Sonderling Sunday – Das Buch der Tausend Tage

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It’s time for Sonderling Sunday! The time to be nerdy and play with language by looking at the German translation of children’s books – sort of a silly phrasebook for unserious travelers.

Today we’re looking at Das Buch der Tausend Tage, the translation of one of my very favorite books, Shannon Hale‘s Book of a Thousand Days. The German edition is translated by Anne Brauner.

Last time we used this book, we left off on Day 6 of “The Adventure Thereafter,” which is page 118 in English and Seite 130 auf Deutsch. Here’s the first sentence of the new section:

“Is her khan’s land burned down as well?”
= Wurde das Land ihres Khans auch niedergewalzt?
[I looked up walz on Google Translate, and it means “rolling”. Niedergewalzt is literally “down-rolled.”]

“drift from tree shade to tree shade”
= von Baumschatten zu Baumschatten treiben

“swallows people whole”
= die Menschen verschluckt

“queasy” = mulmig

“whispers” = Geflüster

“vessels to carry water”
= Gefäße, in denen wir Wasser aufbewahren können

“pillagers” = Plünderern

“stubborn mare” = störrische Stute

“must dangle my own carrot”
= muss meinen eigenen Köder baumeln lassen

“scratched-out letters” = ausgekratzten Buchstaben

“many a body” = so manche Leiche

“burned bones” = verkohlte Knochen

“missing skulls” = fehlende Schädel

“dread” = Bestürzung

“Both are different shades of darkness.”
= Beide ist Dunkelheit, in unterschiedlichen Schattierungen. (This is why German is longer.)
[“Both are darkness, in different shades.”]

“While I sorted through the rubble”
= Als wir in dem Geröll stocherten

“heap of rubble” = Schutthaufen

“barley meal” = Gerstenmehl

“some rope” = Tauwerk

“ceramic pot” = Keramiktopf

“spout” = Tülle

“sharpen sticks” = Stöcke anspitzen

“rodents” = Nagetiere [“gnaw-animals”]

“spear” = aufspießen

“bubbles up” = lossprudelt

“herd of horses” = Pferdeherde (It rhymes!)

“nuzzles” = schnuppert

“spiced food” = gewürztes Essen

“Stars light my page.”
= Die Sterne beleuchten diese Seite.

“setting sun” = untergehenden Sonne

“No walls trap us now!”
= Mauern mehr in die Falle locken!

“smell of grass and yak”
= Duft von Gras und Yak

And the last sentence of the day:
“The Ancestors will honor such a life as mine, I hope.”
= Ich hoffe, dass die Ahnen ein Leben wie meines ehren werden.

That’s the last sentence of Tag 8, but our narrator doesn’t take up her pen again until Tag 33. Next time!

I do hope the phrases that turn up intrigue you a bit about the book, as well as giving you handy things to say next time you see a Pferdeherde!

Sonderling Sunday – The Penultimate Chapter of Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge

Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, Sonderling Sunday 0

It’s time for Sonderling Sunday! Time to play with language by looking at the German translations of children’s books. Tonight I’m going back to the book that started it all, many years ago now, The Order of Odd-fish, by James Kennedy, known in German as Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge.

We are so close to the end! Last time, we finished up Chapter Twenty-Six, so now I’m on the next-to-last chapter, which begins on page 374 in the English edition and Seite 474 auf Deutsch.

I have fond hopes that the phrases chosen, besides giving you interesting and pithy things to say in German, will inspire and intrigue you enough to pick up the books they are selected from, in whichever language you prefer.

I’ve realized I should give credit to the translators. Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge was translated by Wolfgang Thon.

I like to begin with the first sentence of the next section:

“The tent bounced and jiggled as the Silent Sisters carried it up the mountain.”
= Die Sänfte hüpfte und schaukelte, als die Stummen Schwestern sie den Berg hinauftrugen.

“cut off from the world” = von der Welt abgeschnitten

“dizzying patterns” = verwirrenden Mustern

“muddled by the incense” = benommen von dem Weihrach

“maddening jewels” = aufdringlichen Juwelen

“everything was slipping away”
= irgendwie entglitt ihr die Kontrolle
[“somehow slipped away from her the control”]

“a nauseous chill” = eine ekelhafte Kälte

“crooked” = krummen

“weak and delicate”
= schlaff und zerbrechlich

“blur” = Schleier

“bony fingers” = knorrigen Fingern

“jelly” = Wackelpudding [“wobble-pudding”!]

