A REALLY AWFULLY QUICK GUIDE TO TRANSLATING ENGLISH INTO AMERICAN.


POMMISH: She said in dialogue, not fingering her jewellery any more, ‘Travellers realise the ageing of the colour “aluminium”, on the carburettor used when they practise at the centre for practice, is on the programme marked with “X”.’

YANKINESE: She said in dialog, not fingering her jewelry anymore, “Travelers realize the aging of the color ‘aluminum,’ on the carburetor used when they practice at the center for practice, is on the program marked with ‘X’.”

The above gives examples of most of the classes of differences in spelling. It also illustrates the differences in punctuation. Note the exception at the end (applying only where there is a single letter or number) to the illogical American rule that quotation marks should always have the ending punctuation mark inside of them.

Just for fun, what is your count of the differences between the two passages? You are almost bound to miss one or two.

Anyway, I hope you feel for me in having to undertake such conversions!

© Colonialist February 2011 (Letterdash/Wordpress)

About colonialist

Active septic geranium who plays with words writing fantasy novels and professionally editing, with notes writing classical music, and with riding a mountain bike, horses and dinghies. Recently Indie Publishing has been added to this list.
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4 Responses to A REALLY AWFULLY QUICK GUIDE TO TRANSLATING ENGLISH INTO AMERICAN.

  1. Cindy says:

    I can’t bear it 😦

    Like

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