Swap-bot Time: December 26, 2024 8:50 am
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Google-translate your Winter Holidays

Launch gallery slideshow

Swap Coordinator:pahasiga (contact)
Swap categories: Challenges  Letters & Writing  Seasonal 
Number of people in swap:6
Location:International
Type:Type 2: Flat mail
Rating requirement:4.98
Last day to signup/drop:December 24, 2015
Date items must be sent by:January 14, 2016
Number of swap partners:1
Description:

I had fun with the first google-translation letter in summer, so, I thought to have another one, but this time with a theme - would be nice to hear about how people in other parts of world celebrate their winter holidays! (Incidentally, that's the name for Christmas in Latvian, literally translated - Winterholidays.)

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 about how you celebrated your holidays - what did you do for holidays, are these the traditions common for your country or just for your family, and so on. I recommend typing it into computer. Typewritten, it should be about one A4 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. 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

paraxparaxnoia 12/10/2015 #

Yes! I loved the last one so this should be fun😊😊😊

tatta 12/11/2015 #

Is this swap one person/country or can more people from one country sign up? :)

pahasiga 12/12/2015 #

More than one person per country can sign up - sure, if you get someone who is writing in your own native language you won't get to read some strange language, but on the other side, you will be able to enjoy checking what exactly is translated into what. And quite possibly there are some customs original to your family that the other person would enjoy reading about. Well, unless your partner is your sister living at the same address - then you really risk having less fun than an average participant!

Fever 12/20/2015 #

Best ... swap ... ever !!! I can't wait! :D Oh Google translate, you source of neverending joy!

pahasiga 12/25/2015 #

Yay! We all will get to read about another country not our own! That was lucky, what with two people from Finland and two from Germany. :)

pne 12/25/2015 #

That was indeed lucky! Yay :) Thanks for pressing the "assign partners" at just the right second, when the bot's random-number generator was in the right configuration :)

Fever 12/27/2015 #

Wow, I just wrote my texts and I'm actually amazed at how accurate Google Translate has become! Last time I used it, I just laughed my arse off, but now it got so many idiomatic expressions right! I'm humbled ... :D

pne 12/28/2015 #

It didn't know what "abfackeln" is, though :) (Interestingly enough, Bing Translate had heard of that.)

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