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!
Giovanna, Carmela, and Giuseppe (December 2023)
Mark Seal writes in his article „The Trouble with Harry’s“, (Vanity Fair, 2 November 2009) about Arrigo Cipriani: “Over a week of successive dinners, he has seduced me with his glacial martinis, his stellar clientele, his two beautiful daughters, Giovanna and Carmela, and the promise of a meeting with his dashing 44-year-old son, Giuseppe, whose mission to expand the family business into a global brand is what got them into their current, precarious situation.”
In German, this became: “Im Laufe einer Woche aufeinanderfolgender Abendessen hat er mich mit seinen eiskalten Martinis für sich eingenommen, ebenso wie mit seinem prominenten Publikum, seinen beiden bezaubernden Töchtern Giovanna und Carmela und dem Versprechen auf ein Treffen mit Giuseppe, seinem schneidigen 44-jährigen Sohn, dessen Auftrag, das Familienunternehmen zu einer globalen Marke zu erweitern, die Ciprianis erst in ihre jetzige, prekäre Situation gebracht hat.”
Quite felicitious is the rendering of “he has seduced me with his [...] martinis” as “er hat mich mit seinen [...] Martinis für sich eingenommen”, among others. In three places, however, I consider the translation worth revising.
First, there is the – quite interesting – construction of “mit [...] dem Versprechen auf ein Treffen”. While it is possible to use the preposition “auf” directly after the noun “Versprechen”, this is ususally done only in a context in which what has been promised represents some rather general or even abstract concept that can become a reality for the person to whom it has been promised. Typical examples would be “das Versprechen auf ein besseres Leben” or “das Versprechen auf Freiheit”. More concrete things or events are promised using a genitive: “das Versprechen eines Spielzeugs” or “das Versprechen eines Treffens”. In the above case, however, I would prefer still another solution: “die Aussicht auf ein Treffen mit Giuseppe”.
The second issue concerns the translation of “mission” as “Auftrag”. Not that this translation is generally inappropriate; still, the term “Auftrag” suggests some kind of external order that needs to be executed, whereas, here, Giuseppe’s decision to expand the family business seems to have been taken by himself alone. Therefore, renderings such as “Idee”, “Überlegungen” or even “Mission” are preferable.
The third passage to be revised has to do with the last comma (“jetzige, prekäre”). Although this comma is also there in the original and, in German, the rules concerning commas between adjectives before a noun are basically the same as in English, I would argue that the comma should not be there. For the situation is actually not current and precarious; rather, the current situation is precarious. In other words: “current” is more closely related to “situation” than “precarious”. Here, the translator should have corrected the original.