Search results for 'tag:Expressions tag:Translation' matching tags 'Expressions' and 'Translation'

Re: Filipinisms/Filipinoisms? Ring a bell?

Mister Micawber — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:07:37 GMT

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I would consider this exercise damagingly prescriptive; most are neither uniquely Filipino nor wrong. However (and my comments refer to AmE/BrE):

1. Free subscription of... (Free subscription toâ¦) - prepo issue-- AmE/BrE uses the collocation subscribe to.
2. Can I speak withâ¦? (May I speak withâ¦) - To sound more polite/ask permission?-- Both OK. 'Can' is more casual but just as common.
3. Come again? (I'm sorry I didn't get quite get that / Excuse me? / I'm sorry would you please say that again?) - English trainers discourage agents to use this because they say that it could mean 'cum again')-- The English trainers are nuts. Come again is common and casual. Your examples in parentheses are overly formal for most situations.
4. It's for free! (It's free. / It's free of charge. / We're sending it to you for free.) - Filipinos have been used to saying 'It's for free'. How do I say that it should be avoided? What makes it wrong?-- Nothing makes it wrong; it's fine.
5. Hold your line/For awhileâ¦ (Would you mind if I put you on hold for a second? / Please hold) - hold your line is absurd. any comment? what about for awhile?-- I agree that 'Hold your line' is not natural in AmE/BrE. 'Please hold' or 'Could you hold, please' is the usual.
6. Open/ close the light/computer (Turn on/off the light/TV/computer) - how do I explain this? it sounds like opening/closing the tv for repair.- This seems to be a direct translation from Spanish? Tagalog? At least, it is the same error that Japanese make.
7. Do you mind waiting? Yes, I'll wait. (No, not at all. / No, I don't mind at all.) - YES is the issue. wrong response. any other feedback?-- 'Yes' is logically wrong but common when the tag ( e.g. 'I'll wait') is also present; speakers seldom have the opportunity to stop and think about the 'Do you mind?' form, and this includes native AmE/BrE speakers.
8. Anything? (Is there anything I can do for you? / How may I help you?) - fragmented, seems vague?-- Yes, it seems vague and fragmentary out of context.
9. I'll ask her an apology. (I'll apologize to her. / I should make an apology.) - this sounds illogical?-- Not a natural AmE/BrE formation.
10. We take lunch. (We eat lunch. / We have lunch (every Sunday).)-- 'Take' seems to be an occasional replacement in this context in many Englishes. It is not an egregious variation.
11. We accept repairs. (This shop repairs cars/cellphones, etc.)-- Seems fine to me.
12. We accept painting jobs. (This shop does painting jobs.)- Quite common.
13. Tuck out (Untuck)- Odd.
14. He was salvaged. (He was assassinated.)-- A new meaning for the word for me, and it is not in the dictionary. Perhaps some confusion with 'savaged'?
15. She delivered her baby yesterday. (She had her baby yesterday. / Dr. Smith delivered her baby.)-- This is fine. From the dictionary-- 'to give birth to: She delivered twins at 4 a.m. '
16. Xerox (Photocopy)-- Very common in AmE at least. Among my generation, 'to xerox' is perhaps more usual than 'to photocopy'.
17. Oppositor (Opposition member)-- A new word for me. Not a bad formation, but perhaps difficult to understand by foreigners.
18. Hand carry (Carry - on luggage)-- A new word, but reasonable.
19. It's traffic today. (Traffic is heavy.) -- It seems vague and fragmentary
20. Senatoriable (Senatorial candidate) -- Odder than #17
21. At around 2pm (At about 2pm) - around is Am? about is Brit?- Very common in AmE; it also appears with this meaning in the Cambridge dictionary.
