Sonderling Sunday – Book of a Thousand Days, Day 14

It’s time for Sonderling Sunday! That time of the week when I play with language by looking at the German translation of children’s books. Today I’m going back to The Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale, Das Buch der Tausend Tage.

Last time, I left off just before Day 14, Tag 14.

My method is to pick out interesting and useful phrases that it suddenly seems vital how to say in another language. You don’t have to have read the book, though I always hope the phrases I choose might intrigue you into doing so if you haven’t already.

“sacks of barley” = Gerstesäcken

“squeaks and scratches kept nipping at my dreams”
= ein Quieken und Scharren kratzte an meinen Träumen.

“to spare” = abzwacken (Google: “extort”)

“nibbled” = geknabbert

“tallow candles” = =Talglichter

“rat-spoiled food” = rattenverseuchtem Essen

“fashioned” = gebastelt (“tinkered”)

“sharp” = spitz

I like it when German words are actually shorter:
“the lid of a barrel” = einen Fassdeckel

“rocking” = wiegt

“Ancestors” = Ahnen

“But what ails her?” = Doch was ist ihr Leiden?

“heartsick” = Liebeskummer

“can’t wrap my thoughts around” = bleibt mir verborgen (“remains hidden from me”)

“a man from legend” = sagenhafter Mann

“squinting” = geblinzelt

“spooks” = erschrickt

“hooked in the chimney” = im Schornstein tobt

“whining” = knarrt

“crawled” = rutschte

“clutched” = umklammerte

“tethered goat” = angepflockte Ziege

“She made my blood shiver.” = Mein Blut erschauerte.

“glimpse her soul” = auf die Seele erhascht

“tired from shaking” = erschöpft vom Zittern

That’s all for tonight. I’m leaving off at the end of Day 27, page 25, which is Seite 37 in the German version.

May you know nothing about rattenverseuchtem Essen, and never have occasion to say, “ein Quieken und Scharren kratzte an meinen Träumen.