Hello everyone

Then I will make my intervention to the questions posed in the course forum.

According to previous experiences you had when translating different texts from
English to Spanish and viceversa I would like you to share with us:

1. How did you feel when translating the text in terms of responsibility?

Honestly, I felt a bit surprised and scared because I had to deliver a good translation
which would meet the expectations of my tutors. I remember that at that moment my
mind went blank because I did not know how to start translating the text. Initially I
asked the teacher for help, but he told me that I should try to do the activity alone, as
this would put the skills and abilities I had acquired throughout the course to the test.
So I breathed for 10 seconds, I calmed down and I decided to translate that text in the
best possible way, I considered the activity as a personal and professional challenge
and not as an obligation. When I finished my translation, I understood that the only
way to learn and overcome limits is by facing my fears and putting my knowledge to
the test.

2. How long was the text you had to translate?

 For the translation of that text, it took me about 2 days, relying on physical
dictionaries and my notebook, I also allocated a room away from noise and
distractions.

3. What was the main topic of the text? 

The adventures of little red riding hood and the antics of the big bad Wolf

4. Which problems did you have to face in terms of grammar, vocabulary,

spelling and punctuation? 
The part that was very difficult for me when making my translation was the
punctuation marks, since their use must be very precise and consistent when locating
them or they may distort the meaning of our message a bit. On the other hand, I had
many problems with the vocabulary, because during the classes and my learning
process I had acquired a good number of words with their respective meaning, but
when I found myself in front of such a punctual and specific text I confused some
words, also identified terms that they were new to my vocabulary.

On the other hand, I had a difficulty with capital letters, this was due to the fact that in
my academic training I adopted a method of writing with sustained capital letters, but
in English grammar this is not acceptable.

Lastly, I made some mistakes with the grammar rules, I confused verb tenses,
misplaced prepositions and conjunctions within some sentences.

Finally, I can say that this activity was very satisfactory, because despite all the
shortcomings and mistakes that I presented in my work, I obtained a very gratifying
assessment, but the most important thing is that I lost a little fear of being wrong and
took a risk by presenting a document that It was addressed to my teachers and which
was evaluated by people invited to the cultural week.

5. Did you require extra help? 

Definitely yes, I need a lot of help when translating that text, but I was only able to rely
on books and my notes, as my teacher considered it pertinent that I carry out the
activity based on the knowledge and skills I acquired throughout the course.

On the other hand, I consider that the help of experts or translation professionals will
never be abundant, since this activity requires a lot of experience and knowledge of
the foreign language, mistakes and errors will always be present, but you must have a
lot of patience and concentration at the moment to make interpretations of a
language.

6. Were you used to translate it literally (the first thing that sprang in your
mind)?

Honestly no.
I had done some simple translations, sometimes I just had to give a brief summary or
conclusion, and this was not that complicated; But facing such a complex issue as the
translation of texts requires a lot of commitment and responsibility, since from the
lines that I will capture in the document and according to the coherence and
structuring that I implement for it, my work will be valued .

7. What are your strengths and weaknesses in English in terms of grammar,

vocabulary, spelling and punctuation?

I consider that my strengths in the foreign language is the appropriation of new

vocabulary, I am characterized by being a person who is constantly learning, I try to
learn new words every day and relate them in sentences or mental texts, I like to create
poems and try to compose songs with the words I learn.

Another of my strengths is pronunciation, I like to read texts, stories and sing in English
and although sometimes I do not know the pronunciation of some words I try to
pronounce them and then I investigate their correct form to compare my degree of
success.

Additionally, I have many drawbacks with punctuation marks, this part is very difficult
for me, since I add commas and periods where they have no place and this alters the
meaning of my sentences. I also consider that I have difficulty listening, since I confuse
the sounds of similar words; But I believe that this can be improved after constant
listening practice, only then can I sharpen my hearing and be able to differentiate the
sound of each term.

8. Would you mind giving us an advice or recommendation for having in mind at

the moment of translating? 

Although I am not an expert in English translation, I consider that the best

recommendation to ensure effective learning and good performance when
interpreting texts and documents is to practice daily. It is necessary that we transform
this activity into a habit and not an academic obligation, since the mind is an organ
that adapts to changes and itineraries and is capable of processing and storing
information in long-term memory.

In the same way, I consider it pertinent to include reading, writing, listening and
speaking habits in our daily activities; Without a doubt, this is the best way to enrich
our minds and increase our IQ, in addition, learning a second language helps us to
acquire tools for life, understand how the world works from new cultures and provide
knowledge for the development and growth of our country.

Thank you for your attention.

Cordially, Naryi Lucia Castro Monsalve

CAU San Vicente de Chucuri

VI English Degree

Good Morning Everyone, I hope you are all doing great!

Today´s forum is very interesting; I am glad to share this space with you.

- How did you feel when translating in terms of responsibility?

