Parallel reading texts

Question

I wonder if this will be of interest.	Me pregunto si esto será de interés.
This thread is to get parallel reading texts – Spanish and English for learners to read.	Este hilo es para tener textos paralelos de lectura – español e inglés para que los estudiantes lean.
I think we need some material like that on SD.	Creo que necesitamos material como este en SD.
So the idea is that we find parallel texts and type them (very carefully – no typos) into the forum here.	Así que la idea es que encontramos textos paralelos y los escribimos (Muy cuidadosamente – sin errores ortográficos) aquí dentro del foro.
I suggest we get them from in-flight magazines, tourist guides, bilingual newspapers etc.	Sugiero que los obtengamos de revistas de vuelo, guías turísticas, periódicos bilingües etc.
We do not need a moderator but we can comment on the mistakes we find and suggest corrections or alternative translations.	No necesitaremos un moderador pero podemos comentar los errores que encontremos y sugerir correcciones o traducciones alternativas.
We don’t want whole books (usually copy-righted) – just short texts.	No queremos libros enteros (Usualmente protegidos por derechos de autor) – sólo textos cortos.
I will post a few short parallel texts I found here in Bolivia just to get the ball rolling.	Voy a poner unos cuantos textos paralelos cortos que encontré aquí en Bolivia sólo para que empiece a girar la bola.
Here is the first one.

Hotel Bolivia - Santa Cruz.|

Next to the main square this hotel has comfort and excellence, along with warmth and the distinction you deserve. Appropriate for a stay where privacy and peacefulness along with centricity makes this a place for rest and business.	Próxima a la plaza principal, puede encontrar un espacio con la mayor comodidad y excelencia hotelera, con la calidez y distinción que se merece. Para aquellas estadías en que la privacidad y tranquilidad son necesarias para un merecido descanso ó permanencia por negocios.
It is obvious that the author and/or translator did not try to make these two paragraphs exactly the same.	Es obvio que el autor y/o traductor no intentó hacer estos dos párrafos exáctamente iguales.
Any ideas are welcome as to how we can make this work for all of us - English and Spanish learners.	Cualquier idea es bienvenida de cómo podemos hacer que esto funcione para todos nosotros - estudiantes de español e inglés.

Answer 1

Ian, I just wondered what your post would look like in parallel text.

I wonder if this will be of interest.	Me pregunto si esto será de interés.
This thread is to get parallel reading texts – Spanish and English for learners to read.	Este hilo es para tener textos paralelos de lectura – español e inglés para que los estudiantes lean.
I think we need some material like that on SD.	Creo que necesitamos material como este en SD.
So the idea is that we find parallel texts and type them (very carefully – no typos) into the forum here.	Así que la idea es que encontramos textos paralelos y los escribimos (Muy cuidadosamente – sin errores ortográficos) aquí dentro del foro.
I suggest we get them from in-flight magazines, tourist guides, bilingual newspapers etc.	Sugiero que los obtengamos de revistas de vuelo, guías turísticas, periódicos bilingües etc.
We do not need a moderator but we can comment on the mistakes we find and suggest corrections or alternative translations.	No necesitaremos un moderador pero podemos comentar los errores que encontremos y sugerir correcciones o traducciones alternativas.
We don’t want whole books (usually copy-righted) – just short texts.	No queremos libros enteros (Usualmente protegidos por derechos de autor) – sólo textos cortos.
I will post a few short parallel texts I found here in Bolivia just to get the ball rolling.	Voy a poner unos cuantos textos paralelos cortos que encontré aquí en Bolivia sólo para que empiece a girar la bola.
Here is the first one. Hotel Bolivia - Santa Cruz.
-	-
Next to the main square this hotel has comfort and excellence, along with warmth and the distinction you deserve. Appropriate for a stay where privacy and peacefulness along with centricity makes this a place for rest and business.	Próxima a la plaza principal, puede encontrar un espacio con la mayor comodidad y excelencia hotelera, con la calidez y distinción que se merece. Para aquellas estadías en que la privacidad y tranquilidad son necesarias para un merecido descanso ó permanencia por negocios.
It is obvious that the author and/or translator did not try to make these two paragraphs exactly the same.	Es obvio que el autor y/o traductor no intentó hacer estos dos párrafos exáctamente iguales.
Any ideas are welcome as to how we can make this work for all of us - English and Spanish learners.	Cualquier idea es bienvenida de cómo podemos hacer que esto funcione para todos nosotros - estudiantes de español e inglés.

Eddy - exactly - I did not know how to do it - I will copy your formatting. If that is ok with you. - ian-hill, May 23, 2011

Answer 2

I have personally never used parallel ones; I tried to read in English from the beginning, even when I didn't know several words per line. Once you reach a vocabulary large enough so you only miss a word every few lines, you start guessing from the context instead of translating every word, and look up only those words that you can't really guess and are key to get the gist of the sentence.

