Category: Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge

At last! It’s again time for Sonderling Sunday, that time of the week when I play with language by looking at the German translation of children’s books. What with Christmas and a vacation in California, it’s been more than a month since my last installment, so I’m happy to get back to it tonight.

And after such a long time off, of course I’m coming back to my stand-by, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, The Order of Odd-Fish, by James Kennedy.

Last time, we finished up chapter 12, so now we begin Chapter 16, which is page 199 in the English original, and Seite 251 auf Deutsch. We are almost to the halfway point! (There are 403 pages in the English version, and 511 pages in the German version.)

The chapter starts with a question we may well ask:

“But what about Ken Kiang?”
= Wie aber war ist Ken Kiang ergangen?
(“But how has Ken Kiang fared?”)

“Ken Kiang was overwhelmed. He was overpowered.”
= Ken Kiang war überwältigt, er war übermannt.

“before he would feel his soul dwindle and teeter on the precipice of being blasted to nothing by the sheer demonic grandeur that was the Belgian Prankster”
= sonst lief er Gefahr, dass seine Seele schrumpfte und er kurz davor war, ins Nichts zu verschwinden, und das allein durch die reine dämonische Größe, die den Belgischen Scherzkeks ausmachte
(“otherwise he was in danger, that his soul shrank and he was shortly into nothing to disappear, and that alone through the pure demonic size, that the Belgian Joke-Cookie achieved.”)

“He had come away baffled and reeling.”
= Vollkommen verdattert und mit schwindelndem Kopf hatte er ihn verlassen.
(“Completely flabbergasted and with dizzy head had he left him.”)

“so hugely, senselessly lawless”
= so Gewaltigem, gefühllos Gesetzlosem

“piddling mischief” = kläglichen Übermut

“unimaginably gargantuan evil” = unvorstellbaren, riesigen Bösen

“a slap in the face” = ein Schlag ins Gesicht

“only play into the schemes of his incalculable foe”
= nur seinem unberechenbaren Feind in die Hände spielte

“bit players” = Statisten

“crackling fire” = knisterndes Feuer

“invincible” = Unbesiegbaren

“inscrutable mechanisms” = unergründlichen Mechanismen

“awesome calculations” = Ehrfurcht einflößenden Berechnungen
“Glory-fear inspiring calculations”)

“minor functionary” = unbedeutendes Rädchen
(“insignificant cog”)

“vainglory” = eitlen Ruhm (“vain fame”)

“vanity” = Eitelkeit

“burned away” = vernichtet

“painstakingly” = pingelig

“Fleet of Fury” = Furiosen Flotte

“moody teenager” = launischer Teenager

“stashed” = verstaut

“crawling chaos” = wimmelndes Chaos

“coaxed” = hervorlockten

“silly props” = albernen Kostüme

“showy fanfare” = schmetternde Fanfare

That’s it for tonight, finishing at the end of page 201, thus being so close to the halfway point of the book.

And tomorrow morning, the Youth Media Awards are announced, including the Newbery and Caldecott Medals! There will be some wonderful schmetternde Fanfare for a situation that is Ehrfurcht einflößenden!

Have a wonderful week! May you avoid both kläglichen Übermut and unvorstellbaren, riesigen Bösen!

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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. Tonight I’m going to again look at Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, The Order of Odd-Fish by James Kennedy.

Last time, we left off on page 195 in the English version, and Seite 247 auf Deutsch. Jo is in a tight spot, surrounded by Wormbeards (Wurmbärte).

Oh, it starts right off with a nice one:
“deafening roar” = ohrenbetäubendes Brüllen
(“ears-numbing bellow”)

“and a powerful force knocked everyone on their backs”
= und eine ungeheuerliche Kraft schleuderte alle zu Boden, wo sie rücklings landeten
(“and a monstrous force hurled all to the ground, where they backwards landed”)

“heightening howls” = gellenden Heulen

“tossed around” = herumgeschleudert

Fun to say:
“paper dolls” = Papierpuppen

“barking and shrieking” = kläfften und heulen

“fences and walls” = Zäune und Wände

“to throw off the lizard-dogs” = um die Echsenhunde abzuschütteln

“A lizard-dog’s jaw nipped at her thigh” = Ein Echsenhund schnappte nach ihrer Wade

“East Squeamings” = Ost-Heikel (“East Squeamish”)

Interesting. In the fish market, the translator translated “squishy blobs” with one word: Quallen, which means “jellyfish.” That’s probably what they were?

