Old blog

2009-07-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

Redcamarocruiser

Hmmm...Don't know how to recover my blog. Here is a snapshot of it from 2005 courtesy of the wayback machine.

Redcamarocruiser

Redcamarocruiser

Bom dia pessoal!
Bem vindos ao meu blog!!!

Estou aprendendo Português.

Espero encontrar muitos amigos aqui.

Por favor, corrijam minhas mensagens e fiquem à vontade para pedir minha ajuda com o inglês.

Abraços,
Cam

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Check This Out English Students!

And s/he saw it was good

Copyright 2003 - Ewerton Matos, author of http://www.myvox.com.br/Pronunciation of Portuguese - Proibida Sua Reprodução Total ou Parcial - Reprinted with permission. Thanks, Ewerton

Hi everyone!

Marcia posted this delecious and delightful post: Gramesis 1:1-30

It is one of the pages from:
Christian Cartoons, Cristian Comics, Family Cartoons

If you haven't seen it click on the link below--it is well worth it!
http://skywriting.net/inspirational/humor/gramesis.html

Here is a teaser:

Gramesis 1:1-30

In the beginning my English teacher created nouns and verbs.

And the verbs were without form and voice; and darkness was upon the face of the deep -- my teacher.

And she said, "Let there be grammar;" and there was grammar."

In keeping with the Biblical Humor theme I would like to share these observations on college life with you from http://www.beliefnet.com/dailyjoke/dailyjoke.aspx?QID=6886 used with permission.

"If College Students Wrote The Bible

1. The Last Supper would have been eaten the next morning -- cold.

2. The Ten Commandments would actually be only five --
double-spaced and written in a large font.

3. A new edition would be published every two years in order to limit reselling.

4. Forbidden fruit would have been eaten because it wasn't cafeteria food.

5. Paul's letter to the Romans would become Paul's email to abuse@romans.gov.

6. Reason Cain killed Abel: they were roommates.

7. Reason why Moses and followers walked in the desert for 40 years: they didn't want to ask directions and look like freshmen.

8. Instead of God creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh, he would have put it off until the night before to get it done."

Life's like that in college:

To 1: Poor overworked college students, their course load so heavy that they end up subsiting on cold pizza for breakfast. Every professor thinks his class is the only class that the student must prepare for. 40 pages of readings for each of 5 classes, let's see that adds up to 200 pages of reading a day on the days when you don;t have labs and can fit homework into your off-campus work schedule. The boss notices that you're bleary eyed for lack of sleep, and promptly asks you if you can cover for a coworker who didn't show up.

To 2: Lack of time and overload of assignments causes the student to be creative on the traditional 10 page research paper, which is worth 50% of your grade. Fortunately, technology has come to the rescue of underprepared, under-researched (yes, I made that word up) term paper. The desparate student quickly learns to stretch his paper by using a large font, wide margins, and double or tripple spacing. We've all been tempted to do it--don't be on their case.

To 3: Although it may seem like it, this is really not the case. The new editions appear as knowledge expands and is up dated.

To 4: To be fair, cafeteria food has vastly improved over the fare that was served up until recently. Fresh fruits, salads, muffins, hoagies, soups compliment the dreary menus from the past.

To 5: Isn't it the truth. E-mail has become paramount in college life both socially and intellectually. Online collaboration is the norm nowadays instead of the exception to the rule what with collaborative group projects mandated in every class. There are not enough hours in the day to meet with everyone in the traditional way. The only way these projects can be completed is to have one planning session in which the work is parceled out, and everyone is responsible to reserch his part and report back to the group manager. The students work asynchronously and e-mail their peers and the coordinator their part of the presentation. The coordinator assembles all of the parts into a merged whole and delegates a script to the group members to use for the in class presentation. Usually the coordiator ends up doing most of the work of at least one student who didn't have time to do his part. But that's life, and she has to do it because her grade depends on the grade given to the group presentation. I know some people who never did any research, but they were great hams, presenters with dynamic personalities, so they always got chosen to basically just read a powerpoint presentation what everyone else had prepared.

To 6: In Freshman year on some campuses it is mandatory to live on campus in dorms. Depending on the chemistry with your roommate, you may feel like killing either him or yourself. Fortuneately, the rule has been relaxed at many prestigious schools. This has probably contributed to a decrease in college drop outs.

To 7: I think 7 speaks to peer pressure and the pressure to be thought of as cool. There are a lot of sharks on campus who prey on the self-esteem of the emotionally challenged student. There is a trememdous pressure to get the best grades and earn the highest standing in one's class. The competiton can be deadly. So no one wants to let down their guard or show their ignorance. Ask for help? No way, they would rather wander 40 hours on campus, lost.

To 8: So true, so true. Pull an all nighter the day before the assignment, project, paper, presentation, exam is due. And why not? Then everything is still fresh in your short term memory, where you are able to retain it until you have passed the test or given the presentation. Unfortunately you will have to relearn the night before finals because it doesn't stick. It slips through the mind after the exam just like through a sieve, if all you've been able to do is cram.

Some sentences using prepositions

Copyright 2003 - Ewerton Matos, author of Myvox http://www.myvox.com.br/
Pronunciation of Portuguese - Proibida Sua Reprodução
Total ou Parcial - Reprinted with permission. Thanks, Ewerton

1. The colors in this digital quilt swirl gracefully in the rhythm of the currents of life.

2. The blending of the artfully interwoven colors yellows, blues, greens brings delight to my soul.

3. The way the colors are placed side by side, next to each other, reminds me of a dance.

4. Blue at the top and blue at the bottom and blue in the middle unite the composition for the eye.

5. Interspersing yellows throughout the image brings a light quality to it.

6. The nearly pastel purple, set prominently in the center, catches the eye due to its placement under the dark gray patch, and beside the light gray square.

