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!
Royal entities (March 2020)
When is a literal translation appropriate? A straightforward answer to this question would be: when such a translation is expected. However, there are countless grades between a literal and a free translation – what grade is preferable depends on the context.
On 12 January 2020, Tagesschau online featured the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, who had decided to withdraw – at least partly – from their royal duties. In this translation, Harry’s brother, William, the Duke of Cambridge, was quoted as saying in the Sunday Times: “Ich habe mein Leben lang den Arm um meinen Bruder gelegt und das kann ich nicht mehr tun, wir sind getrennte Einheiten.”
What is that supposed to be: getrennte Einheiten? Separated or divided units or divisions? Are we talking about the army? No, certainly not. In the quotation, William just gives vent to an opinion totally different from that of his brother regarding the life and duties of such prominent members of the British royal family. This becomes obvious when we look at the original version as quoted in the BBC News of 12 January 2020: “I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can’t do that any more; we’re separate entities.”
When the Duke of Cambridge asserts his point of view in such an important matter, the reader of a translation of this point of view may expect a rendering that reflects the royal utterance as truly as possible. This typically goes hand in hand with a literal translation. Such literalness, however, should not go so far as to prevent the reader from understanding the quotation immediately or to make him or her wonder why His Royal Highness expresses himself in such a strange way.
The expression “separate entities”, it is true, is not particularly common, but it works. By contrast, the German translation “getrennte Einheiten” does not work as it should; for the attentive reader will stumble over it. This is because the English term “entity” with its various meanings commands a different range of contexts than the German word “Einheit”. While this translation is certainly more appropriate than, for example, “Wesen”, there is, in German, no rendering of “entities” that, in the given context, can be regarded as satisfactory if we retain the syntax of the English original. By translating “wir sind getrennte Einheiten”, the translator gives higher priority to the retention of the original syntax than to the plausibility of the main clause – perhaps due to carelessness or time constraints.
You will have noticed by now that, in this case, I advocate a rendering that somewhat detaches itself from the original wording. My suggestion would be: ... wir gehen getrennte Wege (we take different paths). That strikes me as pretty close to the meaning of the original, even though it does not reflect William’s choice of words (“entities”). Is there on the Internet just the one unsatisfactory translation? Looking for an alternative solution, I eventually found one on watson.ch and t-online: “Ich habe mein Leben lang den Arm um meinen Bruder gelegt, ich kann es nicht mehr – wir sind keine Einheit mehr.” This is, indeed, a good solution: not only does the translator get the meaning right and find the right tone, he or she also achieves a reminiscence of the royal choice of words by rendering “entities” as “Einheit”.