Esercizio di traduzione intermediate in inglese • 109

Sei in grado tu di rendere la frase di oggi in inglese?

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.

Ricorda l’importanza di immaginare un contesto reale nel quale la frase in questione avrebbe senso, prima di procedere con la traduzione.

Ecco la nuova frase:

Sapevamo che sarebbe stato difficile decidere quale fosse la cosa migliore da fare, ma dovevamo escogitare un piano il prima possibile.

Buon divertimento!
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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.

28 thoughts on “Esercizio di traduzione intermediate in inglese • 109”

  1. We knew it would be difficult to decide what the best thing to do was, but we had to come up with a plan as soon as possible

  2. Sapevamo che sarebbe stato difficile decidere quale fosse la cosa migliore da fare, ma dovevamo escogitare un piano il prima possibile.

    We knew it would be difficult to decide what the best thing to do was, but we had to come up with/think up a plan ASAP.

  3. We knew that it would have been difficult to decide which best thing was to do, but we had to devise a plan as soon as possible.

    1. You don’t need the past conditional in English, Giuseppe. It’s sufficient just to say: “We knew it would be difficult…”

      “what the best thing to do was”

      🙂

  4. Sapevamo che sarebbe stato difficile decidere quale fosse la cosa migliore da fare, ma dovevamo elaborare un piano il prima possibile.

    We knew it would be hard to decide what was the best thing to do, but we had to elaborate a plan as soon as possible.

    1. “Was” is in the wrong place, Dani: it’s not a question.

      “Elaborate” is okay but a more typical expression here would be: “to come up with”

      🙂

      1. We knew it would be hard to decide what the best thing to do was, but we had to come up with a plan as soon as possible.

        I am not good with phrasal verbs!

        Thanks. Have a weekend 😊

  5. Hi prof

    my attempt:

    We knew it would have been difficult decide what was the best thing to do, but we had to devise a plan as soon as possible.

    Thank you very much

    1. You don’t need the past conditional in English. It’s sufficient just to say: “We knew it would be difficult…”

      The impersonal start requires a full infinitive, so: “difficult TO decide…”

      “Was” must come after “to do” because it is not a question.

      “Devise” is good, but a more common expression would be “to come up with”.

      🙂

  6. Sapevamo che sarebbe stato difficile decidere quale fosse la cosa migliore da fare, ma dovevamo escogitare un piano il prima possibile.

    We knew it would be difficult to decide what was the best thing to do, but we had to come up with a plan as soon as possible

    1. Your only mistake here, Dino (the same as Roby and Gaetano’s), is the position of “was”. It’s not a question! 🙂

  7. Hi Tony:

    We knew it would be difficult to decide what was the best thing to do, but we needed to come up with a plan as soon as possible.

    1. Your only mistake here, Gaetano (the same as Roby’s), is the position of “was”. It’s not a question! 😉

      1. Ouch sure!! I write back:

        We knew it would be difficult to decide what the best thing to do was, but we need to come up with a plan as soon as possible

  8. Sapevamo che sarebbe stato difficile decidere quale fosse la cosa migliore da fare, ma dovevamo escogitare un piano il prima possibile.

    We knew it would be hard to decide what the best thing to do was, but we needed to come up with a plan as soon as possible.

  9. We knew that it would be hard to decide what the best thing to do was,but we had to think about a plane as soon as possible.

    1. Good Davide, but I think the phrasal verb “come up with” would be more suitable here for “elaborare”. 🙂

      1. Yes tony…Honestly,I didn’t know how to translate “escogitare”…that’s why I wrote think about…well…today I’ve learnt a new phrasal werb…come up with a plane…

  10. hi prof,

    we knew It would be difficult to decide what was the best things to do but we had to come up With a Plan as soon as possibile

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