“slimy stones” = glitschigen Steinen

“crashing through the stalls” = durch die Buden krachten

“reckless glee” = rücksichtslosem Eifer

“hissing smoke” = zischte und qualmte (“hisses and smokes”)

“swinging clubs” = Knüppel swingend

“surrounded” = umzingelt

“whirled and yanked” = herumgewirbelt und herumgezerrt

“roiling crowd” = keuchende Menge (“coughing mass”)

I like that there’s a word for this:
“mask of scabs” = Schuppenmaske

“riot” = Aufruhr

“cobbled” = gepflasterte

“half-assembled” = zerlegte (Google translates this word as “decomposed.”)

This is fun:
“Woo!” = Juhu!

“a gargantuan, flapping, snorting, screeching bird” = ein riesiger flatternder, schnaubender, kreischender Vogel

“got up” = aufgerappelt

“unreliable weapons” = unzuverlässigen Waffen

“cheeky” = hinterhältig (“underhanded”)

“lost causes” = aussichtlose Aufgaben

And, with lost causes, we wrap up Chapter Fifteen! Juhu!

Now you know that many more useful phrases in German! You know just what to say if you see someone with a Schuppenmaske or you’re in a situation where you need um die Echsenhunde abzuschütteln.

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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. Okay, really it’s way past time. I got called in to work this afternoon, so I didn’t have a chance to start this until late. So how about a really short one, just looking at a little bit of my stand-by, The Order of Odd-Fish, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, by James Kennedy.

Last time, we left off on page 193, which is Seite 244 auf Deutsch. We ended with a fairly dramatic sentence, so this week let’s begin with the next one, also dramatic:

“Jo didn’t even have time to scream before another tentacle pushed into her mouth.”
= Jo kam nicht einmal dazu, zu schreien, weil ein weiterer Tentakel sich über ihren Mund legte.

This one’s not as catchy:
“She turned, kicked, and struggled”
= Sie drehte sich um, trat zu und wehrte sich

“something soft and gooey” = etwas Weichem, Klebrigem

“bag of jelly” = Beutel mit Wackelpudding

“burst with a liquid noise” = mit einem flüssigen Knall platzte

“went limp” = wurden schlaff

“Her skin was pocked with little welts from the suckers.”
= Auf ihrer Haut hatten sich kleine Blasen von den Saugnäpfen gebildet.

“injuries” = Verletzungen

“reins” = Zügeln

This is so good it has to be repeated from last time.
“Apology Gun” = Entschuldigungspistole
(I’m happy. I was able to spell that out without referring back to the book.)

“cruel” = Grausamkeit (“cruelty”; “grayness”)

“flipped” = kippte

“squealing lizard-dogs” = jaulenden Echsenhunde

“limping” = humpelnden

“bristly” = struppig

“to throw away” = vergeuden

“Her lips wavered on the edge of a sneer”
= Sie verzog höhnisch die Lippen
(“She made scornful the lips”)

Also not as catchy:
“You don’t have the guts.”
= Für so etwas hast du nicht genug Mumm.

“anticipation” = erwartungsvoll (“waiting-full”)

“Fiona sensed the weakness” = Fiona spürte ihre Schwäche

“an almost inaudible bip.” = einem fast unhörbaren Ploppen

“angry bellow” = wütenden Brüllen

“surrounded by the purple-cloaked, yellow-scarf-wearing, steel-goggled squires”
= von violet gekleideten, mit gelben Schals geschmückten und stählernen Brillen geschützten Knappen umgeben

That’s all I have time for tonight! If I stay up any later, I’ll feel like a Beutel mit Wackelpudding!

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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, creating the phrase book you never knew you needed!

This week, we’re back with the lovely bizarre phrases of James Kennedy‘s The Order of Odd-Fish, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge.

(Though does James Kennedy still exist?!? His latest blog post leaves some doubt.)

Last time, we left off on page 189, Seite 238 auf Deutsch.

I like this better in German, somehow:
“actors in costumes” = Schauspieler in Kostümen

“her eyes blazing” = ihre Augen glühten

“stalked off” = marschierte dann steifbeinig (“marched then stiff-boned”)

“glumly” = mürrisch

“babbling” = herausgesprudelt (“here-out-bubbled”)

“sneaky” = hinterhältig

“crowds” = Menschenmenge

“caught in snarls of traffic” = blieben häufiger im Verkehrsgewühl stecken

“baffled” = verblüfft

“suspected” = argwöhnen

This must have been fun to translate!
“Snoodsbottom” = Bilgental (“Bilge Valley”)

“hewn” = hineingehauen

“luminous fungus” = schimmernde Pilze und Flechten (“shimmering mushrooms and lichen”)

“gloomy” = dämmrig

“long lean man” = gro?er, schlanker Mann

“dead end” = Sackgasse (“sack-alley”)

“frustrating circles” = frustrierenden Kreisen

“She silently fumed” = Sie kochte vor Wut, blieb aber stumm
(“She cooked for anger, but stayed silent.”)

