Translation Exercise • 20

La traduzione, come metodo di esercizio nell’apprendimento di una lingua, farà sicuramente parte della vecchia scuola, però, inserita in un contesto più vario di apprendimento, soprattutto con feedback in tempo reale, può sempre essere un utile esercizio di allenamento.

Consiglio una partecipazione attiva e visibile postando la tua versione tra i commenti in fondo a questa pagina. In questo modo riceverai un mio commento o suggerimento in tempo più o meno reale. Ma per chi non se la sente, si può semplicemente annotare la propria versione e controllarla attraverso i miei commenti lasciati per gli altri.

Ecco la nuova frase:

Credo che nessuno sapesse cosa avremmo dovuto fare quando fossimo arrivati.

Buon divertimento!

Puoi esercitarti quanto vuoiQUI


Your comments are always very welcome.


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Author: Tony

Born and raised in Malaysia between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Educated at Wycliffe College in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England. Living in the foothills of Mount Etna since 1982 and teaching English at Catania University since 1987.

26 thoughts on “Translation Exercise • 20”

  1. Hi Tony!
    Here is my attempt!

    Credo che nessuno sapesse cosa avremmo dovuto fare quando fossimo arrivati.
    I don’t think anyone knew what we would have to do when we arrived.
    I don’t think what we were supposed to do when we arrived.

    Proposizione temporale al presente:
    Credo che nessuno sappia cosa avremo da fare quando arriveremo/saremo arrivati.
    I don’t think anyone knows what we’ll have to do when we arrive.

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    1. Well thought out, Claudio. It is in fact a “proposizione temporale al future” set in the past. In your second version, you accidentally omitted a part, but your intention was clear. 🙂

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    1. Your version is comprehensible, Manu, but there are a couple of small errors:
      1) should have do → would have to do
      2) we were arrived → we arrived
      🙂

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    1. Hi Nadia. This may be your first time with this kind of starting construction. I always advise in these cases to get the “negative element” in right at the beginning. So try starting with, “I don’t think…”
      As regards the second part, it is a “proposizione temporale al futuro” but in the past. So the future becomes conditional and the present becomes past. It’s simpler in English than in Italian. If you can’t get it, have a look at some of my other comments…

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  2. Credo che nessuno sapesse cosa avremmo dovuto fare quando fossimo arrivati.
    I don’t think anyone knew what we would have to do when we arrived.

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  3. Credo che nessuno sapesse cosa doveva fare quando fossimo arrivati.
    I think none of us knew what should do once arrived;

    I think nobody knew what we had to do when we would arrived
    Ps very difficult for my level, Prof, I did my best

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    1. Hi Anita! This may be your first time with this kind of starting construction. I always advise in these cases to get the “negative element” in right at the beginning. So try starting with, “I don’t think…”

      This, “what we had to do when we would arrived” is close, but you’ve inverted the tenses! The conditional should be at the beginning and the past at the end.

      Try again!

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  4. I don’t think anyone knew what we were supposed to do when we got there.
    Have a nice day dear Prof.

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    1. Hi Alessandra! This may be your first time with this kind of starting construction. I always advise in these cases to get the “negative element” in right at the beginning. So try starting with, “I don’t think…”
      As regards the second part, it is a “proposizione temporale al futuro” but in the past. Also “would have done” doesn’t have “dovere” in it!
      Try again!

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  5. I don’t think anybody knew what we were supposed to do when we arrived.

    I don’t think anybody knew what we should have done when we got there.

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    1. Your first version is very nice, Paolo. “Supposed” works very well in the second part.
      In your second version “should have done” is not necessary as this is simply a “future in the past”.
      Try again! 😉

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      1. Credo che nessuno sapesse cosa avremmo dovuto fare quando fossimo arrivati.

        I don’t think anybody knew what we were supposed to do when we arrived.

        I don’t think anybody knew what we would do when we got there.

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          1. You are right: what happened to “have to” in the second version? The only reason is that a little bit of bytes got lost on the information highways, and “have to” has disappeared: I can’t see any other reason!

            I don’t think anybody knew what we would have to do when we got there.

            Like

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