I felt kind of happy because for me the exercise of translating is awesome. The fact
to imagine that you are like bridge between two languages and you transmit the
same message to anyone is fascinating. I have realized that translating from a
language to another does not have to be in the same way, thus we have focus on
the message, the idea is to understand and then translate but keeping in mind the
mean of the original message.

It is such a big responsibility that you have when translating, you are responsible to
make others understand what the speaker wants to say with their speech. I
remembered that once I went out to eat with a group and there was a Swedish
man who invited me to translate for him. I felt nervous at first because I had not
much experience translating but I knew that I had do it in order to make people
understand and feel what the man was saying.

 
I have also translated texts for university students who asks me to help them out
with it. Most of them already know that teachers can find out when they translate
from google translator, therefore, they ask me like; hey Yan, can you help me with
this text? Although it is a favor, I know that I have to do it well, no matter whose is
the text or what it is for, I feel the responsibility to do it well, it helps me improve
this ability as well.

During a translation exercise, you are responsible in all terms to make others
understand what someone is saying to them, it is not just say what the other says
but be able to perform and express the gestures so you can me connected and
speak as if the speech is yours.

- How long was the text you had to translate?

The last text I translated was short, it was from a friend of mine that asked to help
her with her homework. 

I want to share It with you, so this was the text I had to translate from Spanish to
English, indeed it was shorter than expected, however, the exercise of translating is
perfect to improve:

Villa de Leyva

Es un municipio colombiano ubicado en el departamento de Boyacá.  La

temperatura promedio de Villa de Leyva es de 18 °C. Para llegar a Villa de Leyva
depede del lugar de origen. por lo general se llega hasta Tunja y de ahí se toma un
bus hasta el municipio.

Los principales lugares de interés son la plaza principal, el museo casa Anonio
Nariño, Los Pozos azules y la Casa Terracona. La zona arida es indispenbles para
montar cuatrimoto.  Las principales debilidades como lugar turístico.

This was my translation:

Villa de Leyva

It is a Colombian municipality located in the department of Boyacá, the average

temperature of Villa de Leyva is 18°C.
The route to get there depends on the place of origin. Generally, people arrive to
Tunja and then they take a bus to Villa de Leyva. The most popular places are the
plaza principal, the museum casa Antonio Nariño, Los Pozos Azules and the house
Terracona. The arid zone is perfect to take a ride.

 The principal weaknesses as a touristic place are the expensive prices for
accommodation, and also that the town is very small. 

-What was the main topic of the text?

The main topic was to describe this Colombia municipality in terms of location,
weather and touristic places to visit.

- Which problems did you have to face in terms of grammar, vocabulary,

spelling and punctuation? 

The most difficult I had was the vocabulary. It happens frequently when I translate
because where I work, I have to do it as one of my duties, so it becomes a
challenge for me to find the correct words and terms in order to keep the main
idea of the message. Nevertheless, I felt a relief because I know that I am improving
and that is rewarded. 

- Did you require extra help? 

Not at all, I just looked up for some words in the internet but that was it.

- Were you used to translate it literally (the first thing that sprang in your
mind)?

No, I am aware of the fact that translating literally may create misunderstanding,
hence, I always try to translate the same idea of the message so receptors can
receive the message properly.

- What are your strengths and weaknesses in English in terms of grammar,

vocabulary, spelling and punctuation?
My strengths are spelling and punctuation, I love writing and reading a lot,
however I always feel that I lack of vocabulary and I try to learn new words but then
I don´t keep using the and tend to forget all them easily.

- Would you mind giving us an advice or recommendation for having in mind

at the moment of translating?

The best advice that I can give guys when translating is to keep in main the idea.
This exercise may look difficult at first but it requires responsibility and language
management, that is why we have to improve in terms of grammar and oral skills as
well.

It is not hard at all but it takes time and patience to develop this ability. Translating
is also part of our English learning process, we have to encourage ourselves and
keep learning new vocabulary, correcting spelling and punctuation ad much as we
can. Finally, you should never miss the opportunity to translate anything when it
comes to you. We can all make millions of mistakes but we can never make the
same millions of times.

God bless you all!

Yan Carlos Muñoz Sariego

Lic, Inglés VI Semester

Kind regards,

There are six different spellings for each verb tense in

Spanish, depending on the subject, but English verbs are
altered by suffixes for each tense.
They usually come after the noun in Spanish, but before the
noun in English. Spanish adjectives are also altered by the
gender and number of the noun, but English adjectives never
change.
False cognate Imagine accidentally translating “groseria” for
“grocery” when it means gross or crude, or “embarazada” for
“embarrassed” when it means pregnant!
To conclude this first topic, it is also important to keep in mind that one
communicative function can be expressed by several different forms, and in
the same way, one form can express various functions, and that despite this
lack of one-to-one correspondence between form and function, some expert
material and textbook designers have found it useful to establish clear
functional labels to some specific forms as there are some conventional ways
to achieve certain specific communicative goals.