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:
Non mi dire che cerchi ancora di capire di cosa si tratta!
Buon divertimento!
Puoi esercitarti quanto vuoi
Ingliando 
Don’t say you are still trying to understand what is this about?
A good effort, Luca. Two points worth noting:
1) Don’t say ❎ Don’t tell me ✅ (in genere, quando c’è ‘a chi’ nella frase, è meglio usare ‘tell’ che ‘say’).
2) ‘…what this is about’ (la frase non è interrogativa!)
thanks for the correction prof
😀👍
Do not tell me that you are still trying to understand what matter is about
Hi there.
Good effort. 🙂
If you use ‘matter’ at the end, then you need the definite article: ‘the matter’.
Otherwise just use ‘it’ which is probably more natural here.
Thanks
😀👍
Non mi dire che cerchi ancora di capire di cosa si tratta!
Don’t tell me you still have been trying to undestand what it is about
Hi Manu.
It’s not a ‘duration form’ this time. All you need is an ordinary ‘present continuous’ for the main verb.
The rest is all good! 🙂
Don’t tell me, you are still trying to realize what it’s about.
Very good, Nadia.
I think I would use a simple ‘understand’ or ‘figure out’ rather than ‘realize’ but it’s a small point. 🙂
thanks Tony, i am trying to improve my english with your teaching!
That’s great, Nadia. That’s what I’m here for! 😉
Good afternoon prof
My attempt:
* Don’t tell me you have been trying to figure out what it’s about yet
Thank you
Have a nice day
You’ve interpreted ‘cerchi’ as a duration form, Nadia, but here is should be just a straightforward ‘present continuous’.
Remember that ‘yet’ is negative and interrogative; ‘still’ is affermative and should be placed before the main verb or between two auxiliaries if there is more than one.
Non mi dire che cerchi ancora di capire di cosa si tratta!
Hi prof,
Don’t tell me you are still trying to get what it is about!
Well done, Roby. 🙂
Hey Prof, So let’s give it a try. 1) So Are you saying you’re still trying to get to the bottom of it all? 2) Are you telling me that you’re still trying to get what’s lies at the core of it all? 3) Are you telling me that you’re still trying to get what’s it all about?
I’m wondering if ” what’s the deal there” can work but maybe is more ” che succede”.
1) Not strictly speaking ‘non mi dire’, but this version works well.
2) Not strictly speaking ‘non mi dire’; ‘at the core of it all’ is a bit stylized in this context.
3) Not strictly speaking ‘non mi dire’.
What’s wrong with, “Don’t tell me…” at the beginning? It’s a very common expression.
Your versions are all questions, the original is a statement.
In reality, “non mi dire che…” It’s a sort of question, because it calls for an answer.
It may call for an answer, but it doesn’t call for the interrogative form. 😉
Non mi dire che cerchi ancora di capire di cosa si tratta!
Don’t tell me you are still trying to figure out what it’s all about!
Spot on, Claudio, and ‘all’ sits nicely in there. 🙂
Non mi dire che cerchi ancora di capire di cosa si tratta!
Don’t tell me you are still looking for understanding what it is about.
Hi Dani.
You need to think again about that ‘cercare’!
What does it really mean? Has somebody actually lost something?
Hi Prof
Don’t tell me you are still trying to figure out what it is about.
Now you’re talking! 🙂
Non mi dire che cerchi ancora di capire di cosa si tratta!
Don’t tell me you are still trying to know what it is.
Don’t tell me you are still trying to understand what it is.
Don’t tell me you are still trying to figure out what it is.
As far as your choice of verbs is concerned, I would go along with versions 2 and 3 BUT…..
the sentence isn’t “…capire cos’è”, it’s “…capire di cosa si tratta.”
After seeing Anita’s version I got I was wrong.
Non mi dire che cerchi ancora di capire di cosa si tratta!
Don’t tell me you are still trying to figure out what this is all about.
That’s much better, and I like the insertion of ‘all’ – very typical! 🙂
Are you serious? Do not tell me that you are still struggling to understand the whole matter, please.
That’s very nicely elaborated, Giuseppe.
However, you’ve avoided the dangling preposition at the end which was one of the purposes of the exercise. 😉
I think that the literal translation hardly ever is the best. We must express in another country’s speaking style the same idea and feeling. For example, if in a country not always people end questions saying please, translating the question in English without adding please, it can sound unintentionally rudy
Well, there’s plenty of room for discussion around this question, Giuseppe. My exercises are generally designed to test a particular aspect of English which often causes problems for non-native speakers. In this case, the ‘dangling preposition’. Obviously, if you find a way to say the same thing in a different way, then that’s fine. It just shows that your knowledge of English goes beyond the primary structures.
Perfect, Tony! Thanks for your explanation about the aim of the exercises; I must be more focused on their purpose.
You can always offer two versions when you think it’s the case: one close to the original and one more liberal. 😉
Thanks again for your priceless help.
It’s always a pleasure, Giuseppe. 🙂
Non mi dire che cerchi ancora di capire di cosa si tratta!
Don’t tell me you’re still trying to figure out what it is about (of)
🤔
Nice one, Anita! 🙂
‘About’ is the right choice here, definitely. 😉
Thank you, Teacher.
But what about “of”?
‘Of’ doesn’t work here, Anita. The idea here is ‘riguardo’ which requires ‘about’ as a preposition. if you want to look into the question further, read this article here: https://ingliando.net/2015/04/16/think-about-it/