I am taking a hard Spanish class this summer, will you help?

Question

(This is one sentence! The paper was written in 1998-so I wonder why the language seems so archaic)

In spanish:
Durante el imperio de Maximiliano en México, estas islas recientemente pobladas, Cozumel y Mujeres, dependían de Yucatán y como tal se realizó durante el corto tiempo que duró esta dificil situación un viaje de inspección por parte del Prefecto político, para conocer como están los colonos dos décadas y media después del repoblamiento.

my translation:
During Maximiliano’s empire in Mexico, the recently populated islands, Cozumel and Mujeres, were dependent on the Yucatan and so it happened during that short time and in that difficult situation, that a political Prefect conducted an inspection tour, to see what two decades of settlers (colonos=settlers) and average after the repopulation.

Answer 1

I think the spanish version requires some commas, and is a little bit confusing and whoever wrote it was a bit redundant and gramatically wrong (though it's not archaic at all);

Durante el imperio de Maximiliano en México, estas islas recientemente pobladas, Cozumel y Mujeres, dependían de Yucatán, y POR ELLO ("como tal" is nonsense here, if anything it should be "como tales", but still, it's wrong), se realizó durante el corto tiempo que duró esta dificil situación un viaje de inspección por parte del prefecto político, para conocer como están ("la situacion de", i would say, instead of "como estan") los colonos dos décadas y media después del repoblamiento.

Which I would translate as;

During Maximiliano’s empire in Mexico, the recently populated islands, Cozumel and Mujeres, were dependent on the Yucatan, and because of it, an inspection tour was conducted by the political prefect for the time this difficult situation lasted, in order to acknowledge the situation of the settlers right after two decades and a half of repopulation (re-settling, maybe).

But your translation could make it through too, it's perfect, considering that the spanish version is a bit confusing, and sometimes, plainly wrong.

Answer 2

I would not say it's archaic, but the grammar on your sentence is really twisted!

Anyway, you did a good job in translating this as complicated as it is. I will cut, paste and then correct it with what I think might be improved...

During Maximiliano’s empire in Mexico, the recently populated islands, Cozumel and Mujeres, were dependent on the Yucatan and so during the short time that this difficult situation lasted, an inspection tour have been conducted by the political Prefect, to know how were the settlers two decades and a half after the re population.

The passage in Spanish has a tense mistake that I didn't reproduce on the translation. If you want to be "literal" you should put ...to know how "are" the settlers... (instead of ...how "were"...).

As said by micky s, you don't have to change "short time". It is correct.

Answer 3

The first part is perfect, I will rewrite the second with some changes: after Yucantán...
"therefore, during the short time that this difficult situation lasted, a political Prefect conducted an inspection tour, to see how the settlers were doing after two and a half decades of repopulation"
That is the meaning of the Spanish text, which is a bit confusing and too long a paragraph, I read it various times to get the correct meaning. You can change the English I send but that is what it says.

Answer 4

It is Ok except the last sentence after the comma.

to see the situation of the settlers after two and a half decades of repopulation.

Answer 5

Everything is correct, just try removing "the" before Yucatan. and at the end try: to see how the settleres were two and a half decades after repopulation.

Answer 6

hola como estas, i think that you did it well.
if oyu want tu practice your speanish with me just send me a message to [e-mail]
please i need help with my englis too!!!
what you say!!???

Answer 7

Don't change "short time"

Answer 8

Your translation is right.You need to change the words ''short time'' to ''cut time''.