“Jo’s mood had soured” = Jos Laune gelitten hatte

“crammed” = überfüllte (“overfilled”)

“convoluted” = unübersichtliche (“un-oversightly”)

“creepers” = Kriechpflanzen (“creep-plants”)

“sweaty, dismal heat” = schwei?treibenden, widerlichen Hitze

“spiced with heavy incense” = von Weihrauch geschwängert (“from incense pregnant”)

I love the way in German this looks like a normal word:
“lizard-dogs” = Echsenhunden

“cobbled street” = Pflastersteine (“plaster-stones”)

“runners” = Kufen

“bounding past” = vorbeihetzten

“almost running them over” = sie fast umrempelten

“barking and howling” = bellend und heulend

“crouched” = kauerte

“shuddered” = fröstelte

I’m going to finish with this dramatic sentence:
“just as a horrible moistening sound came from behind her and a boneless arm wrapped itself up her leg.”
= Im selben Moment hörte sie hinter sich ein schreckliches schmatzendes Geräusch und ein knochenloser Arm schlang sich um ihr Bein.

May you have no occasions to cook for anger this week!

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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. Tonight it’s back with my stand-by, The Order of Odd-Fish, by James Kennedy, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge.

Last time, we left off on page 185 in English, Seite 234 auf Deutsch. The squires are about to go in search of the Schwenk.

As usual, I’ll just look for fun phrases that I never before realized I really wanted to know how to say in multiple languages. As usual, I’ll find an abundance of these in The Order of Odd-Fish. (I won’t give any spoilers. If you haven’t read the book, I’m hoping these phrases will intrigue you.)

“East Squeamings” = Ost-Heikel (“East-Delicate”) (Like “squeamish,” I think.)

“shacks” = Scheunen

“a sprawling fish market” = einem ausgedehnten Fischmarkt (“an outstretched fish market”)

“stalls” = Buden

“dripping bunches” = tropfenden Bündeln

“wriggling white blobs” = zuckenden wei?en Klecksen

“shimmering fins” = schimmernden Flossen

“panting mouths” = Luft schnappenden Mäulern (“air snapping mouths”)

“bulging tubes” = aufgedunsene Röhren

“trussed up” = fest verschnürt

“bustling cacophony” = umtriebige Kakofonie

“booth” = Nische (“niche”)

“why settle for second best?” = warum sich mit dem Zweitbesten zufriedengeben?
(“why yourself with the second-best to-peace-give?”)

No surprise here:
“lugged” = schleppte

“smoke” = qualmte

“promising noises” = vielversprechende Geräusche

“passed around” = herumreichten

“floating in black-licorice broth” = in einer schwarzen Lakritzbrühe schwammen

“awed whisper” = ehrfürchtig flüsternd

“slouching” = herumlümmelte

“snorted” = schnaubte verächtlich (“snorted contemptuously”)

“casually” = unaufällig

“eavesdrop” = belauschen

“hang around” = herumgelungert

“devastating” = verheerend

And I’ll end with the final sentence in the section:
“Come on, let’s go find the Schwenk.” = Kommt, gehen wir los und suchen das Schwenk.

That’s it for tonight! As always, some fun words to say and fun things to imagine a situation where you could say them.

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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 back to the most Sonder book of all, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, The Order of Odd-fish, by James Kennedy. We left off at the end of Chapter 14, so tonight we begin Chapter 15.

