USA economy grew 1,9% in 2013 As I wrote in one of my last posts, when I couldn't find "inspiration", I'll try to translate from a Spanish newspaper: Last data about growing from the first world power in the fourth quarter places expansion at 2,6%. This is a definitive information: USA GDP grew at a rate of 1,9% last year, what represents a more moderate rate in contrast to the 2,8% in 2012. The last reading of the fourth quarter checked the information to the rise, from the 2,4% given a month ago to the 2,6%. What stays for seeing is how winter severity affected the economic activity in the beginning of 2014. ( translated from: http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2014/03/27/actualidad/1395925349_307998.html )

Dangers of translating literally A friend of mine from Liverpool and English teacher in Spain, after having lived for some years between us, told me few weeks ago a story that I liked very much: a Spanish person is perfectly recognizable out of Spain (for instance) in a restaurant because we (Spanich people) call the waiter saying: "Please, please". For this guy this was a clear example of a too literal translation from Spanish to Englisg: "Por favor, por favor" is the natural expression we would use in Spanish ... at least in Spain :-) This situation makes me asking if I'm thanking your corrections, kind italkers, in a good way or using a too literal translation; some recent thanks I've done have been like this ones: hi again XXX. thank you very much for your corrections. i learn very mucho from them. hi YYY. i really appreciate very much your corrections. THANKS A LOT. hi ZZZ. corrections from a teacher as you are always very well received. THANKS A LOT. What do you think about them? Do they sound "natural" or not at all?

Matters to write about in Italki Perhaps because it's late (11:25 p.m.), perhaps because I'm tired after a hard day at work. I don't know the exact reason but after more than five minutes sat in front of my computer I've been incapable of writing a word in my notebook at Italki. Then, I have had an idea: why not try to traslate to English an article from any of the most prestigious newspaper in Spain. It's so easy as visiting elmundo.com or elpais.com, selecting an interesting and not too long article and try to write down it in English. Even, it depends on the day, I can choose a sportive newspaper (marca.com or as.com) and try to do the same ... I'm sure it can be interesting to many people liking football in the Italki world. :-) But this will be next day. This is enough for today. Now I'm going to bed. Good night Italkers.

A hard weekend Weekends are usually hard: I have three young children (4, 2, 2) and I finish really exhausted after this two days of intensive convivence :-) But tomorrow will be another new day. Moreover, one of the twins is a bit ill so we haven't rested as well as we should on Friday and Saturday night. He has a week "aparato respiratorio" (sorry I don't know the word in English) and he frequently has swollen "bronquios". It's really hard when we hear him coughing. I hope he will be better tomorrow.