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!
Not a crook (November 2023)
Mark Seal’s article „The Trouble with Harry’s“, (Vanity Fair, 2 November 2009) starts: “‘I am not a crook,’ says Arrigo Cipriani, sitting at a low table laden with signature Cipriani dishes and cocktails at Harry’s Bar in Venice, the world-renowned restaurant he has run for more than 50 years. He is referring to his 2007 conviction for felony tax evasion in New York and the enforced payment of $10 million in back taxes and penalties, part of the string of calamities he left behind in America.”
In the German translation, the two sentences are turned into three: “„Ich bin kein Gauner“, sagt Arrigo Cipriani. Er sitzt dabei an einem niedrigen Tisch, der mit Speisen und Cocktails nach original Cipriani-Rezepten beladen ist, in Harry’s Bar in Venedig, dem weltberühmten Restaurant, das er seit mehr als 50 Jahren betreibt. Damit spielt er auf seine Verurteilung wegen schwerer Steuerhinterziehung in New York im Jahre 2007 und die auferlegte Zahlung von 10 Millionen US-Dollar an, die sich aus Steuerschulden und Geldstrafen zusammensetzt – Teil einer Reihe von Unglücken, die er in Amerika hinter sich ließ.”
Adapting the sentence structure generally makes sense, since the construction with the present participle, which is common in English, does not work stylistically in German. However, the translator seems to have overlooked the fact that the reference with “Damit” to the initial Cipriani quotation is hardly recognisable because of the additional second sentence in between. There are two options to solve this problem.
The first option would be to avoid the deictic (“Damit”) and use a more explicit reference to Cipriani’s statement, for example: Mit seiner Feststellung spielt Cipriani auf seine Verurteilung ... an. In the second option, the initial quotation would change its position and go almost immediately before the deictic: Arrigo Cipriani sitzt an einem niedrigen Tisch, der mit Speisen und Cocktails nach original Cipriani-Rezepten beladen ist, in Harry’s Bar in Venedig, dem weltberühmten Restaurant, das er seit mehr als 50 Jahren betreibt. „Ich bin kein Gauner“, sagt er und spielt damit auf seine Verurteilung ... an ....