7. The curves placed toward the bottom of the quilt lend to it a feeling of movement, as if it were blowing in the wind, like a flag.

8. Beyond this, the various patterns of the squares among the solids give the quilt a feeling of textures.

9. Quilts are heirlooms in families passed down from one generation to the other.

10. Traditionally, when a young woman in rural America reached the age of maturity at which she would begin courting in earnest, the women in her community came together to throw a quilting party for her.

11. They would sit around the quilting loom (I am not sure if that is the technical term for it) and piece together the squares they had designed for the young woman who would soon be "on the market" so to speak according to their custom.

12. Each square told the story that lie behind it and inspired the seamstress. The squares were lovingly designed as a remembrance of the friendship that the creator has with the soon to be dating young woman being honored by the quilting party.

13. When I first saw this quilt of Ewerton's, it reminded me of the many colored coat, a song by Dolly Parton.

14. She tells us that one winter her family, living in poverty , could not aford to provide her with a coat.

15. Her mother had only some rags donated by a neighbor to sew together like a quilt in order to make material for the coat.

16. The finished product was a colorful patchwork that reminded Dolly of the many colored coat of Joseph in the Old Testament.

17. Dolly thought the coat was wonderful because every stitch had been sown in love by her mother for her.

18. But when she went to school with holes in her shoes, wearing britches (pants) with patches and a coat made from rags, her schoolmates tried to humiliate her and make her feel ashamed of her poverty.

19. But Dolly did not understand why her peers could not share in her belief that she was not poor at all. She was really rich because of all the love in her life.

Preposition Exercise (fill in the blanks)

1. The colors ___ this digital quilt swirl gracefully ___ the rhythm ___ the currents ___ life.

2. The blending ___ the artfully interwoven colors yellows, blues, greens brings delight ___ my soul.

3. The way the colors are placed side ___ side, next to each other, reminds me ___ a dance.

4. Blue ___the top and blue ___ the bottom and blue ___ the middle unite the composition ___ the eye.

5. Interspersing yellows ___ the image brings a light quality ___ it.

6. The nearly pastel purple, set prominently ___ the center, catches the eye due ___ its placement ___ the dark gray patch, and ___ the light gray square.

7. The curves placed ___ the bottom of the quilt lend ___ it a feeling ___movement, as if it were blowing ___ the wind, like a flag.

8. ___ this, the various patterns ___ the squares ___ the solids give the quilt a feeling ___ textures.

9. Quilts are heirlooms ___ families passed down ___ one generation ___ the other.

10. Traditionally, when a young woman ___ rural America reached the age ___ maturity ___ which she would begin courting ___ earnest, the women ___ her community came together to throw a quilting party ___ her.

11. They would sit ___ the quilting loom (I am not sure if that is the technical term ___ it) and piece together the squares they had designed ___ the young woman who would soon be "___ the market" so to speak according to their custom.

12. Each square told the story that lie ___ it and inspired the seamstress. The squares were lovingly designed as a remembrance of the friendship that the creator has ___ the soon to be dating young woman being honored ___ the quilting party.

13. When I first saw this quilt ___ Ewerton's, it reminded me ___ the many colored coat, a song by Dolly Parton.

14. She tells us that one winter her family, living ___ poverty , could not aford to provide her ___ a coat.

15. Her mother had only some rags donated ___ a neighbor to sew together like a quilt ___ order to make material___ the coat.

16. The finished product was a colorful patchwork that reminded Dolly ___ the many colored coat of Joseph in the Old Testament.

17. Dolly thought the coat was wonderful because every stitch had been sown ___ love by her mother for her.

18. But when she went to school ___ holes ___ her shoes, wearing britches (pants) ___ patches and a coat made ___ rags, her schoolmates tried to humiliate her and make her feel ashamed ___ her poverty.

19. But Dolly did not understand why her peers could not share ___ her belief that she was not poor ___ all. She was really rich because ___ all the love ___ her life.

Monday, June 06, 2005

Pegadas na Areia

Copyright 2003 - Ewerton Matos, author of http://www.myvox.com.br/
Pronunciation of Portuguese - Proibida Sua Reprodução
Total ou Parcial - Reprinted with permission. Thanks, Ewerton

Uma noite eu tive um sonho...

Sonhei que estava andando na praia

com o Senhor e através do Céu

passavam cenas de minha vida.

Para cada cena que passava,

percebi que eram deixados

dois pares de pegadas na areia;

um era o meu, e o outro, do Senhor.

Quando a última cena de minha vida

passou diante de nós, olhei para trás,

para as pegadas na areia,

e notei que muitas vezes

no caminho da minha vida havia

apenas um par de pegadas na areia.

Notei também que isso aconteceu

nos momentos mais difícies

e angustiosos da minha vida.

Isso aborreceu-me deveras,

e então perguntei então ao Senhor:

"Senhor, Tu me disseste que,

uma vez que eu resolvi Te seguir,

Tu andarias sempre comigo,

todo o caminho. Mas notei que durante

as maiores atribulações do meu viver

havia na areia dos caminhos

da vida apenas um par de pegadas.

Não compreendo porque nas horas

em que eu mais necessitava de Ti,

Tu me deixastes. O Senhor respondeu:

"Meu precioso irmão:

Eu te amo e jamais te deixaria

nas horas da tua prova e do teu sofrimento.

