Written Translation Exercise - "Venezuela"

Question

This week's exercise is a cultural note that will briefly introduce you to Venezuela. It is not that complicated, but is lengthy, and is intended for upper-level-beginner to intermediate learners. However anyone is welcome to participate. Do your best to translate these three paragraphs, then post your answer. Even if you understand parts of it, post your attempt. Making mistakes is the only way to learn something new. Keep in mind that since others may have already posted an answer, you could look at their answers first... but... Where's the fun in that?

El ejercicio de esta semana es una leccion breve que le va a introducir al Venezuela. No es complicado, pero es largo, y por esta razón está pensado en los participantes que ya hayan aprendido algo del otro idioma. Sin embargo, todos están invitados a participar. Haz todo lo posible por traducir estos tres párrafos, y luego pon tu respuesta. Inténtalo, aún si no lo entiendas enteramente. Equivocarse es la única manera de aprender algo nuevo. Tenga presente que haya otros que ya han puesto una respuesta. Entonces, pudieras verlas primeramente... pero... ¿Será tan divertido eso?

For a look at the answer to my previous translation exercise, click here. There was good participation and good feedback. I appreciate that. Corrections, comments and suggestions are always welcome!

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Venezuela

Conocer Venezuela puede asemejarse a realizar un viaje alrededor del mundo. ¿Qué encontrará? Quizás a un indígena cazando con lanza en la selva, a una señora bien vestida comprando en una lujosa boutique, a varios visitantes bailando al ritmo de un tambor africano en una fiesta nocturna, y a un muchacho envolviéndose en su poncho para protegerse del viento de la montaña mientras corre a juntar sus ovejas.

Los venezolanos descienden en su mayor parte de indios, españoles y africanos. A partir de la segunda guerra mundial, muchos emigrantes europeos procedentes de Italia, Portugal y España han venido a formar un sector importante de la población. Y al observador no puede menos que impresionarle la cantidad de jóvenes que se ven por todas partes.

Venezuela, situada en la costa septentrional de Sudamérica, es una tierra de grandes contrastes. Por un lado están los 2.800 kilómetros de costa caribeña acariciada por las brisas tropicales, y por otro, las montañas coronadas de nieve y las selvas exuberantes. No solo hay llanuras extensas (conocidas como los Llanos), sino también cataratas de impresionante belleza, como la de Cuquenán, con una caída de 600 metros, y el Salto del Ángel, la cascada más alta del mundo, que se precipita 979 metros y es alimentada por un río subterráneo que nace en la rocosa meseta superior. Caracas, la capital, es una moderna metrópolis de unos cuatro millones de habitantes, que cuenta con modernos centros comerciales y está unida al interior gracias a una excelente red de carreteras. No obstante, hay cientos de miles de personas que contemplan la prosperidad de esta ciudad desde los vecindarios ilegales de los cerros.

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I have included figures in metric units since the forum has an international membership. In your translation, you may choose to convert these to US standard units or keep the metric, or both.

Tip: Click on 'watch this question' (seguir esta pregunta) to receive notifications of comments that will be added to your answers. In about a week I will choose my favorite and post some learning points. Have fun!

Update: Click here for the 'answer'!

• Thanks for providing this chaparrrito. It's always great to do these sorts of excersizes, but sometimes its hard to find people willing to check all your work! - aceydoubleyo Aug 16, 2010
• ¡No hay de queso, no más de papa! :) - chaparrito Aug 16, 2010
• Great exercise. I lived there in the '70's and saw much of that, went camping in the Llanos, drove into the mountains, saw snow in the tropics. Times have changed, though, and not for the better. - KevinB Aug 19, 2010
• Thank you very much chaparrito - sanlee Aug 20, 2010
• Interesting that this article completely avoids any of the controversial politics of Venezuela. I am very interested to know what Venezuelans think of Hugo Chavez. From what I know of him, it weems like he has done a lot of good for his country(cont'd). - sagiia Aug 20, 2010
View 6 more commments >>

Answer 1

Becoming acquainted with Venezuela can be similar to making a trip around the world. What will you find? Perhaps an Indian hunting with a spear in the jungle, a well dressed lady shopping in a luxurious boutique, several tourists dancing to an African drum at a night time party, and a shepherd boy wrapping himself in his poncho to protect himself against the mountain wind as he runs to herd his sheep together.

