Denizli

"pretty good" or "fairly good" are a little bit less than just saying good on its own.

They are more than "a little bit good". I hesitate to put a number on it, but it´s like 80-90% good instead of 100% good.

e.g. He was pretty well behaved means the child was mostly well behaved but sometimes he was a little bit naughty.

It´s like "iyimsi" or "iye doğru"

Your friend should have realised English was not your native language.

The man said, "If you don´t know the place (or point) where you should turn back, don´t go."

The woman said, "If you don´t know when to stop, don´t drink"

(it could also be don´t smoke, but I thought don´t drink was more appropriate)

Yes, that´s what it means.

Strip out the extra clause and you get:

Ben bildirdim = I told, I announced

What did I announce?

seni sevdiğimi = my love for you, that I love you

It is my love, because it says sevdiğimi

Your love would be sevdiğini

Next example -

car park at Hillside Sports Club. They had over 8 of these signs up --

Leftover cars over night will be dragged away.

Now, if you know Turkish you´ll understand the confusion about çekmek. (In English we would say "towed away" not "dragged away".)  But it does conjure up an image of some poor person struggling to pull a car along behind them.

But "leftover cars"?  You get leftovers from food, not from a car park!  

First example - seen yesterday in Marmaray Sirkeci station where there is some building work going on.

The sign had the word passenger written on it 3 times - sadly each time spelled passanger.

Come on Istanbul Ulaşım, you should know how to spell the word passenger!

Of course we all make mistakes.

When translating from English to Turkish I make mistakes, but if something is to be printed I get a native speaker to check it and correct it.

I get so sad when I see mistakes in English in signs that good money has been spent on. In particular in the airport, at tourism sites etc because it makes Turkey look bad in the eyes of visitors.

This thread is just to let me let off steam ....! and hopefully it will be useful to TC´ers who do translations into English

or their lover likes sending poems!

Her daim hayatında kalma sözü versem tutabilir miyim.

If I promise to stay always (lit: every moment) in your life, could I keep my word?

Seninle her durumda var olmayı denesem.

If I try to be with you in every situation.

Sona giden yollarda ağır adımlarla her anı sindirerek varım

I take slow steps along roads that lead to the end (or is this a typo: sana = to you?), savouring every moment.

Varlığının anlam kattığı hayata minettarım

I am thankful that you add meaning to life.

Sevgilim, gözlerinden geçeni yazıya döksem yüreğimin sevdalı yanı seni seviyorum diyor.
My darling, when I try to write down what I see in your eyes, my romantic heart says I love you.

Sen iste sana yeni dünyalar keşfedeyim aşkla var edilen.

Just ask me to, and I will discover new worlds for you that have been created out of love.

Sen iste her zorlukla mücadele edelim

Just ask me to, and I will fight any difficulty.

Sen yeter ki kal orda ben seni her yeni yaşında yeniden seveyim.
Simply stay there and let me love you once more every year (lit: with each new year of your age)

Işık olsun gözlerinde hep yüreğime sıcacık bakan.

Let there always be light in your eyes, that look so warmly into my heart.

İçindeki çocuk hep gülümsesin güvenle.
Let the child within you always smile with security.

Cömert ve sessiz yerliler gibi sana ısrar etmeden yol göstereyim.

Let me show you the way, without insisting, like a generous and silent local.

Eşlik et dediğin yerde edeyim.

Let me accompany you to the place you ask me to go to with you.

Bir tanem,
Yüreğimi koydum yüreğine, bir çift sevdalı göz sakladım hediyene.
My one and only,

I´ve put my heart in your heart, I´ve hidden a pair of loving eyes in your gift.

İyi ki doğdun diyorum en içten dileklerle.
Nice güzel senelere yürüyelim birlikte el ele.

I wish you a happy birthday with all my heart (lit: I say it is good you are born, with most sincere wishes)

Let us walk together hand in hand for many many wonderful years to come.

expostulate isn´t often used in English.

I would have used "complain about", "moan about" as translations of yakınmak, şikayet etmek.

For sitem etmek I would use "criticise"