Here’s a sentence we should all try to use this week:
“Today we go Schwenk-hunting.”
= Heute machen wir uns auf die Jagd nach dem Schwenk

Have I translated this one lately?
“My digestion” = Mein Verdauungstrakt

“adventurous” = ausgesprochen abenteuerlich (“decidedly adventurous”)

Ah, no one gives more interesting phrases to translate than James Kennedy!
“a sprightly zing in my gastric acids”
= “ein munteres Zischen meiner Magensäuren
(“a lively sizzle in my stomach acids”)

“a broad wave” = einem ausholenden Schwung

“oak chest” = Eichentruhe

“curious devices” = merkwürdiger Gerätschaften

“elusive” = scheues

“murmured” = tuschelten

“modesty” = Bescheidenheit

“a damp mass of prickly fur” = eine feuchte Masse von klebrigem Pelz

“a hissing, gurgling clump” = ein zischender, gurgelnder Klumpen

I like this alliteration:
“said Sir Festus breezily” = fuhr Sir Festus fröhlich fort

“spiky gun” = Stachelpistole

“a long-range, triple-accuracy Apology Gun”
= eine weittragende, dreifach genaue Entschuldigungspistole

“the Very Polite War” = der Au?erordentlich Höfliche Krieg

“proposing marriage” = Brautwerbung

“the murderous curtsy” = der mörderischen Hofknickses

“literally” = sprichwörtlich

A nice long word:
“disagreement” = Meinungsverschiedenheit (“opinion-difference”)

“more extravagantly effusive” = extravaganter und überschwenglicher
(“more extravagant and exuberant”)

“outdo” = übertrumpfen

“chaotic mass apologies” = chaotischen Massenentschuldigungen

“an ugly free-for-all of manners”
= ein hässlicher allgemeiner Sittenverfall
(“an ugly general moral decline”)

“rudeness” = Grobheit

“dial” = Wählscheibe

That’s it then, the first section of Chapter 15, telling about the Very Polite War. May you not encounter any mörderischen Hofknickses this week!

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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. Tonight I’m back with my stand-by, the book that started it all, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, The Order of Odd-Fish, by James Kennedy.

We left off on page 176 in the English edition, Seite 223 in the German edition. Sefino is just going to take Jo to the newspaper office of the Eldritch Snitch, which is Schauerlichen Petze in German. Roughly translated, that’s “Horrible Sneak.”

I’m sure I’ve done this one before, but it bears repeating:
“Chatterbox” = Plaudertasche

“severely” = nachdrücklich

“retraction” = Gegendarstellung (“opposite-representation”)

“first draft” = erster Entwurf

I like this:
“snippy” = schnippisch

“a touch of bravado” = einen Tick tollkühn

This goes more quickly in English:
“odds be damned” = auf die Wahrscheinlichkeit gepfiffen

“the thick of the fight” = hei?e Kampfgetümmel (“hot war-turmoil”)

“swashbuckler” = Draufgänger

“strolled” = schlenderte

“hive” = Bienenstock

“coves” = Schlupfwinkeln (“slip-nooks”)

“cubbyholes” = Kämmerchen (“little chambers”)

“chattering away relentlessly” = unaufhörlich klapperten

“hassle” = schikanieren

“nest of vipers” = Schlangengrube

“necktie” = Halstuch

“ascot” = Plastron

“Intimidator” = Einschüchterer

“bold” = gewagt

“frosted glass” = Milchglas (“milk-glass” I like that.)

“appetizers” = Appetithäppchen

“toothpick” = Zahnstocher

“battle of wits” = Schlacht der Geister

Oh, not as good:
“vigorous verbal vituperation” = heftigen, verbalen Schmähungen

“intricate insult” = bemerkenswerten Beleidigungen

“calamitous calumny” = verheerenden Verleumdungen

The insults are always good!
“ink-stained wretch” = tintenklecksender Unhold

“scandal-sniffing hack” = Skandale erschnüffelnder Schreiberling

“salacious slander” = vulgären Verleumdungen

“spluttered” = stammelte

“impertinence” = Unverschämtheit

“insufferable taste” = unerträglichen Geschmack

“every ounce of courage” = jedes Fünkchen Mut

“buffoon” = Hanswurst

That’s the end of Chapter 14!

Some good stuff in there! Don’t be a tintenklecksender Unhold or a Skandale erschnüffelnder Schreiberling! Drum up jedes Fünkchen Mut to join hei?e Kampfgetümmel like a Draufgänger. But whatever you do, don’t be schnippisch!

See you next week! And if you need to use these phrases in German next week, you can be so happy that you are prepared!

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It’s time for Sonderling Sunday! That time of the week when I play with language by looking at the German translations of children’s books. Sort of a handy phrase book of things you never knew you wanted to know how to say!

This week, it’s back to the book that started it all, James Kennedy‘s The Order of Odd-Fish, otherwise known as Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge. I left off right at the start of a short section about an extremely unusual musical instrument, which is on page 175 in English, Seite 221 auf Deutsch.