22. I failed in Accent training. (I failed accent training.)-- A common expression, though I prefer your alternative.
23. We were under Mr. Johnson. (Mr. Johnson was our teacher.) - Filipinos are used to saying 'That student is under my class' so this filipinism has started.-- In context, 'We were under Mr. Johnson' sounds fine, while 'That student is under my class' does not.
24. My brother is taking up law. (My brother is taking law. / My brother is studying law.) -- 'Take up' is common, but means the overall intention, not just the matriculation.
25. Where are you studying? (Where do you go to school? / What school do you go to?)- 'Where are you studying' is fine.
26. Pass by my office before you go. (Drop by my office before you go.) - Brit/Am phrasal?-- Not AmE, at least. 'Stop by' or 'Drop by'.
27. We have one participant only. (We only have one participant.) - should they say 'only one participant'?-- The 'only' can go in several places; at the end is one of those places.
28. I talked to her already. (I already talked to her.) - I need help on adverb order. This confuses all Filipinos and me too. Where should adverbs be placed?- Adverbs are relatively variable in their placement. In this case, both are all OK. More interesting is that AmE uses simple past more consistently with 'yet' and 'already' than does BrE, which prefers the perfect aspect.
29. Will you be at the office at 7am? Actually. (Will you be at the office at 7am? Yes.)-- Not AmE/BrE
30. Actually, I like Jennifer Aniston. (I like Jennifer Aniston.) - Actually/basically has become Filipinos expressions.-- I wouldn't say that it is unique to Filipinos; many AmE speakers develop the habit in various contexts. Too much is too much, however.
31. As per Paul, all request forms should be signed by him. (As per Paul's instructions, all request forms should be signed by him.)-- This is common bizspeak throughout the English-speaking world.
32. Wanted: Sewer (Wanted: Tailor or seamstress)-- Yes, it is certainly open to misinterpretation! But 'seamstress' is sexist.
33. Take home (Take it home / To go. / For take out)-- 'Take home food' seems like a regional variant of 'take out food'.
34. I felt kind of tired. (I felt rather tired.)-- 'Kind of' is very common in informal AmE.
35. As to the projectâ¦ (About the projectâ¦)-- A common formality in most Englishes.
36. Thank you for that/this one. (Thank you for the information. / Thank you.) - I need to send this in a few minutes and I still couldn't think of an explanation. Phrasing sounds awkward to me. But besides getting straight to the point, why did 'for that/this one' make it wrong?-- 'One' is wrongly used; 'information' is uncountable.
37. I do love playing basketball/volleyball. (I love playing basketball/volleyball.) - this may sound right depending on the flow of the conversation, right? e.g. you don't love playing... No, I do...-- You are correct. This is called the emphatic 'do'.
38. Currently, I live in Quezon City right now. (Currently, I live in Quezon City. / I live in Quezon City.) - redundant - now and currently.- Yes, redundant.
39. Actually, I like Microsoft, Symantec and Adobe (I like Microsoft Symantec and Adobe)-- The comma is necessary if Microsoft and Symantec are different softwares.
40. As per Mon, all request forms should be signed by him. (As per Paul's instructions, all request forms should be signed by him.)-- This is the same as #31, and OK.
41. I do apologize (I apologize.)-- This is fine indeed. It is the same as #37, and is more polite than your bracketed alternative.
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Re: I think it will be better if we can meet tomorrow