The people of Venezuela are descended mostly from native Indians, the Spanish and Africans. Since the Second World War, many Europeans from Italy, Portugal and Spain have emigrated to Venezuela and have come to form an important sector of the population. And the observer can not help but be impressed by the quantity of young people everywhere.

el Salto de Angél

Los Llanos

Venezuela, located on the northern coast of South America is a land of stark contrasts. On one side are the 2,800 kilometers of Caribbean coastline caressed by tropical breezes, and on the other there are snow-capped mountains and lush forests. Not only are there extensive plains (known as the Llanos) but also breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls, such as Cuquenán, with a drop of 600 meters, and Salto del Angél (Angel Falls), the world's highest waterfall, which plunges 979 meters and is fed by an underground river which rises in the rocky plateau above. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis of some four million inhabitants, with modern shopping centers and is connected to the interior thanks to an excellent network of roads. However, there are hundreds of thousands of people who gaze wistfully down upon the prosperity of this city from the slums (illegal neighborhoods) in the surrounding hills

Caracas is located in a valley. Many people without affordable housing end up in one of the slums in the surrounding hills.

• I bolded the changes I made. That first phrase "conocer Venezuela" was difficult to say in English. Hope my new phrase works. - sagiia Aug 20, 2010
• i made one change that you had not suggested. I was not happy with look down upon for contemplar. I think I found a better way to say it. Please tell me what you think of gaze wistfully upon. - sagiia Aug 20, 2010
• "Look down upon" was good and an exact translation. But "gaze wistfully upon", although not implied by that word, is definitely more colorful. I like it! :-) - chaparrito Aug 25, 2010

Answer 2

Venezuela

Knowing Venezuela can seem like making a journey around the world. What will you find? Maybe an indian spear-hunting in the jungle, a well-dressed lady shopping in a luxurious boutique, some tourists dancing to the beat of an African drum at a night -time party, and a lad wrapped in his poncho to protect himself from the mountain winds while running to round up his sheep.

Venezuelens are, for the most part, descended from indigenous peoples, Spaniards and Africans. At the end of World War 2, many European immigrants coming from Italy, Portugal and Spain came to form an important sector of the population. And the observer can only be impressed by the amount of young people who come from all over the place.

Venezuela, situated on the northern coast of South America, is a land of great contrasts. On one side there are 2,800 kms of Carribean coastline caressed by tropical breezes, and on the other, snow-topped mountains and lush jungles. Not only are there extensive plains (known as the Llanos), but also amazingly beautiful waterfalls, like the Cuquenán, with a fall of 600 metres, and the Salto del Ángel (the Angel's Leap), the highest waterfall in the world, with a fall of 979 metres and which is fed by an underground river springing from the rocky platuea above.

The capital Caracas is a modern city of 4 million inhabitants, which has modern commercial centres and is linked to the interior thanks to an excellent network of roads. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of thousands of people who provide the prosperity of this city from illegal neighborhood in the hills.

• oops I missed out his spear, didn't notice it among all the words! - galsally Aug 16, 2010
• also, I don't know about my translation of contemplar but found this here http://dictionary.reverso.net/spanish-english/contemplar - galsally Aug 16, 2010
• I like the way you translated the part about the shepherd boy. It's very picturesque. - sagiia Aug 16, 2010
• gracias saaglia. :) - galsally Aug 17, 2010
• Nicely done! I like the wording about the shepherd boy also. Take a look at my comments below on your answer. :) - chaparrito Aug 25, 2010

Answer 3

Ok, so no laughing peoples But here's my attempt:

(I'm sure that beginning "seem to mean" isn't the correct translation but I couldn't come up with what it might be :( Also I had to break one of the sentences into two - The Angel Falls one as it was just too long in English.- hope that's ok )

Venezuela

Conocer Venezuela puede asemejarse a realizar un viaje alrededor del mundo. ¿Qué encontrará? Quizás a un indígena cazando con lanza en la selva, a una señora bien vestida comprando en una lujosa boutique, a varios visitantes bailando al ritmo de un tambor africano en una fiesta nocturna, y a un muchacho envolviéndose en su poncho para protegerse del viento de la montaña mientras corre a juntar sus ovejas.

Getting to know Venezuela can seem to (might?) mean a trip around the world. What will you find? Perhaps an Indian spear hunting in the jungle, a well dressed woman shopping in a luxurious boutique, several (a group of?) visitors dancing to the rhythm of an African drum at a late night party and a boy wrapping himself in his poncho to protect himself against the wind from the mountain while running to herd his flock together.

