English#

Original:

I sit in my house when all is quiet, typing with my hands and wandering with my head. The whole world is opened up by my mind, but I never seem to have enough time.

Corrected: (Lee is studied English in college before becoming a language addict.)

When all is quiet, I sit in my house typing with my hands and wandering with my head. The whole world is opened up by my mind, but I never seem to have enough time.

French#

Original:

Je s'asseois en mon maison quand tout est silencieux, typais avec mes mains et parcourissais avec ma tête. Le monde entier ouvrisse de mon espirit, mais je ne semble jamais avoir assez temps.

Corrected:

Quand tout est silencieux, je m'asseois dans ma maison en typant avec les mains et en parcourissant don la tête. Le monde entier s'ouvre par mon esprit, mais il ne me semble jamais d'avoir assez de temps.

Spanish#

Original:

Esto sentado en mi casa cuando todos están quieto, tipía con nuestros manos y vagaba con mi cabeza. El todo mundo abrí por mis mente, excepto nunca pareco estar bastante tiempo.

Corrected:

Cuando todo está silencioso, Etoy sentado en mi casa tipando con las manos y vagabundeando en la cabeza. El mundo entero se abre por mi mente, pero nunca me parece tener tiempo suficiente.

Lessons Learned#

In English, always try to use the active voice over the passive voice, not only does it sound better and stronger, but in this instance it eliminates confusion.

In French and Spanish, when you're talking about your body parts (and presumably other very obvious things) you don't say "my hands", you just say "the hands." They know what you mean.

In French, you use "of" a whole lot. You don't have "enough of time," not "enough time."

In general, the "-ing" verbs that I used in this letter are not the "Imperfect" (Strawberry) tense but are a modified tense whose name I have forgotten write down. Note to self: Look in the dictionary when you get home.

In general, to help out in translation try to translate the English in a more basic form with less inferences. Example: "I never seem to have" becomes "It seems to me that I never have." Basically, when you have a string of verbs, turn them into objects verbing on other objects.

In Spanish, "vagabundeando" is an awesome word, take the opportunity to use it if you can.

In general, try to translate the same in the different languages. (In French I had "the entire world", but in Spanish I had "all the world.")

In Spanish, "bastante" means "enough," but of the variety like "make sure I have enough" when asking for more tea. On the other hand, "suficiente" has the connotation of "enough/sufficient" and it is what you want.