Quando vistes na areia apenas um par de pegadas,

foi exatamente aí que EU TE CARREGUEI EM MEUS BRAÇOS

Click on the link to hear Ewerton read Pegadas na Areia

Hear Ewerton read Pegadas na Areia

Read 3 versions of Footprints in the Sand

Myvox Hear Romantic Sentences for Dia dos Namorados
Yahoo! Cartões Send your Love a Greeting Card for Dia dos Namorados

Estou guardando o que há de bom em mim-translated by Alessandro Go to http://www.myvox.com.br/ for Expressions of Love on Dia dos Namorados by Ewerton

Copyright 2003 - Ewerton Matos, author of Myvox.com.br
Pronunciation of Portuguese - Proibida Sua Reprodu��o
Total ou Parcia - Reprinted with permission. Thanks, Ewerton

A Love Song
Author unknown sung by Roberto Carlos
http://roberto-carlos.lyrics-songs.com/lyrics/48580/

Estou guardando o que há de bom em mim
I’m saving all that’s good in me.

Para lhe dar quando você chegar
To give to you when you come to me.

Em cada beijo, certo ficarei
In each kiss, I am certain to find

que voce não vai me deixar.
That you won’t abandon me.

Toda ternura
All tenderness

Todo meu amor
And all my love

Estou guardando pra lhe dar
I am saving to give to you.

E toda vez que você me beijar
And each time that you kiss me,

A minha vida quero lhe en...tregar
I want to give you my life.

E em cada beijo
With each kiss

Certo ficarei
I feel certain

Que você não vai me deixar.
That you will never leave me.

Grande demais foi sempre o nosso amor
Our love was always so wonderful

Mas o destino quis nos se...parar
But fate wanted to separte us.

E agora que está perto o dia de você chegar
And now the day is near when you will rejoin me.

O que há de bom vou lhe entregar
Whatver goodness I posess, I will bring to you

Só vejo a hora de você chegar
I only see the hour of your arrival

Pra' todo o meu amor poder mostrar
For all my love can show

Mas quando eu
But when I

de perto te olhar
see you up close

Não sei se vou poder falar
I don't know if I will be able to speak

Estou guardando o que há de bom em mim
I’m saving all that’s good in me.

Para lhe dar quando você chegar
To give to you when you come to me.

Sérgio's Preposition Sentences

EU VOU PARA O RIO DE JANEIRO DE TREM
I am going ___ Rio de Janeiro by train.

EU VOU AO RIO DE JANEIRO
I am going ___ Rio de Janeiro.

EU ESTOU EM CASA
I am ___ home.

ELE MORA NA PRAÇA
He lives ___the square.

EU GOSTO DE PIPOCA
I like popcorn.

ESTOU A CAMINHO DA (MINHA) CASA
I am ___ the way home. (I am ___ the road ___ my home).

EU ESTAVA NA PRAIA
I was (sitting) ___ the beach. I was ___ the beach (the shore).

FUI BEM NA PROVA DE INGLÊS
I did well ___ the English test.

FUI BEM NO TESTE DE INGLÊS
I did well ___ the English exam (written). I did well ___ the oral exam.

O CARRO ESTÁ ESTACIONADO NA ESQUINA DA RUA SÃO JOÃO COM A AVENIDA IPIRANGA
The car is parked ___ the corner ___ RUA SÃO JOÃO and AVENIDA IPIRANGA.

Answer Key

EU VOU PARA O RIO DE JANEIRO DE TREM
I am going to Rio de Janeiro by train.

EU VOU AO RIO DE JANEIRO
I am going to Rio de Janeiro.

EU ESTOU EM CASA
I am at home.

ELE MORA NA PRAÇA
He lives on the square.

EU GOSTO DE PIPOCA
I like popcorn.

ESTOU A CAMINHO DA (MINHA) CASA
I am on the way home. (I am on the road to my home).

EU ESTAVA NA PRAIA
I was (sitting) on the beach. I was at the beach (the shore).

FUI BEM NA PROVA DE INGLÊS
I did well on the English test.

FUI BEM NO TESTE DE INGLÊS
I did well on the English exam (written). I did well in the oral exam.

O CARRO ESTÁ ESTACIONADO NA ESQUINA DA RUA SÃO JOÃO COM A AVENIDA IPIRANGA
The car is parked on the corner of RUA SÃO JOÃO and AVENIDA IPIRANGA.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Salmo 23 Read by Everton of www.myvox.com.br, to Hear Ewerton Read it, click on the link 4th down beneath the yellow Hungersite button on the right.

Copyright 2003 - Ewerton Matos, author of Myvox.com.br
Pronunciation of Portuguese - Proibida Sua Reprodução
Total ou Parcia - Reprinted with permission. Thanks, Ewerton!

Salmo 23

O Senhor é o meu pastor; nada me faltará.

Ele me faz repousar em pastos verdejantes.
Leva-me para junto das águas de descanso;

Refrigera-me a alma. Guia-me pelas veredas da
justiça por amor do seu nome.

Ainda que eu ande pelo vale da sombra da
morte, não temerei mal nenhum, porque tu
estás comigo; o teu vara e o teu cajado me
consolam.

Preparas-me uma mesa na presença dos meus
adversários, unges-me a cabeça com óleo; o
meu cálice transborda.

Bondade e misericórdia certamente me
seguirão todos os dias da minha vida; e
habitarei na Casa do Senhor para todo o sempre.

A Psalm of David. The 23rd Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in the
paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You
are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they
comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the
presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

To hear Ewerton read Salmo 23 in
Portuguese click on the link in the sidebar.

Monday, May 30, 2005

The Gap in the Path by Richie

Copyright 2003 - Ewerton Matos, author of Myvox.com.br - Proibida Sua Reprodução Total ou Parcia - Reprinted with permission. Thanks, Ewerton!

This poem was inspired by someone I was just talking to on the net, he was saying that it's too risky to fall in love because there's the chance it won't work out, and this is my response:

Nothing in life is easy,
There are trials and difficulties
Bad times and sad times
And times you want to give up.

