among populations but also for identification purposes. We present data of 10 Alu insertions, 5 INDELs, and 15 SNPs of X-chromosome from three Argentinian north-east cities in order to gain insight into the genetic diversity of the X chromosome within this region of the country. Data from 198 unrelated individuals belonging to Posadas, Corrientes, and Eldorado cities were genotyped for Ya5DP62, Yb8DP49, Ya5DP3, Ya5NBC37, Ya5DP77, Ya5NBC491, Ya5DP4, Ya5DP13, Yb8NBC634, and Yb8NBC102 Alu insertions, for MID193, MID1705, MID3754, MID3756 and MID1540 Indels and for rs6639398, rs5986751, rs5964206, rs9781645, rs2209420, rs1299087, rs318173, rs933315, rs1991961, rs4825889, rs1781116, rs1937193, rs1781104, rs149910, and rs652 SNPs. No deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed for Posadas and Corrientes. However, Eldorado showed significant values, and it was found to have an internal substructuring with two groups of different origin, one showing higher similarity with European countries, and the other with more similarities to Posadas and Corrientes. Fst pairwise genetic distances emerged for some markers among the studied populations and also between our data and those from other countries and continents. Of particular interest, Alu insertions demonstrated the most differences, and could be of use in ancestry studies for these populations, while INDELs and SNPs variation were informative for differentiation within the country

The celebrity factory: new modes of fashion entrepreneurship

The aim of the paper is to analyze the contribution of celebrity culture to the re-shaping of the fashion industry, distancing from an oppositional view while embracing a systemic one, where celebrity is considered a fundamental engine of the contemporary cultural production of fashion and a global consumerist culture. The scope of our paper tries to overcome the endorsement point of view to address the relationship between celebrity and fashion as a two-way relationship which is re-wiring the fashion industry. The paper will explore the multiple manifestations of the so-called celebrity brand labels, from Kim Kardashian to Victoria Beckham

Diatom and Invertebrate Assemblages in High Altitude Saline Wetlands of the Argentinian Puna and their Relation to Environmental Factors

Aquatic biota in high altitude Andean wetlands is exposed to extreme environmental conditions that influence ecological parameters at population and community levels. We analyzed changes in occurrence, taxa richness and relative abundance of diatom and invertebrate assemblages in four saline wetlands located at the same altitude (approx. 3,330 masl), in the Salar de Antofalla (Catamarca, Argentina). Biological samples were taken seasonally during a 1-year period, together with water variables, which were used in ordination techniques to characterize the sites. Water ionic content and biological variables, such as microcrustacean abundance and diatom richness, were evaluated as possible factors affecting the assemblages’ distribution. The wetlands ranged from meso- to hyperhaline habitats and showed distinctive morphological, physical and chemical characteristics. Diatoms (42 taxa) and invertebrates (15 taxa) were collected from all sites, and diatom taxa richness was negatively correlated with water conductivity. According to multivariate analysis, the distribution of both communities was significantly explained by water hardness, whereas copepod abundance also influenced the diatom flora. We conclude that, at the same altitude and, consequently, UV radiation exposure, variables related to ionic content and/or biological parameters of the aquatic habitat may act as determinants of the biota distribution in these extreme environments.Fil: Colla, Maria Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Catamarca. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Catamarca; ArgentinaFil: Lencina, Agustina Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Catamarca. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Catamarca; ArgentinaFil: Farias, Maria Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; Argentin