Los venezolanos descienden en su mayor parte de indios, españoles y africanos. A partir de la segunda guerra mundial, muchos emigrantes europeos procedentes de Italia, Portugal y España han venido a formar un sector importante de la población. Y al observador no puede menos que impresionarle la cantidad de jóvenes que se ven por todas partes.

The Venezuelans are descendants for the most part from the Indians, Spaniards and Africans. Since the Second World War, many European immigrants coming from Italy, Portugal and Spain have come to form an important sector of the population. And the viewer can not but be impressed by the number of young people that can be seen everywhere.

Venezuela, situada en la costa septentrional de Sudamérica, es una tierra de grandes contrastes. Por un lado están los 2.800 kilómetros de costa caribeña acariciada por las brisas tropicales, y por otro, las montañas coronadas de nieve y las selvas exuberantes. No solo hay llanuras extensas (conocidas como los Llanos), sino también cataratas de impresionante belleza, como la de Cuquenán, con una caída de 600 metros, y el Salto del Ángel, la cascada más alta del mundo, que se precipita 979 metros y es alimentada por un río subterráneo que nace en la rocosa meseta superior. Caracas, la capital, es una moderna metrópolis de unos cuatro millones de habitantes, que cuenta con modernos centros comerciales y está unida al interior gracias a una excelente red de carreteras. No obstante, hay cientos de miles de personas que contemplan la prosperidad de esta ciudad desde los vecindarios ilegales de los cerros.

Venezuela, located on the northern coast of South America is a land of stark contrasts. On one side there are 2,800 miles of Caribbean coastline caressed by tropical breezes, and on the other, snow-capped mountains and lush forests. Not only are there extensive plains (known as Los Llanos) but also breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls, such as Cuquenán, with a drop of 600 meters. Also the Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, which plunges 979 meters and is fed by an underground river which rises in the rocky plateau above. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis of four million inhabitants that has modern shopping centers and is attached to the interior thanks to (by means of?) an excellent road network. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of thousands of people who look over the prosperity of this city from illegal neighborhoods in the hills.

• I'm certainly not laughing. :-D Well done! And breaking up sentences in English is a good habit to get into when translating from Spanish. - chaparrito Aug 19, 2010
• thanx Chapparito :) - Kiwi_Girl Aug 25, 2010

Answer 4

Venezuela

To know Venezuela can be likened to accomplishing a trip around the world. What will you find? Perhaps an indigenous person hunting with a spear in the jungle, a well-dressed lady shopping in a luxerious boutique, various visitors dancing to the rythm of an African drum at a night-time party, and a little boy wrapping himself in his poncho to protect himself from the mountain wind while running to gather with his sheep.

The Venezuelans descend primarily from Indians, Spanish, and Africans. From the Second World War on, many European immigrants hailing from Italy, Portugal, and Spain have come to form an important section of the population. And the observer couldn't be less impressed with the quantity of youths that can be seen everywhere.

Venezuela, located on the northern coast of South Africa, is a land of great contrasts. On one side there is 2,800 km of Caribbean coastline carressed by the tropical breezes, and on the other, the mountains crowned with snow and the exuberant jungles. Not only are there extensive planes (known as the Llanos), but there are also waterfalls of impressive beauty, like that of Cuquenan, wiht a drop of 600 m, and el Salto del Angel (Angel's Leap), the most beautiful cascade in the whole world, which plunges 979 m and is fed by an underground river that comes from the rocky tableua above. Caracas, the capitol, is a modern metropolis of 4 million inhabitants that count on modern commercial centers [malls?] and is united in the interior thanks to an excelent network of highways. Nonetheless, there are hundreds of thousands of people that view the prosperity of that city from the illegal neighborhoods of the hills.

• Corrected my spelling errors... little embarrasing, haha! - aceydoubleyo Aug 16, 2010
• ah that's what the beginning bit meant, very nice :) I just kept drawing a blank :( - Kiwi_Girl Aug 16, 2010
• hey Acey - did you check back on that other post that 'alquiler' does in fact exist - but don't feel bad I just discovered it today too lol :) - Kiwi_Girl Aug 16, 2010
• No... it exists and means the "to rent"? - aceydoubleyo Aug 16, 2010
• I googled it... how strange that there is an -ar and -er version of the same verb! - aceydoubleyo Aug 16, 2010
View 2 more commments >>

Answer 5

Venezuela

To know Venezuela canbe similar to making a trip around the world. What will you find? Perhaps an Indian hunting with a spear in the jungle, a well dressed lady shopping in a luxurious boutique, several tourists dancing to an African drum at a night time party, and a shepherd boy wrapping himself in his poncho to protect himself against the mountain wind as he runs to herd his sheep together.

