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Hello I enjoy learning about other countries and learning about other languages. 我学习中国话 我正在学习中国话 古稀学者 ancient foreign student with one foot in the grave 半截身子入土
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  • Commented
    I found an approximate translation of the words of the song - Nuvole bianche  (White Clouds)   https://lyricstranslate.com/en/nuvole-bianche-white-clouds.html-0
    0 voted
    May 1, 2018
    0
  • Commented

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-HsW142T5g    - this is very good


    I searched and found that the singer Alessia Tondo has some other good videos on youtube eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ISq-6D2IvQ


    0 voted
    May 1, 2018
    0
  • Commented

    Good songs, I have many of these through Spotify, first searching for Sicilian then following up on the artists and their albums and related artists. Finding the lyrics has been harder so those links are useful.


    0 voted
    May 1, 2018
    0
  • Commented
    Tano, thanks for the explanation, I understand more of the context now. A question, are there many modern modern songs in Sicilian, it is easy to find traditional songs but much harder to find other types.
    0 voted
    May 1, 2018
    0
  • Commented

    Alif, thanks for that link, I had not seen it before, it looks useful. Yes I am wading though Italian - Corsican conversions to understand more Sicilian. I have a ordered a text book  - Learn Sicilian / Mparamu lu sicilianu (English and Italian Edition) and on Kindle I already have DIZIONARIO ETIMOLOGICO DELLA LINGUA SICILIANA which is useful but still has only a limited Sicilian vocabulary set.

    I have found the the Google Translate for Corsican to English will often give an approximate translation of Sicilian text. 

    0 voted
    May 1, 2018
    0
  • Commented

    Thanks Aliph that is my thinking also but I would still like to hear what a native speaker thinks about it.


    0 voted
    May 1, 2018
    0
  • Posted
    pastora and picuraru - in the Sicilian mean - shepherd - is there a difference in their meaning or usage?


    The words pastora and picuraru are used in the Sicilian nativity song - Lu picuraru - apparently to mean - shepherd. Do they have a different meaning ?

    Nun durmiti chiù pastura,

    già che è natu lu Missia

    Bettilemme e li fridduri

    nascì in brazza di Maria


    La ninna oh la ninna oh

    dormi Gesù e fai la vo vo.


    Ora veni lu picuraru,

    e nun havi chi ci purtari,

    porta latti ‘ntra la cisca,

    cascavaddu e tuma frisca.


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    April 30, 2018
    15
    1
  • Corrected

    Please change this into perfect english grammar less repeatings thanks

    Hi

    Repetition is not a problem in what you wrote. Most of your text is clear but there are some parts that need more definition or explanation.

    You have also mixed several styles of writing -

    1 a log book, formal journal style, a style, also used in the 1800s to early 1900s travel writing.

    2 colloquial, informal style

    A good way to explore the difference in styles is to read and note the styles used in newspapers, magazines, novels and online blogs and compare them to scientific articles and formal publications.

    The next day was warm and sunny as the trip continued to Tjejkien, - this is correct, and very precise, but a sort of book learning style - it is typical of late 1900s travel writing English - The next day was warm and sunny as we continued (past tense) our trip and proceeded to Tjejkien - more natural but still quite formal -

    where we stopped to eat French Fries and sample (sample because it matches - eat - continuous activity) their national drink, Becherovka (a type of alcohol served cold, often served with/mixed with tonic water). There was a church with a transformer (not sure what you meant but transformer is the wring word) (delete the second - there). We then continued (our journey -not necessary) to Prague, the Czech capital,(a more natural word order) where we visited a (the old town - do you mean the old town and it was sunny the sun was shining or are you referring to the mood/atmoshpere of the old town as sunny ?) sunny old town, it seemed a little gaudy. We then continued to (before we arrived in - it is not clear if you are intending to compare - gaudy old town and modern city) the more modern city. (There - correct but a reader can get lost - which place in the preceding sentence are you referring to ? - it is a problem with English grammar so most native speakers avoid the problem by stating the location again) In the city we looked (do you mean saw in the distance or visited and explored ?) at an opera house (building), saw a fantastic football freestyle (exhibition/display/match - it is not clear whether you saw it for a few minutes or watched all of it), and (even - only used colloquially - for emphasis) bought cards to take home ( a normal tourist activity so there is no need for emphasis).