Avangi — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:02:00 GMT

Jackson6612
I think it will be better if we ~~can~~ meet tomorrow or the day after ~~tomorrow~~. I believe Jane will also be there because she has some leaves before he her next exam. I ~~will~~ would prefer to meet in the evening , and I believe this will also be your preference ~~because at that time you will have some spare time~~. We can meet at the Station because your home is located nearby. Please let me know if this suits you.

Hi Jackson, I notice that many posters use expressions like "she has some leaves." I'm not sure if this is British, or if it comes from translation. In the US, "leave" used to be common in the military, and we use it for special purpose time off, like "administrative leave" or "pregnancy leave" (I can't think of the right adjective) or "bereavement leave." Otherwise, we usually just say, "time off."

The clause about the spare time seems to be more trouble than it's worth.

You may wish to keep the "can," depending on what conversation has gone before. If this is the first mention of an evening meeting, the "can" would probably be more polite. If the possibility of an evening meeting has already been acknowledged by your correspondent, I think it's better without it.

Best regards, - A.

Re: origin and meaning of "cook your own goose"

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:54:57 GMT

It is possible that Johnathan Huss may have been at the center of this. Huss was a Catholic priest in the 17th century and rallied against the church to be more open to the people, let them read the bible, a more open church. Like Martin Luther, who rallied for the same causes, Huss was eventually burned at the stake. In those days the translation of Huss in old German was 'goose', so when Huss was burned the expression may have come from that. Huss called his followers Moravians because they were from an area near Czeslovakia(I know I spelled that wrong). The Moravian church was THE first reformed Protestant religion and his followers layed low. In 1741, Count Zinzindorf from the old country named Bethlehem, PA on a Christmas Eve and the town became a large Moravian community. Moravian College is in Bethlehem with a bust of Johnathan Huss. There are many structural Moravian sites in town that have been standing since the 18th century. It is beautiful at Christmas as Moravians celebrate Christmas like no other religion.

Re: translation into English: text 11/03 (Patrick)

MrPedantic — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:10:37 GMT

Hello Hela, yes, it's nice to see you too! I'm not posting here much at the moment, because my pc is defective; but I hope to be re-kitted-out shortly...

Hela
Actually I wrote "he was leaving for Ireland for work", is it wrong too?

I think that would be ok too.

Hela
2) Do you accept
a) "he was going to work in Ireland as soon as
- his exams were [had been = wrong?] over
- he finished / had finished his exams

Yes, all fine except "had been".

Hela
b) "he was goint to work in Ireland right after
- he finished / had finished his exams
- he would finish / would have finished (?) his exams
- his exams would be / would have been (?) over"

- Is it also possible to use the present, even though it's reported speech, since the period referred to has not happened yet?

Only the first two versions. The present would be fine.

Hela
a) "he called me to say that he is going to Ireland as soon as
his exams are / have been (?) over OR he finishes / has finished (?) his exams

All ok except "have been over".

Hela
b) "he called me to say that he is going to Ireland right after
- he finishes / has finished his exams
- his exams will be over
- he will finish / will have finished his exams"

Only the first two.

Hela
3) Je ne me rappelles pas l'avoir entendu dire...
Are hearing and having heard both possible here? What's the nuance betwenn them?
"I don' / can't remember ever hearing / having heard (?) him talk about such daring plans"

I think it's a difference in focus: "hearing" is more immediate, "having heard" more remote. But I don't think it's a significant difference, for most users.

Hela
) Moi aussi j'aimerais beaucoup aller travailler en Irlande.
Which tenses should be used here, please?
a) I would quite / really like to work in Ireland as well (possible ?)
b) I wish I could work / I wish I worked in Ireland
c) I wish I went (?) to Ireland to work as well / too.

Not "quite"; and I would change it to "go to work in Ireland"; and for me, b) and c) wouldn't quite capture the original. (Expression of a wish, rather than a desire.)

Hela
5) Is this use of pronoun acceptable ?
"One doesn't want to let everybody know what they want to do" ? Is "they" ambiguous or incoherent here, or is it all right ?

If "they" refers to "one", it's a little unusual; I would repeat "one".

Hela
) On se connaÃ®t depuis si longtemps, lui et moi
Even though it is not necessary to translate "lui et moi" in English would you say:
"It has been a such a long time since we have known one another, he and I [and not "him/he and me" ?

Not "it has been a such a long time"; perhaps "We have known each other for such a long time". If you had to translate "lui et moi", "he and I" would best suit the register.

