Translate to Japanese

Talka

So I spent three months with a host family in Japan exactly one year ago. At one point, my (real) parents came to visit me and my (host) parents, and it was really just the most incredible and memorable evening ever, with this instant connection and cross-cultural understanding, etc, etc. It was a really special moment.

So now, a year later, my parents want to send to my old host family a photo album of pictures they took during the evening, and they want me to translate for them a small explanatory thank you note into Japanese.

My problem is that my Japanese ability has basically been completely eradicated since I left the country. One year ago I was essentially conversationally fluent, but today my Japanese is so bad that I'm unable to write this thank you note.

So what do I do? It's a really short note in English, 75 words in total. I used to have bilingual friends, but I procrastinated so long in asking them for help with the translation that they've all returned to Japan at this point and I don't know how to contact them.

A quick google search told me that a professional (online) translation would cost $100. This seems absurdly expensive for so short a message, one that I would have been able to translate myself in ~5 minutes just a year ago.

This is very frustrating for me, what with the potential price and my own loss of language ability, so I'm coming to you guys for help. What do you recommend I do? Are there cheaper translation services? Should I just try my best and hope it comes out readable (honestly this is doubtful, I tried and have just forgotten so much it's incredible)? What other options might I have?

Thanks!

Muse Among Men

You've got plenty of people here who can read/write/speak some measure of Japanese. Post the letter in English and someone may be inclined to translate it here.

Talka

I'll post it but I don't expect anyone to translate it themselves, although of course I would be extremely grateful if they did.

Advice on where to go to get the message translated would be just as appreciated.

Here's the message, though:

July 17, 2009

It was a very special evening for us to meet Dan's Japanese family. Thank you for your kind hospitality, for sharing a meal with us and for the fun afterward. It was a great night!

----

You have a very beautiful country. We enjoyed so many wonderful sights and treasure our memories of Japan and its people. Here are a few photos from the rest of our trip.

(It's almost embarrassing posting because it should be easy to translate. I don't know how my Japanese got so bad).

Maru

あの夜、ダンのホームスティ家族と出会ってとてもよかったです。　歓待、食事、楽しいことを感謝します。最高でした！
ーー
日本は美しい国ですね。すばらしい見物がいっぱいで、日本とそこでの人々の思い出を忘れられないのです。旅行の写真をつけています。

Noxy

それは我々にとって非常に特別な夜ダンの日本の家族に会うことでした。あなたのようなおもてなしを、私たちと食事を共有するための、楽しみのため、その後、ありがとうございます。これは素晴らしい夜だった!

----

あなたはとても美しい国です。私たちはたくさんの素晴らしい観光スポットや宝日本と日本人の私達の記憶を楽しんだ。ここでは私たちの旅の残りの部分からいくつかの写真があります。

Let me know if this is off.

=P


EDIT:

This one is from Google's translator, not sure how accurate it is....

Sore wa wareware nitotte hijō ni tokubetsuna yoru dan no Nippon no kazoku ni au kotodeshita. Anata no yōna omotenashi o, watashi-tachi to shokuji o kyōyū suru tame no, tanoshimi no tame, sonogo, arigatōgozaimasu. Kore wa subarashii yorudatta!
----
Anata wa totemo utsukushii kunidesu. Watashi-tachi wa takusan no subarashii kankō supotto ya Takara Nippon to nipponjin no watashi-tachi no kioku o tanoshinda. Koko de wa watashi-tachi no tabi no nokori no bubun kara ikutsu ka no shashin ga arimasu.

Zeromus

I know this is a couple of days old, but since there was never confirmation: Fonjo's is not very good, but Maru's is fine.

Talka

Yeah, I went with Maru's translation. Thanks to everyone, though.