The people of Venezuela are descended mostly from native Indians, the Spanish and Africans. Since the Second World War, many Europeans from Italy, Portugal and Spain have emigrated to Venezuela and have come to form an important sector of the population. And the observer can not help but be impressed by the quantity of young people everywhere.

el Salto del Ángel

Venezuela, located on the northern coast of South America is a land of stark contrasts. On one side are the 2,800 kilometers of Caribbean coastline caressed by tropical breezes, and on the other there are snow-capped mountains and lush forests. Not only are there extensive plains (known as the Llanos) but also breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls, such as Cuquenán, with a drop of 600 meters, and Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, which plunges 979 meters and is fed by an underground river which rises in the rocky plateau above. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis of four million inhabitants, with modern shopping centers and is connected to the interior thanks to an excellent network of roads. However, there are hundreds of thousands of people who look down upon the prosperity of this city from the slums (illegal neighborhoods) in the surrounding hills.

Caracas is located in a valley. Many people without affordable housing end up in one of the slums in the surrounding hills.

• that last pic really helps to understand the last sentence thanks saaglia. :) - galsally Aug 16, 2010
• (I didn't change your text, just fixed the link that had spaces in it. Search the Answers forum for "spaces urls". There's a really helpful thread about that problem. :) - chaparrito Aug 16, 2010
• I agree with galsallys comment. - fatchocobo Aug 16, 2010
• Gracias Chaparrito. I edited and re-edited so many times and I still couldn't get them all to show up at the same time. I finaly gave up. - sagiia Aug 16, 2010
• I fixed the links again. Check your PM for an explanation of why they weren't working. :) - chaparrito Aug 18, 2010
View 7 more commments >>

Answer 6

Venezuela

Getting to know Venezuela can be like taking a trip around the world. What will you find? Perhaps a native hunting with a spear in the jungle, to a well dressed woman shopping in a luxurious boutique, to visitors dancing to the rhythm of an african drum in a party at night, to a boy wrapped up in his poncho to protect himself from the mountain wind while he runs to herd his sheep.

Venezuelans descend mostly from Indians, Spaniards, and Africans. Since the second world war, many european emigrants from Italy, Portugal, and Spain have come to form an important part of the population. The observer cannot at least be impressed with the number of young people that can be seen everywhere.

Venezuela, situated on the northern coast of South America, is a land of great contrasts. On one side is 2,800 kilometers of caribbean coast, blessed by tropical breezes, and on the other side, the mountains capped with snow and lush jungles. There is not only extensive plains (known as the Llanos), but also waterfalls of impressive beauty, like the one in Cuquenan, with a drop of 600 meters, and the jump of the angel, the highest waterfall in the world, that falls 979 meters and is fed by an underground river that comes from the upper plateau. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis of around 4 million people that comes with modern shopping centers, and is connected on the interior by an excellent system of roads. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of thousands of people who look upon the prosperity of this city from the illegal neighborhoods of the hills.

• Nice job! You got a few details correct that others had missed. Check out my comments on your post below. :) - chaparrito Aug 25, 2010
• Nice revision! Next time post your revision separately because when I get around to choosing my favorite, I can't "accept" my own answer even if you have edited it. :) - chaparrito Aug 27, 2010
• I didn't think of it that way. I'll keep that in mind for next time. - fatchocobo Aug 27, 2010

Answer 7

Here is the revision. I am pretty sure what I gave you is the original, although I admit it took me a few tries to get back to what I thought was the first version. And when I 'self corrected' I think I used another persons translation as the model. I was confused. Thank you so much for doing this exercise. It has been very helpful and I appreciate your time.

To get to know Venezuela can resemble a trip around the world. What will you find? Perhaps, an Indian hunting with a spear in a jungle or a well dressed lady shopping in a luxury boutique, and various visitors dancing to the rhythm of an African drum at a night party, and a boy wrapping up in his poncho to protect him from the wind while he runs to gather his sheep.

The Venezuelans descend for the most part from the Indians, Spaniards, and Africans. Following the second World War many European immigrants from Italy, Portugal, and Spain have come to form an important sector of the population. And the observer, cannot be anything but impressed by the number of young people everywhere.

