July 22, 2025
Translated Prologue of My Debut Novel
High above the sandy shore that separated the sparkling sea from the old, squat mountains, a seagull glided. It barely moved its wings, riding warm updrafts while peering intently at the landscape drifting by below.
Far beneath, a small town stretched along a winding road and was slowly waking up. It looked like a winding centipede, its narrow streets fanning out from the main highway like slender legs.
Though midday was still far off, the sun, having just risen above the horizon, was already warming the terracotta roofs and grey asphalt. The town was in no rush; yawning lazily, it greeted the new day in the shade of quiet cafés and on beach loungers. The gentle hiss of tires from cars rolling in did little to disturb the near-perfect silence.
The seagull had no intention of changing its course, but the sudden buzz of a scooter startled it into veering toward the sea. Over the calm waves, it had to beat its wings more often, but here the blue expanse felt familiar. Unlike the busy land, the water’s surface lay empty and still. The fishing boats had already returned to shore, and the sleek yachts and powerful motorboats were yet to weigh anchor. Only a small flock of windsurfers sped across the waves, calling out to each other with bright, carefree voices. Absorbed in their race, they never glanced up to notice the bird trailing them. Had they seen her, they might have accepted the challenge — but not this time. Ahead, a narrow cape jutted several hundred meters into the sea, forcing the dozen colorful sails to swerve sharply toward open water. The seagull flew straight on, slowing a little to rest her wings.
Midway along the cape, tucked beneath the shade of cypress trees, stood a small villa with a swimming pool. Under a wide umbrella, a young woman in a swimsuit sat tapping at a tiny laptop. After a few more keystrokes, she stood up, closed the lid, and strolled toward the water. She slipped in like a pike, swimming underwater for a long moment before surfacing at the far edge — but the seagull didn’t see her reappear. Leaving the cape behind, she coasted along the shore once more, passing hillsides dotted with olive groves, vineyards, and the occasional low house with broad windows. Here, silence and near-perfect calm reigned.
Soon, the sandy strip of beach curved into a horseshoe bay at the foot of a gentle hill. Perched on its slope clung a small Roman-style house, its white gazebo nestled in a cozy courtyard. From the gazebo, a stone staircase descended in two flights toward the sand. In the sea opposite the house, about a hundred meters from the shore, a solitary rock rose up. Swooping in a wide arc, the seagull descended and landed on its peak — her favorite spot. She often came here to doze in the warmth of the morning sun. Shifting her feet — one of which glinted with a metal band — she finally settled, folded her wings, and waited.
Soon enough, a man in a light white robe appeared at the top of the steps. He made his way down, tossed his robe onto a rattan lounger, and ran headlong into the water. With strong strokes he reached the rock within minutes, climbing up onto its slippery ledge. Over the past few days, the seagull had come to know the man’s morning routine well. Now he would take a short break to catch his breath, then dive off the wet ledge and begin his swim back. But today, he lingered. Leaning back against the damp stone, he gazed out to sea as if he too wanted to soak up the early sun — just like his feathered companion.
In the distance, colorful sails appeared beyond the tip of the cape. The windsurfers, having rounded the obstacle, gathered speed and raced on. The man paused on the rock, stretched luxuriously, and rotated his arms in wide circles, warming up for the swim back. The flock of sails drew nearer, soon skimming past the rock from the open sea. Then, without warning, one bright yellow triangular sail broke away from the group and veered sharply, aiming for the narrow passage between the rock and the shore. The seagull lifted herself slightly on her webbed feet, watching as the flat board with its sail cut closer. Clearly, someone had decided to slip through the narrow gap between the rock and the picturesque shore. Unlike the seagull, the man couldn’t see it. He drew in a deep breath, pushed off hard with his legs, and dove. Holding his breath, he glided smoothly beneath the waves — just as the lone windsurfer burst from behind the rock.
This is the introduction to my debut novel. The translation was first done using Google Translate and then refined with AI. I’d appreciate corrections on clarity, tone, and natural phrasing.
Translated Prologue of My Debut Novel
High above the sandy shore that separated the sparkling sea from the old, squat mountains, a seagull glided.
It barely moved its wings, riding warm updrafts while peering intently at the landscape drifting by below.
