Lesson 3 Translation Exercise - Example answer

Hello everyone,

Here is a possible answer to the translation exercise for Lesson Three. You all did a very good job on the homework last week. I am not posting possible answers for each step because that is highly individual and depends on each person. If you have any questions about our comments or feedback on your approach to the translation process, please post a comment here. I will be posting only one possible way to create the final draft for this source text. We encourage you to use this forum (Discussion of Past Homework Assignments) to share your thoughts about last weeks quiz and exercises: where were the challenges? What did you learn? What still feels confusing or difficult? Do you feel like following the steps of the translation process will help you to improve?

Gracias a todas,

Elyse

Translation Exercise 1:

Complete the following translation using the five steps of translation outlined in this lesson. Show your products and/ or actions at each of the following steps:

1. The words you look up and decisions you make in Step 2 (Confirming Meaning)
2. Your first draft
3. The problems you discover in your first draft and decisions you make to fix them in Step 4 (Editing)
4. Your final draft
5. Any changes you made to your final draft after your final check.

Source Text:

16/04/11
A Quien Corresponda:

El motivo de mandarles esta carta es por la razón de que quisiera que mi caso sea llevado a corte, yo que quiero hacerme los examenes de ADN para establecer la paternidad de Enrique López y que este mismo pueda llevar mi apellido, también la razón por la que deseo que mi caso sea llevado a corte, es para poder tener tiempo de crianza compartido. Yo vivía en otra parte cuando supe que el niño nació y asta ahora no emos establecido la paternidad, entonces para seguir adelante es necesario saber si soy yo el padre o no.

No de CSP: 047000001
No de caso: 201108

Por favor necesito hablar con ustedes. Atentamente,

Héctor Rodríguez Prieto

1. Confirming Meaning:

Here we were looking to see that you showed which words or phrases you were unsure about how to translate, what possible answers dictionaries or other sources gave you, and how you planned to translate them. 5 points

2. First Draft:

The first draft was graded for completion and not correctness. We wanted to see that you had applied the ideas you'd decided on in the first step and translated each part of the source text. 10 points

3. Editing:

In this step we expected you to list words or phrases from your first draft that you identified as needing work and give an explanation about how you planned to change them. 5 points

4. Final Draft:

This is the only past of the exercise that we graded as we normally grade translation exercises. Worth 20 points.

Possible answer:

April 16, 2011

To whom it may concern,

I’m writing this letter in order to request that my case be taken to court. I want to take a DNA test to establish the paternity of Enrique López so that he can use my last name. The other reason I would like my case to be taken to court is in order to have shared parenting time. I was living elsewhere when I found out that the child was born, and we have not yet established paternity. Therefore, in order to move forward, I need to know if I am the father or not.

CSP number: 047000001
Case number: 201108

I would really like to speak with you. Sincerely,

Hector Rodriguez Prieto

5. Final Check:

Here, we just wanted to see your thought process about having completed the final check. Did you re-read your final draft carefully? Did you check grammar and spelling? Did you make any last minute changes to the final draft? 5 points