diff --git a/asciiWriter/utils.py b/asciiWriter/utils.py
index 352db33..8be56e6 100644
--- a/asciiWriter/utils.py
+++ b/asciiWriter/utils.py
@@ -49,4 +49,12 @@ def visit_horizontal (lines, callback, mark, blank):
 
 def print_lines (lines):
   for line in lines:
-    stdout.write('{}\n'.format(''.join(line)))
\ No newline at end of file
+    stdout.write('{}\n'.format(''.join(line)))
+
+def translate(shape, x=0, y=0, space_char=' '):
+  translated = [[] for _ in range(y)]
+
+  for line in shape:
+    translated.append([space_char for _ in range(x)] + line)
+
+  return translated
\ No newline at end of file