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Assimil Using Spanish - A Cautionary Note | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| luke Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 7204 days ago 3133 posts - 4351 votes  Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Esperanto, French | Message 49 of 59 17 April 2013 at 9:12pm | IP Logged | ||
I expect Assimil to do that. But, while you were writing the above question, I, in the meantime, updated my post and asked you to do exactly that for the entire lesson 53. Should we really have to ask for a translation? I think not. It should be correct in the book already. Here's the bulk of what I added in that update in the other post: Assimil Using French is an example of a properly done advanced book. The English version of Using Spanish has several grammatically incorrect translations. I would never describe a book with lots of grave grammatic errors in translation as "the best" or "fantastic". I like Using Spanish, but it has got a lot of unnecessarily bad translations. You would do us a service by providing us with your best English translation of lesson 53. There are other lessons I would ask for the same on, but I'm sure you would be too busy because it's likely to be a lot of work, or too embarassed, because your translations, if accurate and idiomatic, won't be much like what's in the book for that lesson. I don't mean I agree with all the criticism in the thread, but a blanket statement that the book is fantastic is not true if fantastic includes criteria such as accurate and understandable translations. There are tiny errors in most Assimil books, and they are easily forgivable. Things like the note points to the wrong paragraph or something like that. Using Spanish is in an entirely different category. Grave, grammatically incorrect errors in translation! Edited by luke on 17 April 2013 at 9:16pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Expugnator Hexaglot Senior Member Brazil Joined 5165 days ago 3335 posts - 4349 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, Norwegian, French, English, Italian, Papiamento Studies: Mandarin, Georgian, Russian | Message 50 of 59 17 April 2013 at 9:12pm | IP Logged | ||
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I see your point luke. At this level of learning, though, I don't think a non-idiomatic translation would do that harm. I'm not saying this shouldn't be fixed though.
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| James29 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5374 days ago 1265 posts - 2113 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French | Message 51 of 59 17 April 2013 at 9:28pm | IP Logged | ||
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Look, this is a highly idiomatic paragraph. They did a translation with very extensive notes explaining the translation. The notes on this quoted section are longer than the entire translation. Is there anybody who could not read the English translation and notes and not completely understand what the highly idiomatic Spanish means? Bravo to Assimil for endeavoring to teach things that are so hard to translate.
Also, I cannot think of a self study course that teaches more advanced Spanish. FSI Basic is close, but very different (I believe FSI is superiior, but does not teach as "advanced" vocabulary and grammar). What self study course teaches more advanced Spanish? 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| luke Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 7204 days ago 3133 posts - 4351 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Esperanto, French | Message 52 of 59 17 April 2013 at 9:34pm | IP Logged | ||
I'm hoping Perfecionnement Espagnol, (Using Spanish from a French base), will be that course. I'm hopeful I'll be able to understand the French translations better of the Spanish better than I can those that are in English. Seriously, I bought Perfecionnement Espagnol in France in a bookstore and I hope to begin using it in the next few weeks. Edited by luke on 17 April 2013 at 9:36pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| luke Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 7204 days ago 3133 posts - 4351 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Esperanto, French | Message 53 of 59 17 April 2013 at 10:05pm | IP Logged | ||
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By the way, here is a translation of Using Spanish lesson 53 into idiomatic English I did once. Edited by luke on 17 April 2013 at 10:08pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| James29 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5374 days ago 1265 posts - 2113 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French | Message 54 of 59 17 April 2013 at 10:31pm | IP Logged | ||
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Yes, I had read your translation. It sounds better in English, but would likely require even more notes than the Assimil translation in order to explain things.
I will definitely agree with you that if someone is fluent in both French and English that French is probably the better option for this book. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| kanewai Triglot Senior Member United States justpaste.it/kanewai Joined 4888 days ago 1386 posts - 3054 votes Speaks: English*, French, Marshallese Studies: Italian, Spanish | Message 55 of 59 18 April 2013 at 12:28am | IP Logged | ||
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I'm starting the same course next month, Luke - we'll have to compare notes! I peaked
ahead to Lesson 53 after reading this thread, and it looks confusing in French, too. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Andy E Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 7102 days ago 1651 posts - 1939 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French | Message 56 of 59 11 September 2013 at 3:43pm | IP Logged | ||
Then, on that at least we can agree. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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