Venezuela located on the Northern coast of South America is a land of great contrasts. On one side, there is 2800 kilometers of Caribbean coast caressed by the tropical breezes, and the other, the mountains crowned with snow and the exuberant jungles. Not only are there extensive plains (known as the llanos), but also waterfalls of impressive beauty, like the one at Cuquenán, with a drop of 600 meters, and el Salto de Ángel (Angel Falls) the largest waterfall in the world which plunges 979 meters and is fed by the underground river which rises in the rocky plateau above. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis of some 4 million inhabitants which has modern shopping malls and is joined to the interior thanks to an excellent road network. However, there are hundreds of thousands of people who contemplate the prosperity of this city from the slums in the hills.

• Excellent! Take a look at my comments below. :) - chaparrito Aug 25, 2010

Answer 8

Conocer Venezuela puede asemejarse a realizar un viaje alrededor del mundo. ¿Qué encontrará? Quizás a un indígena cazando con lanza en la selva, a una señora bien vestida comprando en una lujosa boutique, a varios visitantes bailando al ritmo de un tambor africano en una fiesta nocturna, y a un muchacho envolviéndose en su poncho para protegerse del viento de la montaña mientras corre a juntar sus ovejas.

Los venezolanos descienden en su mayor parte de indios, españoles y africanos. A partir de la segunda guerra mundial, muchos emigrantes europeos procedentes de Italia, Portugal y España han venido a formar un sector importante de la población. Y al observador no puede menos que impresionarle la cantidad de jóvenes que se ven por todas partes.

Venezuela, situada en la costa septentrional de Sudamérica, es una tierra de grandes contrastes. Por un lado están los 2.800 kilómetros de costa caribeña acariciada por las brisas tropicales, y por otro, las montañas coronadas de nieve y las selvas exuberantes. No solo hay llanuras extensas (conocidas como los Llanos), sino también cataratas de impresionante belleza, como la de Cuquenán, con una caída de 600 metros, y el Salto del Ángel, la cascada más alta del mundo, que se precipita 979 metros y es alimentada por un río subterráneo que nace en la rocosa meseta superior. Caracas, la capital, es una moderna metrópolis de unos cuatro millones de habitantes, que cuenta con modernos centros comerciales y está unida al interior gracias a una excelente red de carreteras. No obstante, hay cientos de miles de personas que contemplan la prosperidad de esta ciudad desde los vecindarios ilegales de los cerros.

Mi tradución:

Going to Venezuela can seem like going in a trip around the world. What will we find? Maybe an indigenous person hunting with a spear in the jungle, to a well dressed woman shopping art a luxury boutique, to some visitors dancing to the rhythm of an African drum at a nighttime party, and to a little boy wrapping himself in a poncho to protect against the wind from the mountains while running to gather his sheep.

The Venezuelans are descended in large part from Indians, Spaniards and Africans. Through part of the second World War many European immigrants came from Italy, Portugal and Spain and have come to form an important sector of the population. And the observer cannot be unimpressed by the quantity of young people everywhere.

Venezuela, situated on the northern coast of South America, is a land of huge contrasts. One one side there is 2,800 km of Caribbean agricultural coastline with tropical breezes, and the other side, the mountains crowned with snow and lush jungles. there are not only extensive plains (known as the llanos), but also breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls, like the Cuquenán, which falls 600 meters, and the Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world, ....(this part made my head hurt, sorry..........Caracas, a modern metropolis of some 4 million inhabitants, has modern commercial centers and is unified in the interior thanks to an excellent network of roads. However, there are hundreds of thousands of people who provide the prosperity of the city despite the illegal neighborhoods in the hills.

• Impressive! Check out my comments on your translation below. :) - chaparrito Aug 25, 2010

Answer 9

Well, this is my attempt. I have not looked at any other answers!

All comments are welcome, regarding both my translation and my grammar, as English is not my mother tongue.

Thank you in advance!

Venezuela

Getting to know Venezuela can be similar to going on a trip around the world. What will you find? Maybe a native hunting with a lance in the forest, a well-dressed lady shopping in a luxurious boutique, various visitors dancing to the rhythm of an African drum at a night party and a man wrapping himself in his poncho to protect himself from the wind of the mountain while running to gather his sheep.

In their major part, the Venezuelans descend from indigenous people, Spanish and Africans. Since the Second World War, many European immigrants originating from Italy, Portugal and Spain have come to form an important sector of the population. And the observer can do nothing else but get impressed by the quantity of young people that can be seen in all places.

