Panos Sklavenitis

Writing 2
WP3 PART 1
TRANSLATION.

To My Executor: Matt
This letter expresses my feelings and reasons for certain decisions
made in my will. It is not my will, nor do I intend it to be an
interpretation of my will. My will, which I signed, dated and had
witnessed on 03/7/17, is the sole expression of my intentions
concerning all my property and other matters covered in it.
Should anything I say in this letter conflict with, or seem to conflict
with, any provision of my will, the will shall be followed.
I request that you give a copy of this letter to each person named in
my will to take property, or act as a guardian or custodian, and to
anyone else you determine should receive a copy.
The actual reason for me writing this letter is not for explanatory
reasons, since I leave everything equally between my children,
Panos and Eleni and my wife Stephanie. but rather to give you, my
kids, one advice that can change your lives.
These last days in my deathbed I could not stop thinking about all
the sacrifices I did in order to be able to leave you all these property
and money, however if you asked me I regret everything. I missed
so many moments with you guys so as to pursue my materialistic
dreams. It is these same dreams that led me in depression since
materials could not offer me the love and affection that I needed. It
took me 80 years to figure it out, please dont do the same mistakes
as I did. Love your family the most and never give up on them in
order to pursue a more materialistic life because you will end up like
me, dying on your own. Family is above all, above the fancy cars,
above the expensive watches and above MONEY. It is your mother
that loves you the most in this planet so make sure you always put
her above any materialistic dreams. Money made me rich but it took
away time that I could have spent with you, and it this that I regret
the most. Since you do not have to work a day in your lives out of
need please be the father I never was and be there physically for
your kids and your mother. Do not sacrifice your well-being for
money as I did, enjoy your lives with simpler things and more love.
I loved you, I love you and I will always love you and I am really
sorry. I hope you can forgive me one day. If I could ask one favor is
that you make sure you love yourself and family more than anything
in this world.

With much love,

Your Dad.

WP3PART2

PanosSklavenitis

Writing2

WP3Part2

Translatingonegenretoanotheroneissomethingchallengingbutratherintriguingsince

onehastofindawaytosupportthesameargumentindifferentcontextsincethenewgenre

addressestotallydifferentaudiencethanthefirstone.ThesourceIchosetotranslatewasthe

academicarticleMaterialismandWellBeing:AConflictingValuesPerspectivewrittenbyan

assistantprofessorofcommerceandanassistantprofessorofmarketing,thatarguedhow

materialisticlifeisassociatedwithreducedwellbeingandhowmaterialisticvaluesconflictwith

familyvalues.MaterialisticlifeissomethingthatmanyyoungchildrenaimforandthisiswhyI

wantedtotranslateitintoaletterattachedtoawilltoshowhowonefathercanleaveawritten

advicetohiskidsthatcaneithertransformtheirlivesorjustpersuadethemthatmaterialistic

valuesshouldneverbeputabovefamilyvalues.
 Thegenreofthefirstsourceisthatofanacademicarticlethatitspurposeistomakean

argumentandsupportitthroughdifferentsurveys,studiesandmeasurementscalessoasto

convincetheacademicworldandalsofollowtheveryspecificsetofconventionsthatdefine

thesekindofarticlessuchasthewayofwritingandthenecessityofprovidingsolidevidences

thatarerecognizedbyacademics.Thisjournaladdressesaspecificaudienceofotheracademics

ofthefieldsofcommerce,business,marketing,etc.Ontheotherhand,aletterattachedtoawill

doesnothavetofollowveryspecificsetofconventions,exceptthewaytheintroductionis

constructed.Otherthanthatitisasimpleletterthattargetsaveryuniqueaudience,whichdiffers

ineveryletter,usuallythatofthefamilyofthedeceased.