Far beneath, a small town stretched along a winding road and was slowly waking up.
It looked like a winding centipede, its narrow streets fanning out from the main highway like slender legs.
Though midday was still far off, the sun, having just risen above the horizon, was already warming the terracotta roofs and grey asphalt.
The town was in no rush; yawning lazily, it greeted the new day in the shade of quiet cafés and on beach loungers.
The gentle hiss of tires from cars rolling in did little to disturb the near-perfect silence.
The seagull had no intention of changing its course, but the sudden buzz of a scooter startled it into veering toward the sea.
Over the calm waves, it had to beat its wings more often, but here the blue expanse felt familiar.
Unlike the busy land, the water’s surface lay empty and still.
The fishing boats had already returned to shore, and the sleek yachts and powerful motorboats were yet to weigh anchor.
Only a small flock of windsurfers sped across the waves, calling out to each other with bright, carefree voices.
Absorbed in their race, they never glanced up to notice the bird trailing them.
Had they seen her, they might have accepted the challenge — but not this time.
Ahead, a narrow cape jutted several hundred meters into the sea, forcing the dozen colorful sails to swerve sharply toward open water.
The seagull flew straight on, slowing a little to rest her wings.
Midway along the cape, tucked beneath the shade of cypress trees, stood a small villa with a swimming pool.
Under a wide umbrella, a young woman in a swimsuit sat tapping at a tiny laptop.
After a few more keystrokes, she stood up, closed the lid, and strolled toward the water.
She slipped in like a pike, swimming underwater for a long moment before surfacing at the far edge — but the seagull didn’t see her reappear.
Leaving the cape behind, she coasted along the shore once more, passing hillsides dotted with olive groves, vineyards, and the occasional low house with broad windows.
Here, silence and near-perfect calm reigned.
Soon, the sandy strip of beach curved into a horseshoe bay at the foot of a gentle hill.
Perched on its slope clung a small Roman-style house, its white gazebo nestled in a cozy courtyard.
From the gazebo, a stone staircase descended in two flights toward the sand.
In the sea opposite the house, about a hundred meters from the shore, a solitary rock rose up.
Swooping in a wide arc, the seagull descended and landed on its peak — her favorite spot.
She often came here to doze in the warmth of the morning sun.
Shifting her feet — one of which glinted with a metal band — she finally settled, folded her wings, and waited.
Soon enough, a man in a light white robe appeared at the top of the steps.
He made his way down, tossed his robe onto a rattan lounger, and ran headlong into the water.
With strong strokes he reached the rock within minutes, climbing up onto its slippery ledge.
Over the past few days, the seagull had come to know the man’s morning routine well.
Now he would take a short break to catch his breath, then dive off the wet ledge and begin his swim back.
But today, he lingered.
Leaning back against the damp stone, he gazed out to sea as if he too wanted to soak up the early sun — just like his feathered companion.
In the distance, colorful sails appeared beyond the tip of the cape.
The windsurfers, having rounded the obstacle, gathered speed and raced on.
The man paused on the rock, stretched luxuriously, and rotated his arms in wide circles, warming up for the swim back.
The flock of sails drew nearer, soon skimming past the rock from the open sea.
Then, without warning, one bright yellow triangular sail broke away from the group and veered sharply, aiming for the narrow passage between the rock and the shore.
The seagull lifted herself slightly on her webbed feet, watching as the flat board with its sail cut closer.
Clearly, someone had decided to slip through the narrow gap between the rock and the picturesque shore.
Unlike the seagull, the man couldn’t see it.
He drew in a deep breath, pushed off hard with his legs, and dove.
Holding his breath, he glided smoothly beneath the waves — just as the lone windsurfer burst from behind the rock.
