Chapter 7: The Halfway to Perfection

When you see the title, you find it irrelevant...right? But my way of learning English is very different from any of my classmates do. So don't restrain me from introducing my way. However, I assure you that everything I've stumbled upon works, at least for me; I learn English mostly by myself you know?

No matter what I've said, though. I'm still tempting on translating things by the way. I've almost forgotten to add news to my blog. You'll see some of them here...

-------------------

Unbelievable!! Patoomwan Smashed Triamudomsuksa on Doc Entrance, But Triamudomsuksa Still won in Number.

At last, the 2011 result of Faculty of medicine's entrance from the Council of Physicians was finished and ready to show off on the 25 of February, approximately at 7 o'clock in the evening. The same time as the last year.

Rumor has it; there were so many students' parents visiting the website: www9.si.mahidol.ac.th (The doctors' council site). No less than several hundred thousands times has been recorded.

Prof. Dr. Awut Srisukree, secretary general of the Doctors' Council said that there were 29 thousands of high-school students applied for the entrance exam but only 25 thousands of them actually took the test. And only 1,531 of them passed the test. Those who'd passed the test will be called for the interview and have a physical examination at their chosen university in the early March.

If there is any resignation occurs or the number doesn't meet the requirement, the Council may announce the second result.

However, there are 10 thousands more students volunteer themselves to the entrance exam this year...

This year's competition is like 1 part 17.

Unlike last year, in which there were 1,375 students out of 22,000 to pass the entrance exam. It was like 1 part 16 that year.

The Council's top scorer is "Ben" Tipok Rukumnuoykit, grade 12 of Patoomwan Srinakharinwirot Demonstration School. He's got 81.7460, which is the highest score for the faculty of medicines in Chulalongkorn University.

While the last year still retained higher marks: 83.0400 out of 100 from "Dell" Natchakorn Kwankajornwong, grade 12 student from Triamudomsuksa School who possesses 3.92 GPA. and held the first place that year...

There was inside news regarding "Ben" had taken an exam for applying himself to Triamudomsuksa but the school he belongs to persuaded him to earn honor and glory for himself and Patoomwan Srinakharinwirot Demonstration School, what a notorious deal...

This is why Triamudomsuksa loses to Patoomwan even Pasin Manurangsi, the top-notch student from Krungthep Christian College who had been highly anticipated as the top student to be the first of new generation of doctors of Chulalongkorn University. This one possesses the most promising GPAs and had been a representative to compete in the Olympic's Computer Contest, 2010. Not only that, he also decorated himself with the gold medal from Olympic's Academic Contest (Mathematics) 2008 with the eighth place comparing to others throughout the world.

The inside also said that the marks between Tipok and Pasin was like a close call...

But in number, Triamudomsuksa is still a champion.

Latest news: Triamudomsuksa's website claims that 139 of them are in Chulalongkorn University, 134 in the Sirirat and 54 of them in Ramathibodee. All of these numbers are students who pass the entrance exam to be medical students.

While Tipok says he's glad to be the one who passed the test to be the Chulalongkorn student and had the highest GPAs of 4.00 in his eleventh grade.

He also reveal his secrets on preparing himself before the examination day; diligently read books on corresponding topics and review them regularly. He also said that he reads book at night, approximately from 8 pm. till midnight. And on his preparation for the medical entrance, he buys medical books for reading since the weight of the profession mark is 30% of the entire marks. He also take a chance consulting other senior students who attended to the Olympic Academic Camp too.

He admits that he takes tutoring classes too, namely Mathematics, English, Thai and Social just in case of preparing himself to compete for the King's Scholarship. He had taken that chance and the result will reveals itself in March, 10, 2011.

"I like studying medical sciences because my mother was a nurse and my aunt is a pharmacist. I also like sciences because I'm good at physics and had a chance to attend to the Olympic's Physics Camp too. These are reasons why I'd love to study both of them." That's what Tipok says.

There's a rumor that not less than 10 top-notch students will give in the chance and take the King's Scholarship instead.

This news is from the Education corner of Matichon Online, February 27, 2011.

Click here to see the original news...

Chapter 2: If Clauses (Part I)

Please, spare me your lectures...I don't want to repeat what I've already born in mind again and again. And I want to proceed to what's needed to get it done...

And, the first and foremost thing is the If Clauses. This topic doesn't seem to have anything to do with Translations, but it's worth noting since it's associated with the thing that called Grammars which is one of the most critical things to understand before you can translate any kinds of documents as if you're walking along the golden field...