But if you insist in using parallel texts, you can find entire books in both languages without copyright. Just pick an author that died over 50 years ago.

Hi Lazarus - I knew you would say something like this. The trouble with books is that they don't reflect the language that is all around us everyday. - ian-hill, May 23, 2011

That is certainly the problem with Spanish books. Two languages - spoken and literary language. - jeezzle, May 23, 2011

Answer 3

Here is another one for your comments.

A stroll through Cala Cala - Un paseo por Cala Cala

..........

At the beginning of the 20th century, Cala Cala in Cochabamba was a bucolic countryside that was frequented by wealthy families who arrived in cars and buggies directing themselves to their country estates in search of leisure and tranquillity.

...........

A comienzos del siglo XX Cala Cala en Cochabamba era una campiña bucólica la cual frecuentaban las familias adineradas, quienes llegaban en coches y carretas a sus casas campestres en busca de esparcimiento y también tranquilidad.

.........

Since then it has become a modern residential area, where you can find architectural jewels, natural beauty and also splendid reminders of the past, all convening through the decades and chosen to be the place where “something new” can be constructed.

............

Desde entonces, se ha convertido en una zona residencial y moderna, donde se alternan imponentes joyas arquitectónicas, bellezas naturales y espléndidos vestigios del pasado, que confluyen con edificios modernos, en los que se observan las tendencias de diseño de cada década, pues esta zona siempre ha sido el lugar elegido para construir “algo nuevo”.

I prefer it set out like this. With alternating paragraphs rather than parallel text, I tend to read that straight across the page, out of habit, and it is confusing. . - MaryMcc, May 25, 2011

Answer 4

This is a great idea Ian. I've been doing that with the English/Spanish Bible for a couple of years now and it is amazing how much it has improved my reading comprehension.

It would be great to not only share and read different excerpts together, but also to discuss the difference in sentence structure between English and Spanish as we go. It might be a good idea to focus on different concepts or parts of grammar with each reading. You could even ask members to pick out or bold certain parts of speech in order to practice.

For example, a reading could be presented and then you could ask members to bold or to pick out all of the gerunds or all of the verbs in the preterit tense, etc. Idioms and other expressions could be looked at, etc.

This could also be a thread where members could ask about the differences between sentence structure between both languages. It is a great idea because it is a thread that will be helpful to those studying either language.

Maybe this is too complicated.....just some of my thoughts.

Thanks Nicole - let's see what happens with this thread. - ian-hill, May 23, 2011

I also have a bilingual Bible that my father gave me. I admit that I only read the Spanish side here and there, though. :-/ I definitely agree that it is very helpful, though. I learned some new words this way. - danrivera, May 24, 2011

Answer 5

Hay generación que maldice a su padre Y a su madre no bendice. -Proverbios 30:11

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. -Proverbs 30:11

Is that us or has it always been thus? :) - ian-hill, May 27, 2011

Verily I say unto you, our fathers forsook their fathers long ago, though this generation hath not ceased from becoming increasingly more wicked! :-) - danrivera, May 27, 2011

Answer 6

I have only just seen this, I don't think my Spanish is up to preparing my own texts yet but I do think they are useful.

I prefer the paragraphs alternating though as if they are parallel I still read all the way across which is very confusing. Also I like to read the whole paragraph in Spanish first to see how much I can understand, then read the English just to check up. When it is parallel however hard I try I see the translation as I read.

Answer 7

See my most recent post, Picking up the Old New Story. I have some questions about the "old story" which I am reading now and when I recover from weeding, digging potato beds and "neeming", I may get the energy to post them, and it will be in this same two-column format. Of course, Old New Story is my effort to both write and translate into Spanish ...

Answer 8

Ian, I think this this is a wonderful idea. I know that I, personally, have enjoyed comparing the differences in sentence structure between the two languages when reading my bilingual Bible. Parellel text can be a real help to the lower-level intermediate learners. For that matter, it can be a great help to the upper-level intermediate learners, like myself, as well. Many thanks!

Answer 9

Well - I got 8 votes but only 7 answers (including 2 from me) and NO parallel texts.

Maybe it was not such a good idea.

I will have to bring my bilingual Bible in tomorrow. - danrivera, May 26, 2011

Answer 10

Hi Wilbur

I agree with you - In fact it is easier to post text that is parallel horizontally rather than vertically. See my Cala Cala post above.

Answer 11

I think this would be useful for games/challenges like Word of the Day, Picture of the Day, etc. which require people to write a sentence in both languages.