You come to a gap in the path
And you don't see how you can cross,
You wonder if it's worth it
There's so much you could lose,

But good things are worth fighting for
And nothing in life is easy,
Nothing is without the risk
Of being hurt, of losing.

And you can stand forever there
Weighing up the costs
Afraid of failure,
Afraid of your own weakness,

Or you could step out in faith
And see the other side,
Looking towards the good things
that life may bring your way.

I've been where you are,
Afraid uncertain and doubting,
But someone helped me to see
That some risks are worth facing.

And so with a prayer in my heart
I was able to cross the gap
And found the full riches
Of success and happiness.

The Gap in the Path by Richie - Preposition Exercise

Copyright 2003 - Ewerton Matos, author of Myvox www.myvox.com.br- Proibida Sua Reprodução Total ou Parcia-- Reprinted with permission Thanks, Ewerton!

Preposition Exercise - Fill in the Blanks - Refer to the poem above for the answers!

This poem was inspired ___ someone I was just talking to ___ the net, he was saying that it's too risky to fall in love because there's the chance it won't work ___, and this is my response:

Nothing ___ life is easy,
There are trials and difficulties
Bad times and sad times
And times you want to give ___.

You come to a gap ___ the path
And you don't see how you can cross,
You wonder if it's worth it
There's so much you could lose,

But good things are worth fighting ___
And nothing in life is easy,
Nothing is without the risk
Of being hurt, of losing.

And you can stand forever there
Weighing ___ the costs
Afraid of failure,
Afraid of your own weakness,

Or you could step out ___faith
And see the other side,
Looking towards the good things
that life may bring your way.

I've been where you are,
Afraid uncertain and doubting,
But someone helped me to see
That some risks are worth facing.

And so with a prayer ___ my heart
I was able to cross the gap
And found the full riches
Of success and happiness.

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Thus studious let her sit.

To Search for Grammar Exercises, Please Use the TESL Search Box Below

Here is a preposition exercise. Fill in the blanks.

Copyright 2003 - Ewerton Matos, author of Myvox www.myvox.com.br- Proibida Sua Reprodução Total ou Parcia-- Reprinted with permission Thanks, Ewerton!

1. Recently Josney and Ron have been discussing the question ___ why flamingos stand ___ one leg. I have been following the discussion ___ interest.

2. They discovered that the birds can raise (hold ___) one leg underneath and ___ their body for up to four hours.

3. I wondered ___ that. I wondered whether they eat ___ every four hours. I went to Ewerton's website www.myvox.com.br, which has a clock ___ the pronunciation ___the time, to find out how to say 1:00 and 5:00.

4. ___ Ron, one reason for tucking the leg ___ their body is to stay warm, like when we are wearing a thin tee-shirt and tuck our arms ___ close ___ our bodies to keep warm.

5. Another reason that came ___ is to appear more like a tree, so that they can catch unsuspecting prey ___ food. What tree has two trunks? If the fish see two legs, they will realize that they are dealing ___ a predator and will avoid swimming ___ the flamingo's legs.

6. A third reason that was presented is to allow the bird's foot to dry ___. Just like our skin gets wrinkly when we soak it ___ the bath for a long time, the flamingos' legs need to dry ___, too.

7. A fourth reason was to rest the legs, alternating ___ one to the other (switching ___ the two legs), letting one rest while the other supports the body's weight.

8. According to English Grammar and Composition by John E. Warringer, we have to be careful not to mix ___ prepositions ___ adverbs. ___ example, ___ the sentence, "Tom fell down," since down is not followed by a noun, it is an adverb. To make a prepostional phrase the preposition has to be followed by a noun as in this example, "Jack fell down the stairs."

Answer key
1. Recently Josney and Ron have been discussing the question of why flamingos stand on one leg. I have been following the discussion with interest.

2. They discovered that the birds can raise (hold up) one leg underneath and against their body for up to four hours.

3. I wondered about that. I wondered whether they eat around every four hours. I went to Ewerton's website http://www.myvox.com.br/ to find out how to say 1:00 and 5:00.

4. According to Ron, one reason for tucking the leg beneath their body is to stay warm, like when we are wearing a thin tee-shirt and tuck our arms in close to our bodies to keep warm.

5. Another reason that came up is to appear more like a tree, so that they can catch unsuspecting prey for food. What tree has two trunks? If the fish see two legs, they will realize that they are dealing with a predator and will avoid swimming between the flamingo's legs.

6. A third reason that was presented is to allow the bird's foot to dry out. Just like our skin gets wrinkly when we soak it in the bath for a long time, the flamingos' legs need to dry out, too.

7. A fourth reason was to rest the legs, alternating from one to the other (switching between the two legs), letting one rest while the other supports the body's weight.

8. According to English Grammar and Composition by John E. Warringer, we have to be careful not to mix up prepositions with adverbs. For example, in the sentence, "Tom fell down," since down is not followed by a noun, it is an adverb. To make a prepostional phrase the preposition has to be followed by a noun as in this example, "Jack fell down the stairs."

Saturday, May 28, 2005

Check this Out English Students!

Friday, May 27, 2005

Don't forget to click on the yellow hunger site button in the links column on the right to donate food to the hungry.

Our friend Ron is zapped by Jesus
Photo courtesy of Ron.

Preposition exercise. Fill in the blanks.

1. Cristo Redentor is located ___ the Corcovado mountain.
2. Tourists are standing ___ line.
3. They are gathered ___ the statue.
4. Jesus is holding his arms ___.
5. It appears that holiness or power is emanating ___ the statue to Ron.
6. I don't see any beer nearby. Have you seen the article ___ Ron's beer diet?
7. The man ___ Ron's left looks familiar. Do you know him?
8. I want to thank Ron ___ allowing me to post this picture here.
9. That was very nice ___ him.
10. I hope everyone enjoyed these sentences I made ___ you.