    On Monday, June 29, we woke around 7, had breakfast at 7:15 (this read like a log book - is that is your intention then it is fine - less formal - we woke around 7 and had breakfast at 7:15 - another form - and breakfasted at 7:17 - a style that can be more formal or a story telling style) , and then we took a city tour at about 8:45 (this is correct but odd- caught a city tour at 8:45 = began, took = a period of time - took a city tour in (in = during) the morning) in the Old Town. (Then - unnecessary) After breakfast, we visited the cultural towers of Adam and Eve, and the memorial of the Jewish quarter (memorial in ?memorial to the loss of the Jewish quarter ?). In the memorial, there were (also - not needed) mentions (mentions - do you mean stories/ recordings of or, descriptions of the events concerning ?) in the synagogues of the representatives of the Jewish community who (that – use - who - because they were people) were killed by invading Nazis in (their - could refer to either the Jewish people or the Nazis - it is better here to repeat Nazi or use "the prelude to Holocaust" - as this is common knowledge) the prelude to the Holocaust and the (the used again - for emphasis) attempted genocide of the Jewish people.(peoples - implies different groups eg tribes, nations, races). As (While - as just sounds better - more natural - also while implies duration - longer time) we were about to enter the city, a clock in the church with an upside down horse statue chimed three times. We also visited the Grand Hotel and The Europa National Museum.

    When it came time to eat again, (correct but very bookish - For our evening meal/ midday meal/lunch) we had meat soup for a starter (maybe you could say - we had a meat soup starter) and a main course of fried potatoes and steak with salad. Afterwards we went down to the harbor leading to (this reads as the harbor lead to a bridge - was it a path that led to bridge) a bridge that circled (this implies the bridge circled back to - do you mean that you took a path that led the harbor and then to a bridge and back to ..) and back to the hotel, where we listened to U21 (define U21 - most people would read U21 as Under 21 = a junior sport team) players while we sat in a diner (choose either - diner -or small cafe) eating (define pie - meat, sweet, fruit) a pie with a coke (this is a very colloquial pattern so you say - a pie and and coke - or - more descriptive -an xxx pie and a coke) can to drink (usually said as a can of coke - a coke can implies you ate the metal container). (A diner does not usually equate to a small cafe - you are swapping cultural styles of eating places) The diner (little cafe) was near the clock tower that we heard ring earlier.

    (Now on Tuesday – Now on - not needed unless you are using it to compare with something) On Tuesday, June 30, we woke up at 7 am and had (with) breakfast at 8:45. We then arrived (you missed out a step - setting out - did you walk, catch a bus ?) at a place called Saint Mania which had lookout towers, truth (what do you meant by truth palace – what is this ?) palaces, Catholics (Catholics = a collection of people of the Catholic faith, what do you mean ?) , and Edward Benez Sankt (a shrine ? a tomb ?). Then when this group was read, so were my mother and father (rework this, it is not clear what you mean - do you mean - when the group was ready ? ) (also - which group - it has not been defined in the text ). We went and sat on a bridge (good but very informal), eating meat and potato salad and ate (with some - implies it was all mixed in together - before you ate it) ice cream. The next day, we went to another hotel and drank a Coke (either use capital Coke = Coca Cola - or use coke - generic cola drink - if you actually drank both generic and real then use Coke for real and - cola - for generic) at a cafe restaurant (were the cafe and restaurant together/colocated - or was the group of people - together) , writing postcards. Afterwards we ( no need for - went - unless you mean you walked to xx and bought - went and bought is a colloquial pattern) bought delicious buns, and so concluded our 5-day vacation! ( ! - exclamation marks are rarely used in writing – use them for actual exclamation - Fire Fire ! )

    To set this paragraph as the concluding paragraph of the story you could start – On Tuesday, June 30, the last day of our journey, ……

    0 voted
    January 9, 2016
    0
  • Posted
    Icelandic looking for the lyics for the song Áfram veginn The song Áfram veginn - Next Road - is sung in the movie - Mýrin - Jar City Here it is sung by a different person. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMCptv0dGZU I am looking for the lyrics to translate from IcelandicI found what I think are the correct lyrics Áfram veginn í vagninum ek ég Inn í vaxandi kvöldskugga þröng Ökubjöllunnar blíðróma kliður Hægur blandast við ekilsins söng Nú er söngurinn hljóður og horfinn Aðeins hljómar frá bjöllunnar klið Allt er hljótt yfir langferða leiðum Þess er leitar að óminni og frið Google translate gives an approximate translation, enough to get the ideas, but it can not translate Ökubjöllunnar The closest I can get to the meaning is Ökubjöllunnar Öku drive, move slightly bjöllunnar (from - bjalla - f bjöllu, bjöllur) bell does it = move the bell ?the translation have got so far, with the aid of google, so it is approximate Áfram veginn Next Road Áfram veginn í vagninum ek ég Next Road (or - continuing journey) I am on the bus Inn í vaxandi kvöldskugga þröng In the evening shadows growing throng Ökubjöllunnar blíðróma kliður Ökubjöllunnar gentle assent voices - I think the word Ökubjöllunnar means slightly moving bell Hægur blandast við ekilsins söng Slow mixed with widows singing Nú er söngurinn hljóður og horfinn Now singing silently and watch Aðeins hljómar frá bjöllunnar klið Only sounds from bell murmur (babble) Allt er hljótt yfir langferða leiðum All is silent over long journeys Þess er leitar að óminni og frið It is looking forgetfulness and peacesorry the text box takes out the formatting so it is hard to read, all of the separate lines have been lost
    February 6, 2015
    6
    0
  • Corrected