Let's get to the point, then. The If Clauses is popular, that's the reason why it's worth noting and there are three main kinds of if clauses, not to mention a special kind that can be changed unpredictably...At least that's what I meant to describe it, no pun intended.

Maybe I've already learned them from my grammar book, maybe not. But they seem similar...and it's a shame that I like to use if clauses too, but not able to recognize their structures. Thanks to you, though. For you'd mentioned this grammar spot in this course...

Well, as everyone knows. The If Clauses are the collective of clauses that state the condition in the sentences, hence its parental topic: The Conditional Sentences. This topic talks about not only 3 types of if clauses and the mixed types ones. It also talk about the more complicated matters regarding this topic too. But I'll only talk about if clauses and the mixed conditionals for now...complicated things come later.

The structures of three basic if clauses are easy to understand, as follow :-

1. Simple Present + will-future (or modal + infinitive)
2. Simple Past + would + infinitive
3. Past Perfect + would + have + past participle

The first type is also known as Present Real Clause since the condition within the clause is suggested as being possible to fulfill.

The examples to this type of if clauses will be like this :-

• If I get up early, I may have time to exercise.
• If you underestimate your opponent, you may end up as a loser.
• If Johnson pays more attention to the class, he will do better in the exam.

Let us proceed to the next type of the if clauses then. This type of if clause states the condition that may be fulfill only in theory or in the past, but no longer possible in the present time or by practical means. Sometimes it's called "Present Unreal" because the condition is no longer be able to fulfill in the present time since such situation mentioned in the condition is a thing of the past.

Let's see its samples then...

• If I could reverse time, I could find a way to redeem myself from my sins.
• If I Tim wasn't a lazy type, he might perform better than other classmates.
• If we were rich, our living wouldn't be as pathetic as you know.

Let's waste no time then, the third type of the if clauses is waiting. This kind of if clauses state the condition that can't be able to fulfilled, no matter by the time being or by the past time. It sounds like such condition can only be fulfilled only when you dream for it. Apart from that, it's absolutely impossible...at least in the thought of those who think so, though.

I've already mentioned its structure, let's take a look into its samples then...

• You know what? There are so many good things happen to me while I was in the junior high school, if I had been a better man, I'd have seen even better things than I'm facing right now.
• If Damian had learned the truth, he might have been less merciful than I am.
• If we had won the lottery, we could have bought things that we always dream of.

And that's all about three major types of If Clauses, there is something I want to add into this entry by the way...

It's about another way to write these conditional sentences; you can simply swap the position of if clause with that of the main sentence. It will be like this :-

• Tim might perform better than other classmates if he wasn't a lazy type.

Can you see any differences? The position of the if clause and the main clause are changed as you can see, but the meaning is still the same. It's as simple as that.

As I've stated before, there are mixed types too. That means you may combine different types of conditions together, but that's easy to say. Let's see what it's like then...

Past --> Present :-

• If we had finished homework in time, we wouldn't have to skip this class.

Past --> Future :-

• If I had known that you love me no longer, I would give in and find a better one for sure.

Present --> Past :-

• If George had won a big lottery prize, he might have bought this house.

Present --> Future :-

• If you were in Seville, I would be spending my time with you there.

Future --> Past :-

• If Thomas wasn't sleeping, I would have invited him to join my party.

Future --> Present :-

• If I didn't have any appointment next month, I'd be relaxed.

That's all for now. However, I'll proceed to the next chapter as soon as I'm ready...

Chapter 1: About Translation II

Okay...As you may know, I've put this god-forsaken blog down for quite a while because I have no ideas to put something into it...

But I've come up with ideas now...and it's about one of many courses that I have to take class in this semester: Translation II.

This course is like its counterpart in the last semester in terms of learning basis, though. Learning by doing, you say? Learn what? The contents you want to read. Do what? Translate them. So it can hence its course's name; Translation. While Translation I concentrates mainly on how to translate English Language documents to Thai, but you will have to translate Thai back to English instead.

...And the only way to translate certain languages to another languages effectively is to understand their grammars and structures thoroughly, in which require a great deal of work and experiences, as you always say which I'm too lazy to repeat it again and again. Well, because I also bear this principle in my mind all the time!

The other things that you have also said, my dear teacher, are consisted mainly of how to apply such things that I've learned from many courses in this bachelor degree to good use in the practical teaching. So many contents that you've told also. But you've just said that English courses aren't that "fixed", comparing to other courses involving other subjects...charming.

Well then, that's all for the first entry. I'll continue to the second shortly after this...