Looking for a text with emphatic constructions Thread poster: Oleksiy Markunin
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I'm looking for a text for translation (from English into Russian) with a lot of emphatic constructions. The more examples of emphasis are in the text the better. The text should be preferably from a newspaper or a magazine, however, any one will do. The only thing - it shouldn't be from fiction literature. Students' level - advanced.
I'll be happy and much obliged to see some links and advices where to look for these kinds of text.
Thanks!
| | | | | Have I understood the question? | Nov 12, 2009 |
I must admit I had to look up what emphatic constructions were - as I understand it, they're just constructions written in the active voice, eg "I did the work" rather than "the work was done by me".
I picked up a book at random, and almost every sentence had such constructions in it. Or am I getting the wrong end of the stick?
| | | | Oleksiy Markunin 
Canada
Local time: 07:32
Russian to English
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TOPIC STARTER | some explanation | Nov 12, 2009 |
philgoddard wrote:
Or am I getting the wrong end of the stick?
I think you are a bit wrong. I'll try to illustrate with these examples:
1. It was he who helped us.
2. It is these properties of crystals that are the most important.
Here we have the emphasis with the help of "it is" + conjunctions (who/that/etc.)
3. I do believe you! - here with the help of "do"
4. It was so good a dinner - with the help of "so + adj. + a"
5. I am nothing if not critical - two negatives
I don't think the change of the voice from passive to active is our issue.
Hope it helped =)
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 12:32
Member (2007)
English
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| Difficult one | Nov 12, 2009 |
My advanced English course books have listening exercises rather than written texts (in the main they are dialogues), plus the inevitable exercises.
I have an advanced business English course book that looks at the wider topic of rhetoric and that leads me to wonder whether the great speeches could be worth looking at.
Not very helpful, I'm afraid.
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Oleksiy Markunin
Canada
Local time: 07:32
Russian to English
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TOPIC STARTER | difficult one - agree | Nov 13, 2009 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
that leads me to wonder whether the great speeches could be worth looking at.
Not very helpful, I'm afraid.
That's a great hint - speeches. Thanks!
And yes, that's a difficult one to find. Usually my students translate only sentences with examples of emphasis, however, I'm looking for a text as it is more interesting.
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 13:32
Member (2009)
English to German
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| Just a couple of examples | Nov 13, 2009 |
1. He indeed is in need of much more help than even he himself believed to be.
( to empahize that he really is... the word "indeed" is placed before "is")
2. So instead of not just not knowing what this is all about, he even discovered that some of the words utilized are not even known to him at all.
Hope it helps.
| | | | | United States Declaration of Independence | Nov 13, 2009 |
Without really knowing what you mean by "emphatic constructions" and based on your examples alone, one text that immediately came to mind is the United States Declaration of Independence (see, for example, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence ) or, in keeping with Sheila's suggestion, perhaps the public speech given by Martin Luther ... See more Without really knowing what you mean by "emphatic constructions" and based on your examples alone, one text that immediately came to mind is the United States Declaration of Independence (see, for example, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence ) or, in keeping with Sheila's suggestion, perhaps the public speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. on August 28, 1963, "I Have a Dream" (see, for example, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream ).
[Edited at 2009-11-13 11:52 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Oleksiy Markunin
Canada
Local time: 07:32
Russian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | a good hint about declaration | Nov 13, 2009 |
Derek Gill Franßen wrote:
Without having looked up you mean by "emphatic constructions" and based on your examples alone, one text that immediately came to mind is the United States Declaration of Independence (see, for example, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence ) or, in keeping with Sheila's suggestion, perhaps the public speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. on August 28, 1963, "I Have a Dream" (see, for example, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream ).
[Edited at 2009-11-13 11:51 GMT]
Thanks..Declaration of Independence..I'll give it a go.
"I have a dream" also crossed my mind. However, it's always difficult to deal with the text that has already been translated into Russian. It's hard for students to translate by themselves if they know there is a ready translation somewhere - so they think why not copy/alter it a bit? Students are students =)
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| Students will be students... | Nov 13, 2009 |
twisted wrote:
Thanks..Declaration of Independence..I'll give it a go.
"I have a dream" also crossed my mind. However, it's always difficult to deal with the text that has already been translated into Russian. It's hard for students to translate by themselves if they know there is a ready translation somewhere - so they think why not copy/alter it a bit? Students are students =)
Ah, yes, students will be students (even if they are advanced). As a lecturer--and a past student--myself, I have firsthand experience.
I admit that I just flew over your original post and didn't realize you needed the text for students. There may already be a translation of the Declaration into Russian as well.
Either way, it sounds like a fun project for them. Cheers!
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 04:32
English to German
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In memoriam | An extreme example | Nov 13, 2009 |
The Mormon Bible
The Book of Mormon http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bm/contents
This is really extreme, though.
Other than that, I recommend travel descriptions written in a passionate and flowery style.
And most certainly Charles Dickens. Try "The Pickwick Papers", as well as the sh... See more The Mormon Bible
The Book of Mormon http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bm/contents
This is really extreme, though.
Other than that, I recommend travel descriptions written in a passionate and flowery style.
And most certainly Charles Dickens. Try "The Pickwick Papers", as well as the short stories by Herman Melville. ▲ Collapse
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