Answer key
1. Cristo Redentor is located on the Corcovado mountain.
2. Tourists are standing in line. (British say 'on' line)
3. They are gathered around the statue.
4. Jesus is holding his arms out.
5. It appears that holiness or power are emanating from the statue to Ron.
6. I don't see any beer nearby. Have you seen the article on Ron's beer diet?
7. The man on Ron's left looks familiar. Do you know him?
8. I want to thank Ron for allowing me to post this picture here.
9. That was very nice of him.
10. I hope everyone enjoyed these sentences I made for you.

Sunday, May 22, 2005

Sigtag created by Claudia D.
Abraços... Check out the links on the right for language instruction and exercises.

Saturday, May 21, 2005

Bom Dia Pessoal! Please click on the yellow hungersite button (on the right) to feed the hungry

Sigtag created by Claudia D.
The following text section was translated courtesy of Claudia, too!

Welcome to my blog! Hi I am very glad you came!

Seja bem-vindo ao meu blog!
Olá, estou muito feliz por você ter vindo aqui.

I hope you find something you will enjoy doing here.
Espero que você encontre algo que você goste.

Some of you are very busy.
Alguns de vocês são muitos ocupados.

Some of you have more time. Outros têm mais tempo.

Some of you have the skills necessary to enable you to translate from English to Portuguese.

Alguns de vocês têm conhecimento necessário para traduzir do inglês para o português.

I am very interested in enlisting your help in the translation of my essay, A picture is worth 1000 words - at least.

Espero que vocês me ajudam com a tradução de "A picture is worth 1000 words - at least!" (Uma imagem vale 1000 palavras - pelo menos !)

I have posted my photograph essay, A Picture is Worth 1000 Words--at Least here, and some friends have already translated the first three paragraphs. Who's next?

Coloquei meu ensaio de fotografia, Um Quadro vale 1000 Palavras -- ao menos - aqui, e alguns amigos já traduziram os primeiros três parágrafos.
Quem será o próximo a me ajudar ?

I am hoping someone will be interested in taking a paragraph (or even a sentence) and you all could in that way bring together a translation of the whole thing.

Espero que algumas pessoas se interessem em traduzir um parágrafo (ou mesmo uma frase) e todos juntos possam dessa maneira traduzir todo o texto.

To post your translation click on the comment link at the end of the essay. Clique no "comments" link para colocar sua tradução.

The essay is toward the bottom of the blog.
O ensaio está no final do blog.

Everytime I post something new, the new message appears on the top of the blog, so my photograph essay gets pushed down.

Toda vez que eu coloco algo novo aqui, uma nova mensagem aparece no alto do blog, então meu ensaio fotográfico desce.

But you can find it easily by using the find box on your computer (if you have a computer form th US).
Mas você pode achá-lo facilmente usando a 'caixa ' no seu computador (se você tem um computador dos EUA.)

(Press ctrl and f at the same time and paste A Picture is Worth 1000 Words--at Least (or part of it) into the find box that pops up.

Aperte ctrl e f ao mesmo tempo e cole 'A Picture ......at Least (ou parte dela) na caixa.....

I wrote it for a composition class (exposition) when I was an undergraduate, and my professor liked it, so I always kept it.
Eu o escrevi para uma aula de composição (redação) quando era universitária e meu professor gostou, então eu sempre o guardei.

This translation request is not a high priority (not pressing in our busy lives), but it does lie near to my heart.

Este pedido de tradução não é de máxima prioridade (sem pressões em nossas vidas ocupadas) mas meu coração ficará muito feliz com ele.

I welcome your group collaboration, if you can find the time and inclination. Fico agradecida pela colaboração em grupo, se vocês tiverem tempo e vontade de ajudar.

Sigtag created by Marcia Ella

Friday, May 20, 2005

A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words -- at Least!

This is an essay I wrote as an undergraduate in college. I used it to create a web page for learners of English as a Second Language: http://www.geocities.com/redcamarocruiser/picture1000words.html I suggest listening to the text as you read the preposition exercise, so that the sound file fills in the blanks for you, giving you feed back on your attempt.

The first part was translated by Marcus.

A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words -- at Least!
Uma imagem vale 1000 palavras - pelo menos !

Photography is a bridge
Fotografia é uma ponte

connecting me to the lives
me conectando às vidas

of my out-of-state family.
da minha família fora do estado.

I like getting pictures in letters
Eu gosto de pegar/encontrar fotos nas cartas

because they show
porquê elas mostram

the whole other dimension
toda a outra dimensão

that doesn't come through in words.
que não chega em/nas/"com as" palavras.

We talked on the phone
Nós falamos por telefone

on my father's birthday,
no aniversário do meu pai,

for example.
por exemplo.

But the photos
Mas as fotos

captured more of the flavor
capturaram mais o clima

of the celebration
da celebração

than I could get on the phone.
do que eu pude (captar) pelo telefone.

I saw his expression
Eu vi a expressão dele

as he held the card I sent him,
quando segurou o cartão que eu lhe mandei

,and I could see he liked his birthday cake.
e eu pude ver que ele gostou de seu bolo de aniversário.

Translation courtesy of Marcus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This next part was translated by Thelma.

Since I live isolated from my family,
Como eu vivo isolado de minha família,

time is frozen for me between visits.
o tempo parece congelar entre uma visita e outra.

I can’t see my nephews growing taller,
Não consigo ver meus sobrinhos crescerem,

my mother’s face becoming more grandmotherly.
nem as feições de minha mãe ao envelhecer.

