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Re: Initial contact email in ... French?

Well, I can read French, and though it has been a while since I have has any grammer classes, I would say the translator did a pretty darn good job -- certainly better than it does some webpages!
I think you might want to check a French-English dictionary for the proper salutation and introduction for a formal letter... "Cher" means "dear" but it is a little more personal than what would be appropriate for someone you don't know (if I recall).
One thing that is pretty universally true with much of the non-English world -- most of them (western Europeans especially) speak and read English way better than most American's speak their languages!! They start earlier in school etc. The funny thing about many of the French is that many of them can be rather snobby about their own language and not wish to use English, even though they know it... I have some funny stories involving this fact from the semester I lived in Dijon... So, you could probably send the English version, and most would probably be able to understand it. Or send both. It will be pretty obvious to a French person that you used a translator though. 

HTH,
Tony



From: "Dave VanderWall" <dave@vanderwall.org>
Reply-To: aga-contest@thekrib.com
To: <aga-contest@thekrib.com>
Subject: Initial contact email in ... French?
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 23:20:58 -0500

Hi,

Google has this translator for web pages (perhaps some of you have seen
it).  Here is what the initial contact email looks like in French, which
I of course don?t read or speak:

*************

Concours Aquatique D'Aquascaping D'Association De 2002 Jardiniers


Cher (nom)


L'association aquatique de jardiniers est une organisation
internationale des fervents d'usine aquatique consacrés à augmenter
l'intérêt dans et la connaissance des usines aquatiques et de leur
entretien dans des aquariums et des étangs de jardin. L'cAga produit un
journal bimensuel appelé le jardinier aquatique et maintient un site Web
à http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/.


Tous les ans, l'cAga tient deux événements principaux:

- le concours international d'cAga Aquascaping, un enchaînement a basé
l'étalage de planté et aquascaped des aquariums,

- la conférence d'cAga, une occasion pour que les amateurs rencontrent
et d'entendent d'autres fervents et experts discuter tous les aspects du
jardinage aquatique. La conférence de cette année sera tenue à Houston,
le Texas en novembre.


Des détails de ces deux événements peuvent être trouvés sur le site Web
d'cAga.


Il est tout à fait possible que les membres de votre groupe seront
intéressés par un ou tous les deux événements et/ou l'organisation
elle-même. Nous compilons une liste de email address d'autant de groupes
et sociétés d'amateur comme possible les avons laissés savoir de nos
efforts et encourager leur participation. Nous serions heureux de vous
envoyer le matériel promotionnel pour ces événements par l'intermédiaire
d'email pour la distribution à vos membres. Veuillez confirmer la
personne correcte de contact pour votre groupe (nom et email address).


Le passe-temps d'aquarium a été toujours basé sur le partage de nos
intérêts mutuels. Nous du voudrions encourager les membres de votre
groupe à nous joindre et promouvons l'appréciation les aquariums et
jardinage aquatique.


Si vous avez n'importe quelles questions, contactez-svp nous.


Nous vous prions d'agréer l'expression de nos salutations distinguées,

**************


Anyone read French?  Is it close?  I really like the "Yours Truly" part,
which is the last line.

Now, call me crazy, (please, because I don't want to have to answer an
email in a language I don't understand) but there is a web site chock
full o' international clubs.  Do I dare seek them out?  The site is
http://www.i-focas.ic24.net/WORLD%20FISH%20CLUBS.htm (VERY slow to
load!)  I'm in the process of weeding out all of the English-speaking
clubs.  I think I could safely send what we have to the Netherlands.  Or
I could just send everyone the English version and see what happens.
Better yet, send the announcement when we are ready. ;-) Any thoughts?

One other detail, Google only translates English to Portuguese, French,
Italian, German or Spanish.  Not sure if there are other translators,
but I'm guessing a translation to Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, etc., would
be difficult and sloppy at best.  Somewhat of an insult at worst, I
suppose.

* Tip for future contact folks:  Visit whatever web site is listed and
get the email address from there.  Usually it is different from the
email listing on the directory site.  Hello! :-)


Crazy Dave V.
(sort of wishing he took something other than Latin)

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