    IELTS Writing Practice.3  - comments - new additions in "quotes", deletions and comments are in (brackets)

     

    International organisations should provide poor countries with technology and practical advice rather than financial aid. To what extent do you agree or disagree?


    There has been much discussion revolving around the issue "of" whether international organisations "should" ( supposed to becomes colloquial here - or it means the organizations are not following orders given t othem -  are supposed to do something)  provide poverty-striken countries with technology and pratical advice rather than financial aid. (The sentence is longer than most native speakers would use. Try to break it into two sentences so that you can use less complex grammar) Personally, I consider(ate - this ending is not correct) that financial aid should "have" priority.(delete "be given" because we are talking about giving aid and to use the word "given" in a different context in the same paragraph will confuse the readers) people. 


    To start with, "solving" (the settlement of)  food and clothing problem"s" should be "the first priority" (listed at the first place on agenda) of poverty alleviation. To some extent, only (with) direct fiancial aid (would it get) "can solve" the subsistence problem (but you need to identify or define what the subsistence problem is - the meaning is not clear) , the most severe one of which needy people are suffering, addressed at a relatively fast and effective rate  (this last section is not clear, try to reword it). Further, (as is known to all - no it is not known to "all" -so you can't use this), the high mortality rate brought about by infectious deseases (pervasive - delete pervasive - it is not needed and makes the sentence too complex) (this it is too - not clear what this is -do you mean "this is true" ?) in (those) poor countries (like Africa - Africa is a continet not a country- and not all African countries are poor) (in particular - not defined), (no need for "is disturbing" this is emotional - the rest of the text is non emotional so this does not fit), which means they (it- "it" is not defined) "are" (is) badly in need of advanced and sufficient medical care(s - care is collective so n need for an "s". (Thus - you can not "conclude this - make this conclusion it is beter to jsut makle a statement) , "M"(m)edical conditions could be improved by means of international funding (,) "which would reduce" (reducing) the risk of death (of) "within" the population and "raise" (raising the) health standard"s" (there are many health standards -aspects, issues,  not just one). Above all, (the) infrastructure construction requires financial support(you can not have "above all" = the top and "as well" = also - choose the top thing or choose several things) . People believe that poverty leads to (engenders - too complex and unclear for most people, use a simpler word or words) crime(s crime is a collective noun in this context) , while (a - collective noun "infrastucture" so no "a" - "a" makes is singular)  good infrastucture (would play - too vague) (a)  is crucial (role) for "social" (society) stability (of you could say - is crucial for maintaining the stability of a society - but anyway that is a philosophical view - many societies are stable even thouhg they lack good physical infrastructure).

    (Admittedly - why "admit " something, instead just make a statement) , "I"(i)t is also essential to offer technology and pratical advice to indigent countries. (As a matter of fact,) "F"(f)inancial aid "alone" (solely) could "solve" (tackle) some basic (existencial affairs for the time being and offer an capital foundation at the beginning of national construction - rewrite this - the meaning is not clear - simplify it and say what you mean and understand). (It would be) T(t)echnology and pratical advice "would" (that could) contribute to the long-term development of poor countries and possibly help people out of chronic poverty.(this last sentence is very good) (According to the status quo, however, - these words are meaningless and not necessary) "T"(t)he main difficulty "facing" (in front of) the majority of impoverished nations remains (the subsistence problem - this needs t obe defined and mayb is not the correct term). It is more realistic to offer "financial" (finacial) aid to get the starving population (stuffed = colloquial for broken, ruined) (before the development with technology requiring demanding skills and related professional knowledge. - this needs to be rewritten to make the ideas clear,  I am not sure what you are saying)   


    (So my conclusion is, for the reasons I have given, - no need to say this - just make a statement) (to) "For" poor countries, technology and "practical" (pratical) advice (could) "are a a less productive form of assistance" (be) "than" (alternatives)  financial support. This is especially "true during" (at) the fledging "stage" (period) of overcoming poverty.

    0 voted
    July 5, 2012
    0