Lesson 5 Translation Exercise - Sample Answer

Hello everyone! Here is one possible answer for the translation exercise for Lesson Five. As we know, there are often several options in any given sentence that would be correct. Please post your questions or comments about this exercise here. Thank you!

Activity 1

Translate the following letter from Spanish to English.
5 abril, 11

Señores,

Me dirijo a hustedes para pedirles que me ayuden a encontrar al papá de mis hijos y acerle ayudarme con los gastos que tengo. Él se llama Ángel García Torres y no sé si todavía está en Oregon o no. Tengo dos hijos, Roberto de 6 años y Nícolas de 3 años. Su padre y yo nunca nos casamos pero vivimos juntos durante más de 5 años. Pero él me dejó y se fue y ace 2 años ya que no sabemos nada de él. Me da mucho coraje que se aya ido de esa forma sin informarnos ni siquiera de dónde está o como comunicarnos con él. En verdad, nos dejó en la miseria porque antes él nos mantenía con su trabajo y yo que no tengo estudios me dedicaba a cuidar a los niños. Pero desde entonses he tenido que buscarme la vida solita en trabajos temporales que pagan mal. He pedido ayuda de mis parientes, pero tienen sus propias familias y por eso realmente necesitamos que el papá de mis hijos asuma la responsabilidad que es suya.

Attentamente,

Gabriela Moreno Domínguez

April 5, 2011

Dear Sirs,

I’m writing in order to ask you to help me to locate my children’s father and to make him help me with my expenses. His name is Angel Garcia Torres, and I don’t know if he is still in Oregon or not. I have two sons, Roberto, who is 6 years old, and Nicolas, who is 3 years old. Their father and I were never married, but we lived together for over five years. But he left me and abandoned us, and we haven’t heard from him for two years. The fact that he left in this way, without even letting us know where he is or how to contact him, makes me very angry. The truth is, he left us in complete poverty because he supported us with his job; I don’t have any education, so I took care of the kids. But since then, I’ve had to figure out how to make a living on my own in temporary jobs that pay poorly. I’ve asked my relatives for help, but they have their own families. That’s why we really need the father of my children to take on his responsibilities.

Sincerely,

Gabriela Moreno Dominguez