The (en) vs. la (es)
The question is: how likely is it that a sentence with an indefinite article in English would translate into Spanish with a definite article?
Specifically, consider the following situation. A book about medieval Spain describes how a local Jewess, in violating the contemporary norm, visits the town market (I am not discussing whether this is historically true, only the linguistic part). Somebody recognizes her, and yells "Look, there is a Jew here!". If that passage is translated into Spanish, should the indefinite article, like in English (una) or definite (la judia) be used? This is the first time this person appears in the market (and in the text), and there are no other Jews around in the market at that moment.
Thanks!
Specifically, consider the following situation. A book about medieval Spain describes how a local Jewess, in violating the contemporary norm, visits the town market (I am not discussing whether this is historically true, only the linguistic part). Somebody recognizes her, and yells "Look, there is a Jew here!". If that passage is translated into Spanish, should the indefinite article, like in English (una) or definite (la judia) be used? This is the first time this person appears in the market (and in the text), and there are no other Jews around in the market at that moment.
Thanks!