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[keitharing]

Hi! I'm working on a translation from italian to english.. the text I think is quite difficult because is written in a typical Italian style. I'm quite sure of the word translation but structure of the sententences seems to me.. to far from an english one.. I don't know how going on! anyone could give suggestion?

Università degli Studi di Perugia "Set foot in Damascus, the Syrian capital, may lead at first to a slight sense of bewilderment. Certainly, the cumbersome entry procedures at the airport, especially if you enter with a journalist visa, leaves no doubt about the kind of country you are in. Moreover, the soldier in charge of international passports, of course, does not speak a word of English. Not so the smart “companions” of the Mukhabarat (secret service), that instead speak English, and above all, understand it well.
But still something doesn't fit well."(..)

[Anglika]

Hi! I'm working on a translation from Italian to English. the text I think is quite difficult because is written in a typical Italian style. I'm quite sure of the word translation but structure of the sententences seems to me.. too far from an English one.. I don't know how going on! anyone could give suggestion?

Università degli Studi di Perugia "Set foot in Damascus, the Syrian capital, may lead at first to a slight sense of bewilderment. Certainly, the cumbersome entry procedures at the airport, especially if you enter with a journalist visa, leaves no doubt about the kind of country you are in. Moreover, the soldier in charge of international passports, of course, does not speak a word of English. Not so the smart “companions” of the Mukhabarat (secret service), that instead speak English, and above all, understand it well.
But still something doesn't fit well."(..)

On first setting foot in Damascus, the traveller will feel a slight sense of bewilderment. The tedious entry procedures at the airport, especially if you arrive on a journalist's visa, leaves no doubt about the kind of country that you are in. The soldier in charge of international passports will certainly not speak a word of English. However, the smart "companions" of the Mukhabarat [Secret Service] do speak English and above all understand it well.

(( I am not sure what the relevance of the last sentence is))