The Christmas pictures each year are always a shock
Todo ano as fotos de Natal são sempre uma surpresa

that so much time has gone by,
pelo tanto que o tempo passou,

and so much has happened,
e por tanta coisa que aconteceu,

and I am still stranded out of state,
e eu ainda em outro estado,

apart from these loved ones.
longe de meus entes queridos.

Photographs are the next best thing to being there.
As fotografias são as melhores coisas além de eu estar lá.

Translation courtesy of Thelma.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This next part was translated by Leandro.

Photograpy is a bridge to my own past, too.
A Fotografia também é uma ponte para o meu passado.

I love to page through the family album whenever the children need pictures for a school project.
Eu amo folhear o álbum de família sempre que as crianças precisam de fotos para um trabalho de escola.

I pause at the pictures of past Christmases,
Eu paro nas fotos de natais passados,

recapturing feelings and memories I had forgotten.
relembrando sentimentos e memórias que eu tinha perdido.

I marvel that the tree could have been so full with decorations lovingly made,
Eu fico maravilhado com a árvore tão preenchida com decorações feitas cheias de amor,

and the volumes of presents!
e com a quantidade de presentes!

And were the children ever so small?
E as crianças eram assim tão pequenas?

Yet here is the living proof.
Sim, está aqui a prova viva.

Translation courtesy of Leandro.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This next part was translated by Celia.

Photographs provide a reality check on how fat I really am, how bad my hair looks,
Fotografias me dão uma visão real de quanto eu estou gorda, o quanto meu cabelo está feio,

and how much my parents have aged. The pictures from my childhood
e o quanto meus pais envelheceram. As fotografias de minha infância

show that I was not ugly. If only I had known! I have a picture of me as an provam que eu não era feia. Se eu tivesse sabido! Tenho uma foto de mim

adult when I gave up dieting because I felt so fat that I thought I could never
adulta quando desisti de fazer dieta por que pensei que nao conseguiria

lose another twenty pounds. If only I looked that good now! Another picture of
perder mais dez quilos. Se ao menos eu estivesse tão bem agora. Outra fotografia de

me is from the time I hated my hair--I was ashamed to be seen on the street!
mim è de quando eu odiava meu cabelo - tinha vergonha de ser vista na rua!

But it was really a nice perm, I discover, as I look at the photograph years Mas era, na verdade um bonito permanente, isso eu descobri olhando a fotos anos

later. I have concluded that I always look better than I think I do and not to worry.
mais tarde. Concluí que sempre pareço melhor do que eu penso e não é para me preocupar.

Translation courtesy of Celia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This next part was translated by Leandro

Photographs are more objective than a mirror.
Fotografias são mais objetivas que um espelho.

When we see a photo,
Quando nós vemos uma foto,

we're detached and view the image as an object or an other.
ficamos imparciais e nos vemos como um objeto ou outra pessoa.

When we look in the mirror,
Quando nós olhamos para o espelho,

we perceive ourselves subjectively through our own psychological filter
nos percebemos subjetivamente através do nosso filtro psicológico

--tainted by all of our judgements and preconceived notions.
--influenciado por todos os nossos julgamentos e preconceitos.

Photos have taught me that I am too critical of myself.
As Fotos tem me ensinado que eu me critico demais.

Pictures can be misused by the advertizing industry to manipulate us consumers.
As Imagens podem ser mal usadas pela indústria da propaganda para manipular a nós consumidores.

Artists insert subliminal messages into the whisky ads.
Os artistas inserem mensagens subliminares nos rótulos de whisky.

Subliminal messages are symbols which are perceived below the conscious level.
Mensagens subliminares são símbolos que são percebidos pelo inconsciente.

In other words, we are reacting emotionally to pictures we don''t even realize we are seeing.
Em outras palavras, nós estamos reagindo emocionalmente a imagens, que nós nem mesmo nos damos conta de que estamos vendo.

Translation courtesy of Leandro.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next part was translated by Ruth

Fotos são indispensáveis na educação.
In eduaction pictures are indispensible.

Como você pode descrever a um estudante a aparência de um templo chinês tão claramente como uma foto o faz?

How can you describe to a student what a Chinese temple looks like as clearly as pictures do?

Uma vez eu assisti uma paletra sobre a geometria das bolhas de sabão.
I once attended a lecture on the geometry of soap bubbles.

Como uma bolha arrebenta/estoura?Tudo de uma vez, ou não?
How does a bubble burst?All at once or not?

Uma foto capturou o momento exato do estouro, e mostrou de modo claro que a bolha explode em um ponto, rasgando-se em pedacinhos naquele lado, enquanto que o outro lado fica perfeitamente intacto.

A picture captured the exact moment of the bursting, and showed unmistakably that the bubble explodes at one point, ripping apart on that side while the other side is still erfectly intact.

Em tempo real, acontece tão rápido que não podemos ver.
In life, it happens so fast that we cannot see it.

Assim, a fotografia pode ser um recurso de investigação.
So, photography can also be an investigative tool.

Da mesma forma, ela é usada em outros processos que levam muito tempo para observar: rastreando manchas solares, o crescimento das plantas, sua atração pelo sol, o movimento das galáxias.

Likewise it is used in other processes which take too long to observe: tracking sun spots, the growth of plants, their attraction to the sun, the movement of the galaxies.

Translation courtesy of Ruth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This next part was translated by Emerson

Translation courtesy of Emerson

"Fotografia poder ser um registro vivo da história.
Photography can be an eyewitness account of history.

Todo o sentimento vivido na época Nazista me veio a tona em uma fotografia de uma mulher loira e seu namorado judeu sendo presos e forçados a usar placas anunciando seu crime—era ilegal uma Ariana ter relações com um homem judeu porque isso poluia a raça.