Hela
7) Il n'est pas nÃ©cessaire de mettre tout le monde au courant de ce qu'on a envie de faire. Il y a des tas de gens qui rÃªvent bruyamment d'accomplir de grandes choses et ne sortent jamais de chez eux. Quant Ã son niveau d'anglais, un sÃ©jour de deux mois ne peut que l'amÃ©liorer.

a) Would you translate this passage this way?

"you don't have to / you neednât / there's no need to tell everyone what youâre up to / want to do / feel like doing all the time. Lots of people dream aloud (?) about accomplishing / achieving (?) great things they're going to do and then never give it a try (?) / make it real (?). As for his English, a two-month stay / sojourn (?) in England can but / just (?) improve it.

That's a bit too difficult to answer, in that form â there are so many permutations!

Hela
b) What you meant by the following:
My idea would be as yours, except:

"...to keep everyone posted...have grandiose ideas about accomplishing great things but never leave home...can only improve it."

is that you would not use "to keep everyone posted", "have grandiose ideas..." and "can only improve it" ?

Sorry, I meant I would use those phrases instead, in the relevant parts.

Hela
What's the meaning of "to harp on about something" then? How would you use it?

If I say that you're harping on about X, I mean that you are obsessively talking about X, in an irritating and excessive way. (It sounds quite tetchy.)

Have a good Wednesday!

MrP

Re: Google translation

Kooyeen — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:37:12 GMT

CalifJim
The student looked up "fly" and found "mosca" in the dictionary. Not realizing it was the insect "fly", he then constructed a sentence in Spanish intending to say that on his next vacation he was going to "fly" to Madrid. If you know Spanish, it may be funnier, because he actually attached the correct verbal ending on the noun! Voy a moscar a Madrid.

LOL, that's what happens when you don't have the slightest idea how to express a certain concept in another language. Dictionary, direct translation... total nonsense. That's why I believe every learner should use a monolingual dictionary "for learners", where everything is explained simply and there are plenty of examples to learn from. That way you are much less likely to use a simple verb or word the wrong way, because the most common usage patterns are highlighted.
Direct translation is what most automatic translators do, so as long as there are no machines with artificial intelligence that are able to learn a language like a human, automatic translations will always be of bad quality. I tried translating that text with Google... In Italian, you would understand the general meaning, what they are talking about, but some expressions are almost meaningless. Not too bad anyway, I thought it would come out worse, LOL. And "Employs" was translated as "gives work to" in Italian too...

EDIT: Ok, I'm going to post the translation, in case "some Italians" come across this thread.
L'autore, N. Taiwo, dÃ lavoro a un approccio molto singolare che svela le cause alla radice (fattori) che producono o erodere il rispetto tra le persone. Il risultato Ã¨ un potente rivelazione che offre una profonda esaminare comportamento umano e processi di pensiero che rimodellare il lettore sta pensando.
Il concetto di rispetto Ã¨ presentato in una nuova luce e prospettiva, e una forte caso Ã¨ fatto sul ruolo rispetto svolge nella definizione e promozione di successo nella vita. Genitori, giovani, adulti e giovani professionisti stand trarre enormi benefici da questo innovativo e intrigante all'autoresponsabilizzazione libro sul rispetto.

The underlined parts are where there is something wrong (either the term, or the grammar, or something missing).

Re: Preposition: For

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:04:23 GMT

Words have many meanings and uses. For to doesnÂ´t exist in English as one is trying to put a preposition in front of a infinitive verb.This is a very common translation error in Spanish.For- is used in questions about the purpose ,destination beneficiaries What is this for? I left for Mexico. Here is a gift for you. He had potatoes for dinner.For is used in time expression concerning the duration over a period of time. For + length of time (for ages) (for a month, day, year, week, 5 hours etc)For all = notwithstanding , even if (For all I know he is crazy.) For= considering that (ItÂ´s a fine day for mid-DecemberFor = in favor of, on the side of, ( He is for going to the park) or ( I am for the death penalty)But for = a negative condition, exception or absence. I would have got here on time but for the traffic jam.For can be a conjunction: For connects a fact with its cause Mary went home, for she was sick.They are late, for they got lost.Common collocations of FOR: apologize for, blame for, care for, excuse for , fight for, forgive for, hope for, pay for, pray for, substitute for thank for vote for, bad for, difficult for eager for, easy for, good for ,grateful for, hard for, hungry for, known for, prepared for, qualified for, ready for, remembered for, responsible for, sorry for, suitable for, thirsty for, for example, for the love of God. for instance.

