Swap-bot Time: March 28, 2024 7:29 pm
www.swap-bot.com

Just google-translate it!

Launch gallery slideshow

Swap Coordinator:pahasiga (contact)
Swap categories: Letters & Writing 
Number of people in swap:6
Location:International
Type:Type 2: Flat mail
Rating requirement:4.98
Last day to signup/drop:August 3, 2015
Date items must be sent by:August 24, 2015
Number of swap partners:1
Description:

I have seen often enough the suggestion to use Google Translate in order to understand a foreign language, and having tried translating my Estonian-languaged blog... well... I thought we could maybe have some fun with it!

For this swap, you need to be fluent in two languages - English and some other - enough in both for a penpal letter.

First, write a letter to your partner in the non-English language. I recommend typing it into computer. Typewritten, it should be about a page long, not (much) more, so as not to make second step too time-consuming. Free feel to use idioms, slang, etc, to make translating more fun!

Second, translate that letter into English, not necessarily word-for-word, but precisely enough to count as a translation of a literary work. Do not use Google Translator in this step! You may use dictionaries, of course. You may want to use footnotes if some phrase needs a longer explanation, just like sometimes one can see in translated books.

Third (and please do it after you have translated your original letter yourself, so as not to have unwelcome influences!), copy your first letter into Google Translator and let it translate the letter for you. Adding: Don't change anything. If it leaves some words untranslated because it can't chew through a composite word with two suffixes, so be it.

Send to your partner all three versions of the letter. Don't forget to mark which one is which! Most comfortable way for fulfilling the swap is obviously to have the letters printed from computer, but if you have no possibility to do that, you may also write by hand.

Please be sure you don't mind receiving typed letters.

No swappers with unexplained low ratings, no 1s owned to active swappers, no double or underage profiles, or other kinds of questionable swappers, please. You are welcome to PM me (with proof of course) if you spot any in my swap.

Discussion

pahasiga 07/26/2015 #

When you receive your set of letters, I recommend starting with first letter (if only to see a totally strange language), then continue to third, and at last read the second. Hopefully, it will be fun to compare the two English versions and understand that, for example, "Martini was a Pakistani-designed t-shirts" actually means "in the package there was a t-shirt designed by Martin". (This explains why I don't link to my blog on my swap-bot profile.)

paraxparaxnoia 07/26/2015 #

Haha, this sounds like a fun swap, I'm in :D Finnish via Google translate is actually quite terrible so I'm looking forward to reading it myself :D

benevolentghost 07/26/2015 #

I'm not proficient enough in anything other than English, but I'd LOVE to receive this from a native speaker of another language. If anyone is willing to do a private swap, let me know and we can work out an equitable trade :)

pahasiga 07/27/2015 #

Ha, @paraxparaxnoia - if one of us got another as partner, it would be fun trying to read the original letters, as my language is Estonian! Reminds me of how I stared once in Tiimari at an item suggesting to me in Estonian (or so it seemed) to "dispose of your scrawny cat" (actually "decorate your gift bag" in Finnish). Just like Google Translator but without any computer!

MiniQuilt 07/27/2015 #

In English I know 3 different alphabets: English, Braille, and American Sign Language. Would I be able to join if I were to write in either braille of ASL?

pahasiga 07/27/2015 #

Hm, are you able to feed either of them into Google Translate?

paraxparaxnoia 07/31/2015 #

@pahasiga That sounds like dear old Google Translate, though I must say on rare occaion it does make sense, if you kinda use your imagination XD people always say Estonian and Finnish are so alike but really, I have no idea what anything in Estonian means and the only thing I do remember is mererööveli and 'Mammut oli siin' from my few trips to Tallinn. I don't think I'd pass as a native :D

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Click here to log in.

I received the item
I sent the item

Received from:
For multiple members, separate names with spaces

Description: