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kellymellars · 04-12-2008, 09:07 AM

vicente from the US,
Would you be very surprised if I told you I am also writing from the US?
I was born in Lima, Peru, but have lived most of my life in English speaking countries. 13 yrs in England and 13 yrs in US. I have also lived in Athens, Greece, and in Venezuela. In fact I am both a British citizen, and an America resident.
My husband is English, a writer, and fluent in spanish. In fact, after your critique of my last email I discussed the translation with him, and with a US writer. They both agreed that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the English in the translation.
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Wow, your email is quite long, but since you asked for it here goes my reply,
I think your translation is good, and so is mine.

Translating such a badly written email was amusing to say the least.
The poor girl must have been in such a state that she did not know who was asking who for telephone numbers.

Having said that let the battle commence...

I tend to agree with you about been too embarrassed to send the email.

But, let's have a look at the email:

As I said before the email is not well written in Spanish. It is ambiguous, so I am not surprised that there is more than one opinion in the English translation.
The email literally means ... I don't know if I did the right thing by not asking him for his phone number, and waiting for him to ask Rick or me for it.
I don't care which way you look at it this is what the English translation for the text is. That's perhaps why Laura and I have translated it that way.

whose phone number ?

1. Alex is obviously not going to ask for his own phone number. Although by the way cfletcher8's friend writes you could think that Alex is, because that is what she is saying literally.
2. Alex could ask for the friend's phone number, or
3. Alex could ask for Rick's phone number

Now, if you want to take the liberty to edit it according to what you think she might have said, that's OK. I assume that's why you added your opinion in brackets.

I don't want to go that way as that would only be presumption, since there are two or even three possible answers. And although I have a strong idea that she means her own phone number, I can not say for certain.
And just for the sake of an argument I could even conclude from what she wrote that Alex has v. bad memory and he does not remember his own phone number. Hey Alex could be over 55 yrs old! She could even be saying "I don't know if I did the right thing by not asking Alex for his phone number (as he doesn't remember it, anyways) and waiting for him to ask Rick or me for it (as he doesn't remember it). I know he has already asked Rick, but I was very sad, you know (that he could not even remember his own phone number)
Far fetched? perhaps, but by the unclear way she wrote she left us open to many conclusions.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You said:
In that regard I believe my version would be better understood in the U.S.
I say:
Shall we take a vote?

I did not agree with the 'American Idol's elimination of Michael Johns
My favourites are: David Archuleta, Carly Smythson, and Jason Castro, which are yours?

04-12-2008, 09:07 AM	#10
kellymellars Forum User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 82 Rep Power: 66	vicente from the US, Would you be very surprised if I told you I am also writing from the US? I was born in Lima, Peru, but have lived most of my life in English speaking countries. 13 yrs in England and 13 yrs in US. I have also lived in Athens, Greece, and in Venezuela. In fact I am both a British citizen, and an America resident. My husband is English, a writer, and fluent in spanish. In fact, after your critique of my last email I discussed the translation with him, and with a US writer. They both agreed that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the English in the translation. -------------------------------------------- Wow, your email is quite long, but since you asked for it here goes my reply, I think your translation is good, and so is mine. Translating such a badly written email was amusing to say the least. The poor girl must have been in such a state that she did not know who was asking who for telephone numbers. Having said that let the battle commence... I tend to agree with you about been too embarrassed to send the email. But, let's have a look at the email: As I said before the email is not well written in Spanish. It is ambiguous, so I am not surprised that there is more than one opinion in the English translation. The email literally means ... I don't know if I did the right thing by not asking him for his phone number, and waiting for him to ask Rick or me for it. I don't care which way you look at it this is what the English translation for the text is. That's perhaps why Laura and I have translated it that way. whose phone number ? 1. Alex is obviously not going to ask for his own phone number. Although by the way cfletcher8's friend writes you could think that Alex is, because that is what she is saying literally. 2. Alex could ask for the friend's phone number, or 3. Alex could ask for Rick's phone number Now, if you want to take the liberty to edit it according to what you think she might have said, that's OK. I assume that's why you added your opinion in brackets. I don't want to go that way as that would only be presumption, since there are two or even three possible answers. And although I have a strong idea that she means her own phone number, I can not say for certain. And just for the sake of an argument I could even conclude from what she wrote that Alex has v. bad memory and he does not remember his own phone number. Hey Alex could be over 55 yrs old! She could even be saying "I don't know if I did the right thing by not asking Alex for his phone number (as he doesn't remember it, anyways) and waiting for him to ask Rick or me for it (as he doesn't remember it). I know he has already asked Rick, but I was very sad, you know (that he could not even remember his own phone number) Far fetched? perhaps, but by the unclear way she wrote she left us open to many conclusions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You said: In that regard I believe my version would be better understood in the U.S. I say: Shall we take a vote? I did not agree with the 'American Idol's elimination of Michael Johns My favourites are: David Archuleta, Carly Smythson, and Jason Castro, which are yours?