Venezuela, situated at the northern coast of South America, is a country of big differences. On one side there are the 2,800 kilometers of Caribbean coast stroked by the tropical breeze, and, on the other side, there are the snow-crowned mountains and the exuberant forests. Not only are there extensive plains (known as Los Llanos), but also waterfalls of impressive beauty, like that of Cuquenán, with a fall of 600 metres, and the Salto del Ángel, the highest waterfall of the world, which plunges down 979 metres and is fed by a underground river which sprouts in the rocky upper plateau. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis of about four million inhabitants, which has modern shopping centres and is connected to the interior of the country thanks to an excellent road network. However, there are hundreds of thousands of people who contemplate the prosperity of this city from the illegal neighbourhoods of the hills.

• Άριστη! :-) Read my comments below that I made about your answer. Keep up the great work! :) - chaparrito Aug 25, 2010
• Thank you, I have also commented on the post regarding the correction of my translation. I hope you provide us with more translation exercises. This has started being an obsession for me, haha! - maria_k Aug 26, 2010
• Your very welcome! As a suggestion for next time, you could post your changes separately, rather than revise your original answer. Then you could be rewarded by another vote for trying so hard. ;) - chaparrito Aug 27, 2010
• Also, just to clarify my suggested corrections, the words in Bold Italics are also incorrect, although they are 'close' to being correct. I noticed that you didn't change any of those words. :) - chaparrito Aug 27, 2010

Answer 10

Venezuela

To know Vanezuela would be like a trip around the world. What will you find? Perhaps a native hunting in the forest with a spear, a well dressed woman shopping in a luxurious boutique, or a number of visitors dancing to an African drum at a night party and a boy wrapping himself in his pancho to protect himself from the mountain wind while running to join his flock.

The Venezuelans descend to a large extent from Indians, Spaniards and Africans. Since the Second World War many European emigrants originated from Italy, Portugal and Spain, they have come to form a very important sector of the population. And to the observer one could not be more than impressed with the quantitiy of young people that come from everywhere.

Venezuela, located on the northern coast of South America is a land of stark contrasts. On one side are the 2,800 miles of Caribbean coastline caressed by tropical breezes, on the other, snow-capped mountains and lush forests. Not only are there extensive plains (known as the Llanos) but also breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls such as Cuquenán with a drop of 600 meters and Angel Falls the world's highest waterfall which plunges 979 meters and is fed by an underground river born in the rocky plateau above. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis of four million people which have modern shopping centers that are connected to downtown thanks to an excellent road network. However, there are hundreds of thousands of people who contemplate the prosperity of this city from the illegal neighborhoods in the hills.

• Great work dude! Take a look at my comments for your answer. :) - chaparrito Aug 25, 2010

Answer 11

galsally, Here is your post with some points to consider. (Words in bold are incorrect, words in italics mean something is missing or not quite clear.)

Getting to know Venezuela can seem like making a journey around the world. What will you find? Maybe an indian spear-hunting in the jungle, a well-dressed lady shopping in a luxurious boutique, some tourists dancing to the beat of an African drum at a night -time party, and a lad wrapped in his poncho to protect himself from the mountain winds while running to round up his sheep.

Venezuelans are, for the most part, descended from native indians, Spaniards and Africans. At the end of World War 2, many European immigrants coming from Italy, Portugal and Spain came to form an important sector of the population. And the observer can't help but be impressed by the amount of young people who can be seen wherever you go .

Venezuela, situated on the northern coast of South America, is a land of great contrasts. On one side there are 2,800 kms of Carribbean coastline caressed by tropical breezes, and on the other, snow-topped mountains and lush jungles. Not only are there extensive plains (known as the Llanos), but also amazingly beautiful waterfalls, like the Cuquenán, with a fall of 600 metres, and the Salto del Ángel (the Angel's Leap), the highest waterfall in the world, with a fall of 979 metres and which is fed by an underground river springing from the rocky plateau above.

The capital Caracas is a modern city of around 4 million inhabitants, which has modern commercial centres and is linked to the interior thanks to an excellent network of roads. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of thousands of people who view the prosperity of this city from slums in the hills.

Well done! There are a few spelling errors that may simply be typos. And there are a few phrases that don't quite convey the idea in Spanish. I agree with sagiia's comment though, I like your translation describing the 'lad with his poncho'! You're welcome to post a revised answer if you'd like.

