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!
Addressing deficiencies (April 2022)
Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert Kennedy, was not released from prison as recommended by parole commissioners, according to a news report of 14 January 2022. California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, rejected the recommendation, saying: “After decades in prison, he has failed to address the deficiencies that led him to assassinate Senator Kennedy. Mr Sirhan lacks the insight that would prevent him from making the same types of dangerous decisions he made in the past.” (North Wales Chronicle online, 14 January 2022)
Tagesschau.de has the following translation of the quote, also dated 14 January 2022: “‚Nach Jahrzehnten im Gefängnis hat er die Fehler, die ihn zur Ermordung von Senator Kennedy veranlasst haben, immer noch nicht behoben.‘ Sirhan fehle es an der ‚nötigen Klarheit, um ihn davon abzuhalten, die gleichen gefährlichen Entscheidungen wie in der Vergangenheit zu treffen.‘”
This translation is not exactly wrong; however, it does raise problems in two respects.
First, there is the statement that Sirhan Sirhan has still not corrected certain errors (“hat er die Fehler [...] immer noch nicht behoben”). These errors are obviously weaknesses in Sirhan Sirhan’s character, referred to as “deficiencies” in the original. Such weaknesses or deficiencies may well be called “Fehler” in German; however, “Fehler” in this context are not usually “behoben” (“fixed”). The verb is used in connection with errors that are of a technical nature and occur, for example, in machines or devices. Character errors can be corrected (“korrigiert”) after the person concerned has come to terms with them (“sich mit ihnen auseinandergesetzt hat”).
Second, the clause of purpose (“um ihn davon abzuhalten”) seems strangely out of place because, here, the connection with the main clause is not very compelling. In fact, this connection may even be misunderstood: Sirhan lacks the insight (translated as “Klarheit” rather than the more straightforward “Einsicht”) for him to be kept from doing something. In other words, it is the absence of insight (rather than insight itself) that prevents him from doing something. To avoid such ambiguity, the German sentence might run: Sirhan fehle es an der Klarheit, die nötig ist, um ihn davon abzuhalten, etwas zu tun.
As a result of this discussion, we translate: „Nach Jahrzehnten im Gefängnis hat er sich immer noch nicht mit den Schwächen auseinandergesetzt, die ihn dazu brachten, Senator Kennedy zu ermorden.“ Sirhan fehle es an der Einsicht, „die ihn davon abhalten würde, die gleichen gefährlichen Entscheidungen wie in der Vergangenheit zu treffen.“