Help translating dialogue into Spanish for YA novel

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if there might be someone who would be willing to help me with my YA novel. There is a Latina (Mexican American) teen in my novel and she likes to throw a little Spanish into her mostly English dialogue. I had my sister and brother--both fluent Spanish speakers--help with the first half of the novel, but since my brother just started a stint with the Peace Corps and my sister just moved from the States to New Zealand, neither is available to help me in the near future.

I actually have an editor who asked to see the manuscript after an SCBWI open-mic. After finishing the novel I emailed him that it was finished and asked for details about how he might like it sent. I didn't expect to hear back from him for months and thought I'd have plenty of time to finish the last bit of dialogue translation in a month or so when my siblings were available. However he got back to me in about 5 minutes! So I said I'd send it soon. Hence the scramble to REALLY get it finished.

Ideally it would be awesome if someone with the same cultural heritage as my character wanted to read the whole thing and give me last minute feedback as well as translation help, but I could also just pull out the phrases I'd like to have translated and send those along to someone willing. The entire novel is only 40,000 words--to let you know what you'd be getting into if you agreed to a full critique.

Anyway, I'd appreciate all the help I can get!

SaraP said:

Hi Lunawriter, I would suggest asking the folks in the spanish thread and adding a link to your post here.

Hope you get the help you need.

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Thanks so much, Sara! I'll do that.

DamaNegra said:

If you still need help with that, maybe we could come to an agreement, I'm a professional translator.

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Thank you for the offer. I think I may have found somebody to do a manuscript exchange. Even though she is not a native Spanish speaker I think it will be fine. It's only about 14 words total that need to be translated.

Good, solid point, vigilante.

I guess I was sort of hoping for a new Chicana critique partner. But I may yet do as you suggest.

Well, some dialogue has changed a bit so I do need some help with a few words if anyone would be willing. The words in red are the ones I'd like to have translated into Spanish if possible. Thanks!


“Well, if you change your mind I’ll point out the kids who could use it most.” She grabbed my shoulders, “C’mon, I want you to meet my aunt.”

“Bienvenido a mi casa” She said. Pull up a chair, eat, stay. She smiled.

I do sometimes wonder what the baby would have looked like, you know?

But I can’t imagine having a baby right now.


Luckily Lucinda and I take after our papas.


When you kick their asses for lying, I mean.”

I mean, not even a slap on the wrist or anything? It sucks.”

And anyway I need you to help me fix my truck.