Like-Blog
Presenting you the most interesting translation solutions
Why Like-Blog? Now, first of all, this blog is a blog that you should like (and read regularly) – at least, if you are interested in translation. Then, the topic discussed here is one in which the meaningful likeness between a text and its translation in the language pair English-German plays a key role. On this page, I will take a close look at some interesting translation solutions that I have come across in the course of my work as a translator and translation scholar.
A translation solution is only as good as the arguments that support it. This means that any translation criticism, whether positive or negative, needs to be justified. The quality of a translation solution shows only when we compare it to other possible translation solutions in a given translation situation. Therefore, a translation critic should not only say why a translation solution is bad, but also demonstrate what a better solution might look like. I will try to stick to these principles of translation criticism. So if you have any questions regarding my line of argument or if you disagree, please, let me know your opinion by phone at +49 4171 6086525 or by e-mail to bittner@businessenglish-hamburg.de. So much for the introduction. I hope you’ll enjoy reading this blog!
Trump (September 2026)
On 29 May 2026, tagesschau.de published an article about how the US Department of Justice dealt with critics of Donald Trump. The article starts with a quotation:
“,I am your justice. I am your retribution‘ – ,Ich sorge für Gerechtigkeit. Ich werde eure Gegner bestrafen‘. So hatte Trump 2023 auf der CPAC gesprochen, einem internationalen Treffen von Rechtspopulisten.” However, the quotation from Trump’s speech of 4 March 2023 is not given in full. He actually said: “We’re not a free nation right now. We don’t have free press. We don’t have free anything. In 2016, I declared I am your voice. Today, I add I am your warrior, I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution. I am your retribution. Not going to let this happen. Not going to let it happen. I will totally obliterate the deep state.”
The German translation in the Tagesschau article – “Ich sorge für Gerechtigkeit. Ich werde eure Gegner bestrafen” – is correct, yet it fails to capture the stylistic force of Trump’s choice of words. As Trump presents himself in his speech, he is the personified justice and retribution for his supporters. It might be argued that, in the given context, “justice” could also refer to a judge (especially in American English) in view of its proximity to “warrior”. While, in terms of meaning, this question is rather irrelevant, it does become relevant when translating “justice” into German. While “Ich bin eure Gerechtigkeit” would be interpreted as intended in the original, the translation “Ich bin euer Richter” would mean the opposite: namely, that Trump judges his supporters (rather than those who did them injustice).
In view of the fact that, with his blunt style, Trump promotes his own personality cult, this style should also show in the German translation. For Trump does not speak in as sensible a way as the rendering on tagesschau.de suggests. I would translate: Ich bin eure Gerechtigkeit. Ich bin eure Vergeltung.