Welcome, budding polyglot! The weekly translation challenges continue! We will be sending out the original text to everyone, but keep in mind that the completed translation and reasoning are reserved for paid subscribers only.
One thing to be aware of as you prepare to undertake this challenge, I am not going to be using very many simple texts. I always found that pushing myself to work on things that were far beyond my comprehension was great for my learning. There will be, from time to time, a more simple text, however for the most part we will be working with rather complex examples.
This week we will work on a text from Touriste a book by Julien Blanc-Gras that I read when I was living in Belgium. It altered my perspective on how I travel and there were several passages that I felt were worth sharing as I read through. I hope you will enjoy and, even if you don’t participate in the challenge, give it a shot translating the excerpt.
Starting next week I will be sending out English documents and texts. The goal of this change will be to allow anyone who is looking to participate to participate in their own target language. Obviously that means I won’t be able to check your work, but if you keep track and always improve upon when you translated last, you won’t really need me. All of these translations are going to be somewhere special very soon and it is an announcement I am very excited to make! T-minus 72 hours!!
We had it tough last week with a poem, so here is a brief reprieve before we begin with our English translations next week:
Certains veulent faire de leur vie une œuvre d’art, je compte en faire un long voyage. Je n’ai pas l'intention de me proclamer explorateur. Je ne veux ni conquérir les sommets vertigineux, ni braver les déserts infernaux. Je ne suis pas aussi exigeant. Touriste, ça me suffit. Le touriste traverse la vie, curieux et détendu, avec le soleil en prime. Il prend le temps d'être futile. De s’adonner à des activités non productives mais enrichissantes. Le monde est sa maison. Chaque ville, une victoire.
I know this one is shorter, but I’m trying to find the sweet spot. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!
Good luck and have fun. There is no reason to stress yourself out over these. It is meant to be enjoyable.
If you are doing these challenges, make sure you are writing them down. It will be incredible to see the improvement as it takes place over the coming months. I’ve been telling clients and friends that translating is a game changer when it comes to languages. So, in this series, we will start doing some German translations as well. Time to demonstrate that I practice what I preach. I know it works, so let’s do it together.
Becoming bilingual is difficult, but you can do difficult things and be great. So go do difficult things and become great. Here I’ve given you some of the tools, but in the end, there is no comprehensive guide, no tips or tricks to carry anyone across the finish line. Language acquisition requires time, effort, and consistency. That said, it is something that anyone of any age is more than capable of accomplishing. I’ll be here rooting for you and watching your progress.
For more content find me on Twitter or Instagram. If you are struggling to get speaking in your target language, try out Pimsleur free for 7 days using this link. I look forward to seeing everyone’s progress in the months and years to come.