Choosinginwhattotranslatemyfirstsourcewassomethingthatrequiredalotof

thinkingandcreativitybecauseIdidnotwanttogowiththeusualgenresthatotherstudent

choosesuchaschildrensbookandshortstories.AlsoIfirmlybelievethatIamreallygoodat

usingpathos,anappealtoemotion,inordertomakeandsupportanargument.Tryingtoargue

howmaterialisticlifeissomethingthatleadstoareducedwellbeingwassomethingthatIfeltit

neededtobeaddressedinacontextheavilychargedwithemotionssuchasaletterattachedtoa

will.AnotherreasonIchoosethisgenrewasthatIcouldconstructitinanywayIwantedsinceit

doesnothavetofollowaspecificformatorusespecificwords.Inmyopinion,beingfreeto

writewhatonewishesmakestheoverallargumentstrongersincepeoplecanpresentinformation

inanywaythatwouldhelpsupporttheirargumentratherthanjustsimplyfitthegenre

conventions.

Oneofthemostdifficultpartofthistranslationwastofigureouthowtoconveythesame

argumentthroughsuchadifferentgenre.Thefirstgenreusedalotofstudiesandgenerally
evidencesthatcouldnotpossiblyfitinthenewgenre.Therefore,IhadtomakesureIusedthe

propertechniquesneeded.Forthatreason,Ididnotintegratemanythingsintheletterfromthe

article.Isimplychoosetomakethesameargumentthroughdifferentconventionssuchasappeal

toemotionandpersonalexampleswhichareneverusedinanacademicarticlebecausethey

cannotbeprovedscientifically.

ThistranslationIfindtobeveryeffectiveandsuccessfulsinceitisobviousthatthesetwo

differentgenreshavethesameargument.Itwasnothardformetoconveytheargumentand

incorporateauthorialvoiceinmylettersincetheauthorismyfutureself.Sincetheauthorwas

meinmanyyearsfromnowIhadtotryandvisualizemyselfinasituationwhereIamdyingrich

butwithmanyregretsbecauseIputmaterialisticvaluesabovefamilyonesandtryingtogivemy

kidsthemostimportantadvicethatInevergavethemwhileIwasalive.Thatwasdefinitely

somethingnotthatsimplebecausetherenoadviceonhowtowritesuchaletterratherthan

followingyourheartandexpressingtrueemotions.

Doingthistranslationwasrelativelyeasiercomparedtotheprevioustwopaperswehad

towritebecauseatthispointinthequarterIfeelthatthroughthedifferentreadingsanddifferent

exerciseswedidinclassIwaswellequippedwithalltheknowledgeneededsoastoperforma

successfulgenretranslation.UsingasaguidemylastreadingWritingwithPictureswrittenby

McCloud,whichIfoundittobethemosthelpfuloneintheentirequarter,sinceitprovided

informationonallthethingsyouneedinordertotranslateonegenretoanother.Moreprecisely

whathelpedmethemostinthatreadingisthatIunderstoodhowtochoosetheappropriatewords

andalsohowtoshowthemomentsthatmatterandcutthosewhodonot.Forexample,inthe

letterIincludehowmissingmomentswithmykidsissomethingthatIreallyregretandIdidnot
includehowmakingalotofmoneycanalsohelponeachievesuccessbecausethatwasnotthe

pointIwastryingtoconvey.AnotherreadingthatIfoundreallyhelpfulwasthatfromAnnM.

Johns:DiscoursecommunitiesandCommunitiesofPractice:Membership,Conflictand

Diversitybecauseithelpedmeunderstandhowtoidentifyagenrewhichitthenhelpedtowrite

mytranslation.

ThesereadingshaveimprovedmywritingsinceIwasabletoovercomeanychallenges

thatIfoundonmywaysuchmakingsurethatIusedtheappropriatetoneneeded,findingthe

properwordsthatfittedthenewgenreandsupportingmyargument.Classdiscussionsandclass

activitiesalsoplayedamajorpartinimprovingmywritingasawhole.Mygrammar,

punctuation,sentenceflow,paragraphflow,introductionandconclusionarethedifferentareas

thatIhaveimprovedin.Allthesenewskillsmademeabletodistinguishdifferentwritingstyles

andalsotranslatethemintodifferentgenresifneeded.