I've changed the incorrect words and a couple of awkward phrases, hopefully improved it all somewhat. Galsally

• Muchas gracias chaparrito. Me resulta muy facil hacer typos. :P - galsally Aug 26, 2010

Answer 12

fatchocobo, Here is your post with some points to consider. (Words in bold are incorrect, words in italics mean something is missing or not quite clear.)

Getting to know Venezuela can be like taking a trip around the world. What will you find? Perhaps a native hunting with a spear in the jungle, to a well dressed woman shopping in a luxurious boutique, to visitors dancing to the rhythm of an african drum in a party at night, to a boy wrapped up in his poncho to protect himself from the mountain wind while he runs to herd his sheep.

Venezuelans descend mostly from Indians, Spaniards, and Africans. Since the second world war, many european emigrants from Italy, Portugal, and Spain have come to form an important part of the population. The observer cannot at least be impressed with the number of young people that can be seen everywhere.

Venezuela, situated on the northern coast of South America, is a land of great contrasts. On one side is 2,800 kilometers of caribbean coast, blessed by tropical breezes, and on the other side, the mountains capped with snow and lush jungles. There is not only extensive plains (known as the Llanos), but also waterfalls of impressive beauty, like the one in Cuquenan, with a drop of 600 meters, and the jump of the angel, the highest waterfall in the world, that falls 979 meters and is fed by an underground river that comes from the upper plateau. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis of around 4 million people that comes with modern shopping centers, and is connected on the interior by an excellent system of roads. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of thousands of people who look upon the prosperity of this city from the illegal neighborhoods of the hills.

You did good! Mountains usually are not capped with snow and lush jungles at the same time. Even though you translated the words in the order that they appeared in Spanish, that isn't quite the idea being conveyed. There are just a few other small refinements needed. Please feel free to post a revised answer if you wish.

My revised answer

Getting to know Venezuela can be like taking a trip around the world. What will you find? Perhaps a native hunting with a spear in the jungle, a well dressed woman shopping in a luxurious boutique, visitors dancing to the rhythm of an african drum in a party at night, or a boy wrapped up in his poncho to protect himself from the mountain wind while he runs to herd his sheep.

Venezuelans descend mostly from Indians, Spaniards, and Africans. Since the second world war, many European emigrants from Italy, Portugal, and Spain have come to form an important part of the population. The observer cannot help but be impressed by the number of young people that can be seen everywhere.

Venezuela, situated on the northern coast of South America, is a land of great contrasts. On one side there are 2,800 kilometers of caribbean coast, caressed by tropical breezes, and on the other side, the snow capped mountains and lush forests. There are not only extensive plains (known as the Llanos), but also waterfalls of impressive beauty, like the one in Cuquenan, with a drop of 600 meters, and Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world, that falls 979 meters and is fed by an underground river that comes from the upper plateau. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis of around 4 million people that comes with modern shopping centers, and is connected on the interior by an excellent system of roads. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of thousands of people who look upon the prosperity of this city from the slums of the hills.

• Gracias por las correciones. - fatchocobo Aug 26, 2010
• Your very welcome! As a suggestion for next time, you could post your changes separately, rather than revise your original answer. Then you could be rewarded by another vote for trying so hard. ;) - chaparrito Aug 27, 2010

Answer 13

sanlee, Here is your post with some points to consider. (Words in bold are incorrect, words in italics mean something is missing or not quite clear.)

To get to know Venezuela can resemble a trip around the world. What will you find? Perhaps, an Indian hunting with a spear in a jungle or a well dressed lady shopping in a luxury boutique, and various visitors dancing to the rhythm of an African drum at a night party, and a boy wrapping up in his poncho to protect him from the wind while he runs to join his sheep.

The Venezuelans descend for the most part from the Indians, Spanish, and Africans. Following the second World War many European immigrants from Italy, Portugal, and Spain have come to form an important sector of the population. And the observer, cannot be anything but impressed by the number of young people everywhere.

Venezuela located on the Northern coast of South America is a land of great contrasts. On one side, there is 2800 kilometers of Caribbean coast cherished by the tropical breezes, and the other, the mountains crowned with snow and the exuberant jungles. Not only are there extensive plains (known as the llanos), but also waterfalls of impressive beauty, like the one at Cuquenán, with a drop of 600 meters, and el Salto de Ángel (Angel Falls) the largest waterfall in the world which plunges 900 meters and is fed by the underground river which is born in the rocky plateau above. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis of some 4 million inhabitants which has modern shopping malls and is attached to the interior thanks to an excellent road network. However, there are hundreds of thousands of people who contemplate the prosperity of this city from illegal neighborhoods in the hills.