|
Below the waves, the man could see nothing. |
|
He drew in a deep breath, pushed off hard with his legs, and dove. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Holding his breath, he glided through the water — just as the lone windsurfer burst from behind the rock. |
|
Translated Prologue of My Debut Novel This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
High above the sandy shore that separated the sparkling sea from the old, squat mountains, a seagull glided. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
It barely moved its wings, riding warm updrafts while peering intently at the landscape drifting by below. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Holding his breath, he glided smoothly beneath the waves — just as the lone windsurfer burst from behind the rock. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Far beneath, a small town stretched along a winding road was slowly waking up. |
|
It looked like a curved centipede, its narrow streets fanning out from the main highway like slender legs. |
|
In the water, a solitary rock rose up about a hundred meters offshore. |
|
In the past few days, the seagull had learned his morning routine well: he would pause, catch his breath, and then dive back in for the swim home. |
|
In the distance, flashes of color appeared beyond the cape’s tip. |
|
He paused on the rock, stretched luxuriously, and rotated his arms in wide circles, warming up for the swim back. |
|
The seagull shifted on her webbed feet, watching as the flat board with its sail cut closer and closer. |
|
Far beneath, a small town stretched along a winding road and was slowly waking up. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
It looked like a winding centipede, its narrow streets fanning out from the main highway like slender legs. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Though midday was still far off, the sun, having just risen above the horizon, was already warming the terracotta roofs and grey asphalt. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
The town was in no rush; yawning lazily, it greeted the new day in the shade of quiet cafés and on beach loungers. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
The gentle hiss of tires from cars rolling in did little to disturb the near-perfect silence. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
The seagull had no intention of changing its course, but the sudden buzz of a scooter startled it into veering toward the sea. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Over the calm waves, it had to beat its wings more often, but here the blue expanse felt familiar. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Unlike the busy land, the water’s surface lay empty and still. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
The fishing boats had already returned to shore, and the sleek yachts and powerful motorboats were yet to weigh anchor. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Only a small flock of windsurfers sped across the waves, calling out to each other with bright, carefree voices. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Absorbed in their race, they never glanced up to notice the bird trailing them. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Had they seen her, they might have accepted the challenge — but not this time. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Ahead, a narrow cape jutted several hundred meters into the sea, forcing the dozen colorful sails to swerve sharply toward open water. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
The seagull flew straight on, slowing a little to rest her wings. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Midway along the cape, tucked beneath the shade of cypress trees, stood a small villa with a swimming pool. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Under a wide umbrella, a young woman in a swimsuit sat tapping at a tiny laptop. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
After a few more keystrokes, she stood up, closed the lid, and strolled toward the water. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
She slipped in like a pike, swimming underwater for a long moment before surfacing at the far edge — but the seagull didn’t see her reappear. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Leaving the cape behind, she coasted along the shore once more, passing hillsides dotted with olive groves, vineyards, and the occasional low house with broad windows. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Here, silence and near-perfect calm reigned. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Soon, the sandy strip of beach curved into a horseshoe bay at the foot of a gentle hill. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Perched on its slope clung a small Roman-style house, its white gazebo nestled in a cozy courtyard. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
From the gazebo, a stone staircase descended in two flights toward the sand. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
In the sea opposite the house, about a hundred meters from the shore, a solitary rock rose up. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Swooping in a wide arc, the seagull descended and landed on its peak — her favorite spot. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
She often came here to doze in the warmth of the morning sun. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Shifting her feet — one of which glinted with a metal band — she finally settled, folded her wings, and waited. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Soon enough, a man in a light white robe appeared at the top of the steps. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
He made his way down, tossed his robe onto a rattan lounger, and ran headlong into the water. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
With strong strokes he reached the rock within minutes, climbing up onto its slippery ledge. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Over the past few days, the seagull had come to know the man’s morning routine well. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Now he would take a short break to catch his breath, then dive off the wet ledge and begin his swim back. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
But today, he lingered. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Leaning back against the damp stone, he gazed out to sea as if he too wanted to soak up the early sun — just like his feathered companion. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
In the distance, colorful sails appeared beyond the tip of the cape. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
The windsurfers, having rounded the obstacle, gathered speed and raced on. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
The man paused on the rock, stretched luxuriously, and rotated his arms in wide circles, warming up for the swim back. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
The flock of sails drew nearer, soon skimming past the rock from the open sea. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Then, without warning, one bright yellow triangular sail broke away from the group and veered sharply, aiming for the narrow passage between the rock and the shore. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
The seagull lifted herself slightly on her webbed feet, watching as the flat board with its sail cut closer. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Clearly, someone had decided to slip through the narrow gap between the rock and the picturesque shore. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
Unlike the seagull, the man couldn’t see it. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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