Re: Preposition: For

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:02:48 GMT

Words have many meanings and uses. (For to) doesnÂ´t exist in English as one is trying to put a preposition in front of a infinitive verb.This is a very common translation error in Spanish.For- is used in questions and concerns the purpose ,destination and beneficiaries What is this for? I left for Mexico. Here is a gift for you. He had potatoes for dinner.For is used in time expression concerning the duration over a period of time. For + length of time (for ages) (for a month, day, year, week, 5 hours etc)For all = notwithstanding , even if (For all I know he is crazy.) For= considering that (ItÂ´s a fine day for mid-December)For = in favor of, on the side of, ( He is for going to the park) or ( I am for the death penalty)But for = a negative condition, exception or absence. (I would have got here on time but for the traffic jam.)For can be a conjunction: For connects a fact with its cause Mary went home, for she was sick.They are late, for they got lost.Common collocations of FOR: apologize for, blame for, care for, excuse for , fight for, forgive for, hope for, pay for, pray for, substitute for, thank for, vote for, bad for, difficult for, eager for, easy for, good for ,grateful for, hard for, hungry for, known for, prepared for, qualified for, ready for, remembered for, responsible for, sorry for, suitable for, thirsty for, for example, for the love of God. for instance.

Re: When to use 'of' and when 'for'?

Damir — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:25:58 GMT

So..'for' is never used. Thanks for clearing this up.

I searched in google for both expressions and there were a few results for 'for'. Maybe some non-english speaker wrote that, as I would if I didn't ask you, I don't know. 'Of' sounds familiar to me, but I thought that 'for' could be used too, because direct translation from my language will be 'for' (actually we don't have a word of as you have). I know that direct translation can't be used in most cases, but this didn't sound odd to me.

Thanks again

Could someone correct my cover letter?

Anieta — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:14:12 GMT

Hello!

I am a French translator, and I know that my cover letter needs revision, as this is the first time I apply in English and I am not at ease with idiomatic expressions. I would like to apply today, so if you can go over it as soon as possible, I would appreciate very much.

Please do not hesitate to make corrections and to give me some suggestions.

Thank you in advance!

Anieta

Dear Sir/Madam:

Your posting for an English to French freelance translator grabbed my attention as I am currently launching myself as a freelance translator, and after going through your Web site with great interest, I decided to apply to offer you my services.

I possess a trilingual University degree in translation from a French University. After working for the last 5 years as an in-house translator in various companies in Montreal, I decided at the beginning of this year to work as a freelancer as I believed I had gained enough experience and skills to deal with my own business.

Over the years, I developed strong abilities in translation, proofreading as well as in editing, in various fields such as marketing, advertising, subtitle translation and web site localization.

I handle French language perfectly and I am always trying to render the message with right idiomatic French words and expressions adapted to the audience.

Furthermore, I am a multi-tasking person with a strong creative sense and I love taking initiatives. With each freelance project I undertake, I guarantee high quality work delivered on or before deadline and prompt response to your phone calls and emails. I do believe that my skills would be a valuable asset to your company I can currently devote about 30 hours a week to you.

For more detailed information please refer to my enclosed resume. I would appreciate a personal interview at your earliest convenience.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

No country for old men

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:31:57 GMT

Can somebody tell explain the meaning of the expression "no country"...I am trying to translate it into another language and I feel that I am loosing something

in translation: the title was translated in my first language as it is, with "country" having the meaning of "nation" or "State"...Is this right?