Jumping in to some fun phrases and interesting words:

“specialties” = Fachgebiete (“practice areas”)

“expertise” = Fachwissen (“specialist knowledge”)

“odd musical instruments” = seltsamer Musikinstrumente

“strange animals” = sonderbare Tiere

“milling around” = strömten (“flowed”)

“at the top of the stairs” = auf dem oberen Treppenabsatz (“at the top stairs-section”)

“blubbery thing” = blubberndes Ding
(Hmm. A little disappointing, that. Who knew it was almost the same in German?)

“dark yellow” = ockerfarben

“wriggling tubes” = windenden Röhrchen

“a single bored-looking red eye” = einem einzelnen, gelangweilt blickenden roten Auge

“as it cascaded down the stairs” = als es die Treppen hinabglitt

“shocking enough” = schockierend genug

“most shocking thing” = das Erschreckendste

“huge jaws” = gewaltiges Maul

“orifices” = Körperöffnungen (“body-openings”)

“can emit sounds” = Klänge erzeugen können

“a full-grown man may fit comfortably in its esophagus!”
= In seiner Speiseröhre findet ein ausgewachsener Mann bequem Platz!
(“in its meal-eyelets finds a grown man easily place!”)

“climbing” = geklettert

“most unusual music” = ungewöhnlichste Musik

“Out of the question” = Das kommt überhaupt nicht infrage
(“That comes at all not in-question”)

“squeeze or pinch” = drücken oder kneifen

“couldn’t hurt” = Das kann ja nicht schaden.

“most horrible noises” = der schrecklichsten Geräusche

And as a climax to this section:

“a howling, farting crescendo of gurgling belches and groans”
= ein heulendes, furzendes Crescendo von gurgelnden Rülpsern und Gestöhne

“Of course, it needs a little work.”
= Selbstverständlich bedarf es noch einiger Übung.

Lovely! Won’t it be handy, the next time you visit Germany, to be able to describe ein heulendes, furzendes Crescendo von gurgelnden Rülpsern und Gestöhne? Or at least to say it’s ungewöhnlichste Musik.

Sometimes I feel like I’m developing Fachgebiete nearly as useful as that of der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge.

Be sure to mention in the comments your abundant opportunities to use these phrases this week!

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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, in this case the one I keep coming back to, the one that started it all, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, James Kennedy‘s The Order of Odd-Fish.

Last time, we left off in the middle of Chapter 14, on page 172 in the English version, Seite 218 in the German edition.

Think of this as one of those German-learning tapes, with useful phrases for you to learn before you go to Germany, and I hope it will make you laugh. (I’d totally do it as a podcast, but I seriously doubt my ability to pronounce the German even close to correctly.)

“It was sad but true” = Es war traurig, aber wahr

“utterly tedious” = au?erordentlich langweilig

“threat” = Drohung

“to teach… about discredited metaphysics” = verrufene Metaphysiken aufzuklären

I like saying this:
“drag herself out of bed” = aus dem Bett schleppen

“stumble down the hall” = in die Halle herunterstolpern

“excruciatingly dull lessons” = entsetzlich langweiligen Vorlesungen

“babble away happily” = plapperte glücklich

“an intriguing question” = eine höchst faszinierende Frage

“with silent apprehension” = mit stummer Sorge

Going for a record-length word:
“wondering what she’d gotten herself into”
= während sie sich fragte, in was sie sich jetzt wieder hineinmanövriert hatte
(“during which she asked herself, in what had she herself now into-maneuvered”)

“tilted her head” = legte den Kopf schief (“laid the head crooked”)

“small, disconnected bits” = kleine, zusammenhanglose Bruchstücke
(“small, together-hang-less broken-pieces”)

“furry hands” = runzligen Händen

“crumpled it into a wad” = zerknüllte sie zu einem Ball

“Sir Oort waved her silent.”
= Sir Oort brachte sie mit einer Handbewegung zum Schweigen.
(“Sir Oort brought her with a hand-waving to silence.”)

“crumpled-up map” = zusammengeknüllten Landkarte

“crawling around” = herumgekrabbelt

“realized” = begriffen

Here English is much more efficient:
“Sir Oort uncrumpled the map.”
= Sir Oort faltete die Karte auseinander und glättete sie.
(“Sir Oort folded the map apart [out-one-another] and smoothed it.”)

