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I see they also have a leaflet in French, German and English...
In these pages you will find: tips to enjoy safer holidays, security measures for your home, recommendations to prevent lottery award fraud, safe Internet use, suggestions to tourists, as well as hints to detect if a Euro banknote is false....
http://www.policia.es/consejos/consejos_in.html
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Even after 23 years living in Spain I still cannot understand why so often official notices in English are of such poor quality. There are many of us I know who have offerred our services free to assist with translations, but seldom are these offers taken up.
The only time in my town, that we can be almost certain that, the English of high quality, is when the Political parties are trying to secure our vote in the local elections. Then for the next four years it is even sometimes necessary to get a copy of the info in Spanish to be able to understand the 'English.'
I remember some years ago reading that the town hall ' would pretend to do something.' I thought they were being unusually honest until I looked it up in the dictionary and found 'pretender' was the verb 'to intend' to do something
This message was last edited by johnzx on 22/08/2011.
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Well, I suppose, John, they are making the effort, even if it is by no means perfect.
Patricia
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I should be very grateful if a Spaniard would comment on the standard of the Spanish in the UK document.
Thanks
This message was last edited by johnzx on 22/08/2011.
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The standard of the Spanish in the UK document is very very similar to the standard of the English in the Spanish document.
Both of them contain some grammatical mistakes and both of them can certainly be improved, but at least IMHO, they are both easily understood and the advice in both is clear and concise.
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I think that sums it up, Lobin.
Patricia
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Thank you Lobin for the comment.
I will now send an email to the Met Police, and will copy your post, requesting that they advise me why the standard is not of the highest.
For the record, I am a retired senior police officer from the Met. and as such I am disgusted that the document is not written in good Spanish.
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Hi I know you dont like me John but you did ask a question which I am qualified to answer
The met document in Spanish has a very good standard of Spanish all I could find was a couple of missing accents
but then it happens to us all. A bit like an uncrossed T or undotted eye
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Thanks Janie,
but now I am between a rock and a hard place. Two conflicting replies.
Lobin, whom I have assumed is Spanish, thought the Spanish was not that good.
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Lobin said:
Both of them contain some grammatical mistakes and both of them can certainly be improved, but at least IMHO, they are both easily understood and the advice in both is clear and concise.
So, I suppose, "fit for purpose".
Patricia
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Sorry but again i beg to differ it was deffo written by a Spaniard with a couple of typos
do you think all brits write excellent prose why should it be any different in Spain, sorry but will will just have to make your choice
Perhaps you should meet a Spaniard face to face for an opinion on the text
I will limit myself to the facts
So i have translated a few paragraphs back into English and if you apply the rubbish in rubbish out rule you should be able to make an informed decision
and hopefully,remove those nasty hard things from your life.
LONDON IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING AND EMOTIONAL CAPITALS IN THE WORLD, AND ATTRCTS MILLIONS OF VISITORS EVERY YEAR.IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST SECURE.
NEVERTHELESS, AS IN ANY OF THE LARGE CITIES AND MOVEMENT , CRIME CAN CONSITUTE, AT TIMES, A PROBLEM, SUCH THATN YOU SHOULD TAKE CARE OF YOUR PERSONAL SECURITY AND WATCH YOUR BELONGINGS.
THIS LEAFLET GIVES ADVICE REGARDING WHAT YOU CAN DO SO THAT YOUR VISIT TO LONDON IS MORE SECURE AND AGREEABLE.
IN YOUR HOTEL
AVOID LEAVING OBJECTS OF VALUE IN YOUR ROOM- LEAVE THEM IN THE HOTEL SAFE. MARK YOUR PERSONAL EFFECTS SUCH AS CAMERAS, CREDIT CARDS,PASSPORTS AND TRAVELERS CHEQUES.
This message was last edited by janie2003 on 22/08/2011. This message was last edited by janie2003 on 22/08/2011.
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Hi, there
I am Spanish but I did not say the Spanish in the UK document is not very good. I merely said that there were some grammatical mistakes (approximately in the same proportion and the grammatical mistakes in English in the Spanish document).
Janie is an Engish language native with an extensive knowledge of the Spanish language. I am a Spanish language native with a pretty good grasp of the English language. I attended English schools until I went to the University in Spain and although I am now back in Spain, I lived and worked in New York for 14 years.
This is just a question of perspetive and, as such, subjective. I believe the English in the Spanish document is good although not perfect in the same way I beieve the Spanish in the UK document is good although also not perfect and not a question of a couple of accents.
The important thing in both documents is that the advice is understandable, clear and concise. In that respect, they both meet this goal, but of course, this is IMHO. A few grammatical mistakes do not change this in either document.
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Hi Lobin I agree there are always mistakes of some sort but it is a good bog standard document which does not confuse the reader. As the alledged best writer, Shakespeare, does lol
Mind you we all have our own style of writing.
nice to meet someone with whom one can agree.
This message was last edited by janie2003 on 22/08/2011.
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John I have made a translation back into English so you can make your own judgement.
If you go back to the last two posts it seems Lobin and I in fact agree, so the hard things are removed from your life.
LONDON IS ONE OF THE CAPITALS MOST INTERESTING AND EMOTIONAL IN THE WORLD, AND ATTRACTS MILLIONS OF VISITORS EVERY YEAR.IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST SECURE.
NEVERTHELESS, AS IN ANY OF THE LARGE CITIES AND MOVEMENT , CRIME CAN CONSITUTE, AT TIMES, A PROBLEM, SUCH THATN YOU SHOULD TAKE CARE OF YOUR PERSONAL SECURITY AND WATCH YOUR BELONGINGS.
THIS LEAFLET GIVES ADVICE REGARDING WHAT YOU CAN DO SO THAT YOUR VISIT TO LONDON IS MORE SECURE AND AGREEABLE.
OH JUST READ IT IN ENGLISH AND FOUND A REAL SCHOOLBOY ERROR IN THE WRITING !!
IN YOUR HOTEL
AVOID LEAVING OBJECTS OF VALUE IN YOUR ROOM- LEAVE THEM IN THE HOTEL SAFE.MARK YOUR PERSONAL EFFECTS SUCH AS CAMERAS, CREDIT CARDS,PASSPORTS AND TRAVELERS CHEQUES.
This message was last edited by janie2003 on 22/08/2011. This message was last edited by janie2003 on 22/08/2011.
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