The Art of Translation (mainly German examples) Quiz

Answer: To render the meaning of the original in another language

Contrary to a widespread misconception, translation is not a simple, mechanical process, just involving substituting one word for another. Different languages are structured in different ways - for example, while English very largely relies on word order to indicate the subject and direct object, many other languages (such as Latin and Russian), use a change in the noun endings instead. In Latin, for example, you can't change 'the dog bit the man' to 'the man bit the dog' by swapping the position of 'dog' and 'man'.

There are also matters of style, too. One should not translate something that is in a formal style in the original into something colloquial in the foreign language or vice versa.

Answer: As guides or aids

Translators do in fact need to use dictionaries, sometimes just in order to get a list of alternatives. However, dictionaries vary enormously in quality. A good dictionary should include information about unusual uses of words and so on.

To regard a dictionary as an unquestionable authority is at best naive, at worst a recipe for problems. Even the best dictionaries have omissions and contain some errors and oddities.

Answer: Verse into verse

Verse to verse translation is often extremely difficult, even if the translated text doesn't have to rhyme. Considerable freedom is essential, and the translation must not violate the normal stress patterns of the foreign language. If the verse is going to be sung (song lyrics) immense ingenuity is often required, but as a very last resort the occasional very small change to the music may be permissible.

For the translation of sacred texts, the publisher will normally have definite instructions which will be passed on to the translator(s).

In all cases it is important that the translation should not stick out as foreign or otherwise odd: it should be unobtrusive and shouldn't unnecessarily draw attention to itself. That said, fashions in literary translation change over time, and since the late 20th century the occasional, well chosen whiff of something slightly foreign or odd is often seen in a positive light.

Answer: Federal law overrides state law

This is a general principle in federal states. This example also illustrates neatly one of the reasons why machine translation is often of limited usefulness. The usual, standard translation of 'brechen (bricht-brach-hat gebrochen)' is 'to break' and that is what many machine translations will come up with unless the programme has been 'instructed' to treat 'bricht' differently after 'Bundesrecht'.

Answer: Leave it untranslated and put it in italics in the English version

The term 'chronique scandaleuse' is not widely used in literary scholarship. Presumably, the author of the original assumed that the French expression would be understood by German readers, and it is reasonable to assume the same of English-speaking literary scholars.

Answer: We won't eat humble pie

The saying relates to a confrontation in 1077 between Pope Gregory VII and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. The Emperor arrived at Canossa (in Reggio nell'Emilia) in order to apologize to the Pope and do penance, and the Pope kept him waiting for three days in the snow. In the 19th century some Protestant German historians portrayed this as the ultimate humiliation of a German emperor by a pope. (At the same time, some Roman Catholics saw it as the first papal victory over an overbearing secular power).

In the 1870s Bismarck used the expression in his own confrontation with Roman Catholicism - hence the modern meaning in German. (Note also the term 'der Canossagang' - no pl.).

This is a case where a machine translation might well give an inaccurate, word by word translation.

There are a few other languages (such as Italian) where 'going to Canossa' can have a similar sense, but without any specifically Bismarckian connotations.

Answer: It's complete nonsense in German

Charlie Clevercloggs has made a fool of himself ... The German for 'headmaster' is 'der Direktor' (pl. -en) or sometimes 'der Rektor' (pl. -en). In some schools it's 'der Oberstudiendirektor' (pl. - en).

Answer: Yes

At the time it was a whipping on arrival and again just before release. Presumably, most readers could guess that it was something unpleasant, but a good translation should be reader-friendly.

Incidentally, Prussia was one of the first countries in Europe to abolish the death penalty for homosexual acts between consenting adults.

Answer: You have a whole range of possibilities

The basic meaning of 'die Reihe' (pl. -n) is 'row, line'. However, the word has other meanings, too. The usual meaning of 'eine Reihe von' is 'a number, range or variety of'.

Answer: Only translate them if there is an acknowledged translation in current use

So, normally 'Wien' is translated as 'Vienna', 'München' as 'Munich' and 'Köln' as 'Cologne'. The archaic 'Mayence' for Mainz and 'Lipsic' for 'Leipzig' are not used any more and may look prententious. Don't translate 'Neustadt'. Would you, incidentally, go for 'Newtown' or 'Newton'? Consider 'Ashford' in an English to German translation. Would you translate it as 'Eschenfurt'? Just imagine finding Weißenfels translated into English as 'White Rock' ...

It would be confusing, to say the least. Similarly, street names should never be translated. So if you have to translate a text about a riot in the 'Dragonerstraße' in Berlin leave it untranslated. One of the difficulties here is that 'Dragoon Street' sounds downright wacky in English, and draws attention and away from the subject matter of the text.