The whole flavor of the Nazi era came alive for me in a photograph of a blonde woman and her Jewish boyfriend being arrested and forced to wear placards announcing their crime--it was illegal for Arian girls to have a relationship with Jewish men because it polluted the race.

Ela pode ser um olho para outras fronteiras não exploradas: espaço e oçeanos e elétrons. Fotos nos dão a maravilhosa visão compudadorizada de Marte. Eu já vi uma foto da estrutura molecular do açucar—algo que eu não posso nem ver.

It can be an eye into unexplored frontiers: space and oceans and electrons. Photos give us the wonderful computerized landscape of Mars. I have seen a picture of the molecular structure of sugar--something I can't even see.

Fotos também alimentam a conciência pública. Os registros fotográficos da bomba de Hiroshima trouxeram para casa a devastação da gerra atômica. As fotos da Guerra do Vietnã causaram protestos contra a gerra.

Photos also fuel the public consciousness. The photographic records of the Hiroshima bombing brought home the devastation of atomic warfare. The photos of the Vietnam War caused antiwar protest.
Todos nós fomos afetados pelas fotos das concentrações do Nazismo e juramos – nunca mais!

We have all been affected by the pictures of the Nazi Concentration Camps and vowed--never again!

Que essas fotos são declarações políticas gráficas e foram entendidas pela administração.

That these photos are graphic political statements was understood by the administration.

Eles censuraram as fotos que acompanhavam as noticias cobrindo a operação Tempestade no Deserto"

They censured the photos accompanying the newscasts covering Operation Dessert Storm.

Translation courtesy of Emerson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words -- at Least!

Photography is a bridge connecting me to the lives of my out-of-state family. I like getting pictures in letters because they show the whole other dimension that doesn’t come through in words. We talked on the phone on my father’s birthday, for example. But the photos captured more of the flavor of the celebration than I could get on the phone. I saw his expression as he held the card I sent him, and I could see he liked his birthday cake.

Since I live isolated from my family, time is frozen for me between visits. I can’t see my nephews growing taller, my mother’s face becoming more grandmotherly. The Christmas pictures each year are always a shock that so much time has gone by, and so much has happened, and I am still stranded out of state, apart from these loved ones. Photographs are the next best thing to being there.

Photograpy is a bridge to my own past, too. I love to page through the family album whenever the children need pictures for a school project. I pause at the pictures of past Christmases, recapturing feelings and memories I had forgotten. I marvel that the tree could have been so full with decorations lovingly made, and the volumes of presents! And were the children ever so small? Yet here is the living proof.

Photographs provide a reality check on how fat I really am, how bad my hair looks, and how much my parents have aged. The pictures from my childhood show that I was not ugly. If only I had known! I have a picture of me as an adult when I gave up dieting because I felt so fat that I thought I could never lose another twenty pounds. If only I looked that good now! Another picture of me is from the time I hated my hair--I was ashamed to be seen on the street! But it was really a nice perm, I discover, as I look at the photograph years later. I have concluded that I always look better than I think I do and not to worry.

Photographs are more objective than a mirror. When we see a photo, we're detached and view the image as an object or an other. When we look in the mirror, we perceive ourselves subjectively through our own psychological filter--tainted by all of our judgements and preconceived notions. Photos have taught me that I am too critical of myself. Pictures can be misused by the advertizing industry to manipulate us onsumers. Artists insert subliminal messages into the whisky ads. Subliminal messages are symbols which are perceived below the conscious level. In other words, we are reacting emotionally to pictures we don't even realize we are seeing.

They draw pictures of naked ladies in the ice cubes of the drink hoping to arouse the male reader. In his mind arousal becomes linked with Johnny Walker. Bingo -- Johny Walker equals pleasure. So every time the man sees a pretty girl, he wants a drink, and every time he wants a drink, he thinks of sexual gratification. He'll buy two drinks -- one for the lady!

In education pictures are indispensible. How can you describe to a student what a Chinese temple looks like as clearly as pictures do? I once attended a lecture on the geometry of soap bubbles. How does a bubble burst? All at once or not? A picture captured the exact moment of the bursting, and showed unmistakably that the bubble explodes at one point, ripping apart on that side while the other side is still erfectly intact. In life, it happens so fast that we cannot see it. So, photography can also be an investigative tool. Likewise it is used in other processes which take too long to observe: tracking sun spots, the growth of plants, their attraction to the sun, the movement of the galaxies.

Photography can be an eyewitness account of history. The whole flavor of the Nazi era came alive for me in a photograph of a blonde woman and her Jewish boyfriend being arrested and forced to wear placards announcing their crime--it was illegal for Arian girls to have a relationship with Jewish men because it polluted the race. It can be an eye into unexplored frontiers: space and oceans and electrons. Photos give us the wonderful computerized landscape of Mars. I have seen a picture of the molecular structure of sugar--something I can't even see. Photos also fuel the public consciousness. The photographic records of the Hiroshima bombing brought home the devastation of atomic warfare. The photos of the Vietnam War caused antiwar protest. We have all been affected by the pictures of the Nazi Concentration Camps and vowed--never again! That these photos are graphic political statements was understood by the administration. They censured the photos accompanying the newscasts covering Operation Dessert Storm.

Photos are used to identify persons, capture criminals and appear on milk cartons to recover kidnapped children. They are taken during forensic investigations, and are presented in court as evidence. Before and after pictures provide credibility and are motivators.

Photography can be a hobby. It is an industry. It provides jobs. Photography is art. A photograph is an image. It is portable. We can keep it near us to feel closer to our loved ones. Grandparents bring them out and brag about their grandchildren. They can be the focal point of a room's decor. It is someone's interpretation of reality. The perspective can influence our perception or even deceive us. Political ads take this into account as they strive to project a certain image.