Very well done, sanlee! (I know you revised your answer, then rolled back to your original. You didn't have to do that, but I it is up to you. This is a voluntary exercise, so I don't tell anyone what they can and cannot do on their own post. ) Anyways, if this is the original then I'm impressed! There were only a few places where improvements would be helpful. Feel free to post a revised answer if you wish!

Answer 14

hitchens, Here is your post with some points to consider. (Words in bold are incorrect, words in italics mean something is missing or not quite clear.)

Getting to know Venezuela could seem like a trip across the world. What will you find. Perhaps a Indian hunting with spears in the jungle, a well dressed woman shopping in a lovely boutique, various tourists dancing to the rythm of a African drum in a night party, and a guy being wrapped in a blanket to protect from the winds of the mountains while running to collect his sheep.

Venezuelans descend largely from Indians, Spaniards and Africans. From the second world war, many emigrants, Europeans originating from Iraly, Portugal and Spain, came to form an important sector of the population. And the observer could not be less than impressed by the number of young people everywhere.

Venezuela is situated on the Northen coast of South America, and is a land of many contrasts. On one side, there are 2800 kilometres of carribean coast together with tropical breeszes, and on the other side, Mountains crowned by snow and exotic jungles. There are not only extensive plains ( ), but also waterfalls of impressive beauty, like the one in Cuquenan,, with a fall of 600 metres, and the jump of Angel, the tallest waterfall in the world, which plunges 979 metres, and goes into the underground river, which starts in the rocky high plateau. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis, with a population of some 4 million people, who live with modern malls, and are united in an interior excellent network of roads. However, there are hundreds of thousands of people who consider the prosperity of this city since the illegal sale of hills.

Very nice! And considering your own assessment ("I for one found this exercise very very hard") I'm impressed you did so well. Besides the likely typos, there were a few phrases that didn't quite capture the thought, and a couple where I can see you had trouble understanding what was meant. But keep up the good work. I post exercises such as this a couple of times a month. So keep your eyes peeled.

Answer 15

My attempt: Getting to know Venezuela can resemble a trip around the world. What will you find? Maybe a native hunting with a lance in the forest, a well-dressed lady shopping at a luxurious boutique, several guests dancing to the rhythm of an African drum at an evening party, and a boy wrapping himself in his poncho to protect himself from the mountain winds while he runs with his sheep.

Venezuelans descend for the most part from natives, Spanish, and Africans. Since the second world war, many European immigrants from Italy, Portugal, and Spain have arrived and form an important sector of the population. And an observer cannot miss the [large?] quantity of young people that can be seen everywhere.

Venezuela, situated on the northern coast of South America, is a land of great contrasts. On one side are 2,800 km of Caribbean coastline exposed to the tropical breezes, and on the other side, the mountains crowned with snow and lush forests. Not only are there extensive plains (known as the Llanos), but also there are very impressive waterfalls, like the Cuquenán, with a fall of 600 metres, and Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world, which falls 979 metres and is fed by an underground river from the rocky plateau above. Caracas, the capital, is a modern metropolis of around four million people, which ranks with modern commercial centres and is united with the interior thanks to an excellent system of roads. However, there are hundreds of millions of people who consider the prosperity of this city from the (literally: ?illegal neighborhoods of the hills?, sounds like an idiom for the slums.)

Whew, that required extensive dictionary use, but I think I'm close! Muy interesante. Quiero visitar Venezuela ahora, especialmente por que tengo una amiga venezolana aquí.

I'm going to try posting a picture for the first time too: Angel Falls

• woo-hoo, my pic worked. Corrections appreciated, thanks for a great post, chaparrito! - schemmn Aug 27, 2010
• Hey schemmn! Thanks for jumping in and giving it a shot! I'll review your post, but it'll be a day or two before I can get to it. Cool? - chaparrito Aug 27, 2010
• Beautiful photo! - sagiia Aug 27, 2010
• No problem, thanks for sharing your "learning points" below, I already see some things that could have been better - schemmn Aug 27, 2010
• Not bad, schemm! And I'm glad you found the 'learning points' useful. Keep tuned for more exercises in the future! :) - chaparrito Sep 2, 2010