In class we talked about the 3 steps to translating... here's a reminder:
Step 1. Look up your word in the English/Spanish section of your GOOD bilingual dictionary. Many times this will be the only step you need, because a GOOD bilingual dictionary will provide various examples of the word used in context... a definite plus!
Step 2. Look up your word in the Spanish/English section of your GOOD bilingual dictionary. You do this to verify that the word you selected is used correctly in the context that you need for the translation.
Step 3. Look up your word in a Spanish/Spanish dictionary. This allows you the opportunity to see your word definition for native Spanish speakers and if it's a GOOD Spanish/Spanish dictionary it will also provide examples and maybe even synonyms.
Step 4. If you really wanted, you could also invest in a GOOD Spanish Dictionary of Synonyms (un diccionario de sinónimos). This will provide you with another opportunity to see the words used in context and help clarify when to use which word.
ASSIGNMENT: Let's look at the word "took". I'm going to give you 10 sentences in English, translate them into Spanish. HINT... it's not the same verb...
- I took an aspirin.
- I took the book out of the library.
- I took the book back to the library.
- I can't take it anymore!
- It took us 5hrs to get there.
- I took my mother to the store.
- The policemen took my driver's license.
- I took off my shoes.
- I took the wrong road.
- I took my brother's CD.
If you don't have a GOOD bilingual dictionary, here's the link to the site we used in class:
WordReference: Took
I'll post this in the forum on Moodle so that you guys can compare your answers. I'm also interested in seeing what our native speakers write and compare their answers... since they're from different countries.
Feel free to also add your responses here and/or on Facebook to get even more comparisons... I hope!
Namaste,
MLMoore
PS. Did you guys catch the hint about investing in a GOOD bilingual dictionary?
Ciao...
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