But photography is not capable of representing all of reality--have you ever seen a picture of God?

Feel free to translate as much of the rest of it as you want into Portuguese and post it as a comment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Prepostion Exercises and Essays Are Now
in the Links For Studying English Section.

Homecoming
Night Moon
Preposition Exercise--Response to Adam's Blog Post
A Picture is Worth 1000 Words--At Least
Waterloo's BikeShort Essay on Cocooning Usages of Get

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Prepositions talking about Waterloo's bike

Waterloo's adventurous bike.

1. Waterloo took this bike ___ a camping trip.

2. He really loaded it ___.

3. His red sleeping bag is ___ the top.

4. He has a bucket hanging ___ the handlebars.

5. The box is tied ___ the rear fender rack http://www.bigha.com/start_exploring/details/accessories.php.

6. It lo0ks like the box has a lot of goodies ___ it.

7. Where did he go? The bike has a lot of mud ___ it. It is caked ___ it.

8. This bike is so special that Waterloo has a name ___ it. It is called Suzie.

9. I hope some of Waterloo's students will see his special bike posted ___ the internet here.

1o. I hope you all got a kick ___ of these sentences and the bike.

Scroll down for the answer key.

Answer key
1. Waterloo took this bike on a camping trip.

2. He really loaded it up.

3. His red sleeping bag is the top.

4. He has a bucket hanging from the handlebars.

5. The box is tied onto the rear fender rack http://www.bigha.com/start_exploring/details/accessories.php.

6. It lo0ks like the box has a lot of goodies in it.

7. Where did he go? The bike has a lot of mud on it. It is caked with it.

8. This bike is so special that Waterloo has a name for it. It is called Suzie.

9. I hope some of Waterloo's students will see his special bike posted on the internet here.

1o. I hope you all got a kick out of these sentences and the bike.

To see Claudia's translation into Portuguese, go to the link in the studying English section on the right.

Monday, May 16, 2005

Until Death Do Us Part

Adam Posted a joke on his Blog, which I will retell here, so that you can see what my comment is referring to:

Joke:
A dying man's wife was baking cookies. The heavenly scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies wafted upstairs to his room where he lie abed*. Mustering all of his strength, he pulled himself upright and with much effort, made his way down to the kitchen. His wife was arranging cookies on platters in a pretty arrangement. When he was about to take a bite of a cookie, his wife slapped his hand, and the cookie fell back on to the plate.

"Those are for the funeral!" she admonished him.

*abed is used in narration like fairytales, but not in everyday conversation. We would say "in bed" in normal English.

Comment:
As a chocolate lover, dare I even say chocophile, a neuologism that dictionary.com does not recognize, I can understand the magnetism of the aroma of the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that pulled the poor dying man to the kitchen for one last taste. I thought to myself, "Good for him! Even dying he is expending his last energy for a worthy cause."It was very disheartening to hear the harshness of his wife. A true soul-mate would have given him some cookies and spent some loving time with him, sharing a moment over cookies and a beverage.

Your comments are welcome.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Estou me preparando para uma viagem ao Brasil by Luciana

This is a page I created using the sound file that Luciana made when we had a hard time finding audio resources for learning Portuguese on the web.

http://www.geocities.com/redcamarocruiser/lutrip2.htm

Luciana's Vacation Preparation--an original text by Luciana:

Estou me preparando para uma viagem ao Brasil.

•Já comecei a estudar Português pra não fazer feio quando chegar.

•É uma viagem de trabalho mas quero aproveitar para conhecer as praias do Rio e do Nordeste.

•Ouvi dizer que em alguns lugares as pessoas se cumprimentam com dois beijos no rosto mas em outros um beijo só.

•Não sei se vou me acostumar com isso. Estou acostumada a dar a mão ou no máximo um abraço.

Translation by Helen:

• I'm preparing myself for a trip to Brazil.

• I have already started to study Portuguese so that I won't mess up when I get there.

• It's a work trip, but I want to take advantage of the opportunity to go to the beaches of Rio, and the North east.

• I heard that in some places, people compliment each other by giving a kiss on each cheek, but in other places just one kiss.

• I don't know if I'm going to get used to this. I'm only used to shaking hands, or at the most, a hug!“

Veging Out--comments to word of the day

Veging out

"Veg out" is quite apropos to some of the threads I have been reading.

Someone asked if the term "couch potato" is really used. She had found it in her textbook.

(It *is*-- unfortunately all too often in the US was the reply, due to the current unhealthy lifestyles of many).

That made me think that I have been transformed from a "couch potato" to a "computer potato".

But that is not a term I've ever heard, so I tried to think what we do say. I came up with "computer addict," but do not like that negativity of that term.

Someone suggested "computer nerd" but I do not have the skill set that that would imply.

Then I thought of the term "computer junkie" which seems to fit.

I like it because it is morphologically analogous to "golf junkie", a term listed in dictionary.com

and I have heard women at Weight Watchers define themselves fondly as "twinkie junkies" and "love junkies".

Comments and translation into Portuguese in the comments section welcome.

redcamarocruiser

Add a Folder of Resources by Tomaz Lasic

Adding a File to the Moodle by Tomaz Lasic

Adding Website links to the Moodle by Tomaz Lasic

Adding a Label (2Minute Moodle tutorial)

एडिटिंग अ कुरसे ओं अ moodle

Leave a message on the Earthcast2010 voicethread

The Teachers of Making Friends Around the World

How to Create a Subpage in Google Sites

How to Insert and Move a Resource in Moodle

Why We Need To Teach Technology In School (2)

Comparatives

eXe open source educational resource authoring software

Trafalgar Square Event

Voicethread for Earthcast2008

Testing a collaborative video

Video by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu on the importance of freedom in information