“Jo’s mind wrestled with the concept”
= Jo versuchte, diese Vorstellung zu verarbeiten
(“Jo sought, this notion to work through”)

“mildly” = nachsichtig

“rebuke” = Tadel

“inspiring” = angeregt

“rang out like a bell” = klang glasklar (“rang glass-clear”)

And the final paragraph of this section is worth quoting:
“‘As an Odd-Fish, it is not my job to be right,’ said Sir Oort. ‘It is my job to be wrong in new and exciting ways.'”
= »Als ein Seltsamer Sonderling ist es nicht meine Aufgabe, etwas Richtiges zu finden«, erklärte Sir Oort, »sondern meine Aufgabe besteht darin, auf möglichst neue und aufregende Weisen falschzuliegen.«

There you have it. If my translations and explanations tonight aren’t perfect, I hope I’m at least being wrong in new and exciting ways. We’ll take up the story in a couple weeks in the middle, still, of Chapter 14.

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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. I’ve always found phrase books funny. Imagine situations where you really need to say those things. So, why not start with a situation, a story, in fact, and look at how they would translate?

Today, for the first time, I’ve brought my laptop out on my balcony, and I’m enjoying all the bird song. Life is good!

Today it’s back to the book that inspired Sonderling Sunday, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, that is, The Order of Odd-fish, by James Kennedy. You do not have to have read the book to enjoy this unusual “phrase book.” In fact, it might be extra fun to try to imagine a story that uses these phrases. I bet you can’t come close!

It strikes me that it would be really fun to make a language learning recording (or podcast) with these phrases. But I think it would be much better with a native German speaker reading the German. Any volunteers?

This week, we’re beginning Chapter 14, Kapitel 14, which begins on page 169 in English, Seite 214 in the German edition. Jo is exploring Eldritch City, so we’ll need to learn some handy phrases for a tourist.

“soaked” = durchtränkt (“through-drank”)

“the wet breath of plants” = dem feuchten Atem von Pflanzen

“the sweat of strangers” = dem Schwei? von Fremden

“brackish seawater” = fauligem Meerwasser

“rotten cheese” = verschimmeltem Käse

“melted manure” = geschmolzenem Dung (Aren’t you glad you know how to say that now?)

“the sweet fruity thrill of ten thousand flowers” = dem sü?en, fruchtigen Duft von Zehntausenden von Blumen

“thronged” = wimmelte

“centipedes” = Tausendfü?lern (“thousand-footers”)

“shimmering pantaloons” = schimmernden Hosen

“chromium walking sticks” = Gehstöcke aus Chrom

I like saying this:
“precariously tall hats” = gefährlich hohe Hüte

“tipping” = lüpften

“swampy bottom of the mountain” = sumpfigen Fu?es des Berges

“gray eel-like creatures” = aalartige graue Kreaturen

“twitching worms” = windenden Würmern

“propped up by scaffolding” = gestützt von Gerüsten

“variety” = Vielfalt (“much-diversity”)

“boisterous” = lärmende

“peephole” = Guckloch

“kicking around hairy, jeweled animal skulls”
= haaarige, juwelengeschmückte Tierschädel herumkickten

“hide-and-seek” = Versteckspiels (“hiding games”)

“whale-god” = Walgottes

“floating mountain” = schwebender Berg

“incense” = Weihrauch (“Christmas-smoke”)

“notoriously clumsy flame-spurting double-sided lance”
= berüchtigten, etwas sperrigen, zweiseitigen, Flammen spuckenden Lanze

“weapon of choice” = Lieblingswaffe

“ostrich” = Strau?

“old haunts” = alten Spielgründe (“old play-grounds”)

“swamp neighborhood” = Sumpfgebiet

“flower-dripping” = von Blumen übersäte (“with flowers over-sowed”)

“stilt legs” = Pfahlbeinen

“most distinguished eelmen” = respektabelsten Aalmenschen

“bubbling iron pot” = blubbernde Eisenkessel

“sweaty, fish-smelling smoke” = muffigen, fischigen Rauch

“throbbing” = hervorstehenden

“delighted gargles” = entzückte gurgelnd

“brittle” = spröder

“blobs” = Knubbel

“declared” = deklamierte

“boiled cabbage” = gekochter Kohl
.
“flared her nostrils” = weitete ihre Nasenflügel (“widened her nose-wings”)

“weight-lifter” = Gewichtheber

That’s the end of a section. Now I challenge you to use some of these phrases in a sentence! May you be blessed this week with dem sü?en, fruchtigen Duft von Zehntausenden von Blumen and not with dem Schwei? von Fremden or even gefährlich hohe Hüte. But if you’re ever in Germany and you want to describe sweaty, fish-smelling smoke, you’ll know how to do it!

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