“shrouds” = Stofffetzen [“fabric-scraps”]

“chalices” = Kelche

“flickering match” = flackerndes Streichholz

“whispered chant” = flüsternd vorgetragener Gesang

“emeralds” = Smaragde

Here’s a rhyme!
“a slow thump in her bones”
= ein bedächtiges Pochen in ihren Knochen

Here’s something I hope you’ll never need to use:
“shockingly enormous, a looming blob of sagging, scabbed, sewn gray flesh”
= ein furchtbar riesiger gewaltiger Haufen von schlaffem, schuppigem, zusammengeflicktem grauem Fleisch
[Google translate: “a horribly huge heap of flabby, scaly, patched-together grey flesh”]

“bubbling” = blubbernd

“snuffling and groaning” = sabberte und stöhnte

“wrapping around her” = umschlangen sie

“scabs” = Schuppen

“flung” = geschleudert

“spit” = Speichel

“saliva” = Spucke

“gnashing teeth” = zermalmenden Zähnen

“flushed down” = hinabgespült

“a dense stew” = ein Mischmasch

“quivering funnel” = bebenden Trichter

And the last sentence for tonight:
“She kept sliding toward the frothing acid.”
= Sie rutschte immer weiter auf diese schäumende Säure zu.

That’s all for tonight! I hope you won’t have much use for most of these phrases, but now you’re prepared if you ever experience a Pochen in your Knochen. And I may start calling jelly “Wobble-pudding” myself.

Bis bald!

Sonderling Sunday – Lockwood & Co – Into the Haunted House

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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.

This week, I’m going to again use the new book I freshly bought in Germany, Lockwood & Co: Die Seufzende Wendeltreppe, known as The Screaming Staircase in English. Last time, I left off on page 9 in English, Seite 17 auf Deutsch. I’m still in the middle of Chapter 1, Der Geist.

Here’s the first sentence of the next section:

“When entering a house occupied by a Visitor, it’s always best to get in quick.”
= Sobald man ein Haus betritt, in dem sich ein Besucher eingenistet hat, sollte man sich ranhalten.
[Google translate: “As soon as you enter a house where a visitor has taken up residence, you should hurry up.”]

“Never hesitate” = Kein Zögern [“No hesitation”]

“linger” = unschlüssiges Verweilen [“indecisive lingering”]

“threshold” = Schwelle

“turn and run” = kehrtzumachen und wegzurennen

Hmm. This colorful description was translated differently.
“your willpower starts draining away through your boots, and the terror starts building in your chest”
= versickert der eigene Mut, das Herz beginnt zu rasen, die Kehle schnürt sich zu
[“your courage disappears, your heart starts racing, your throat tightens”]

“hall” = Diele

“the walls were palely papered” = helle Tapeten zierten die Wände [“light wallpaper decorated the walls”]

“kink” = Knick

“Doorways opened on either side: gaping and choked in darkness.”
= Die Türen auf beiden Seiten des vorderen Teils standen klaffend offen wie schwarze Mäuler.
[“The doors on either side of the front section stood gaping open like black mouths.”]

“It dulls the senses and makes you weak and stupid.”
= Sie beeinflusst die sinnliche Wahrnehmung negativ.
[“It negatively influences sensory perception.”]

“The air had that musty, slightly sour smell”
= Es roch muffig und ein bisschen säuerlich
[“It smelled musty and a bit sour”]

“a china bowl of potpourri”
= eine Porzellanschale mit getrockneten Blüten

They’re paraphrasing much more than most translators I’ve covered. Look at this one:
“photographs of rolling hills and gentle seas”
= Landschaftsfotos
[“landscape photos”]

“innocuous” = alltäglich [“everyday”]

“pleasant” = einladend [“inviting”]

“skewed coffins”
= schiefe Särge

“shut out morbid thoughts”
= verscheuchte die morbiden Gedanken

“listened” = lauschte

“arteries and airways” = Adern und Atemwege

“Echoes of the past, echoes of hidden things”
= Es sind Echos aus der Vergangenheit, der Nachhall verborgener Geschehnisse
[“They are echoes from the past, the reverberation of hidden events”]

“little knocking sound” = Klopfen

I always like when things are shorter in German:
“I can’t tell where it’s coming from.”
= Ich kann es nicht orten.
[“I can’t locate it.”]

“death-glow” = Todesschein

“tripped” = gestolpert

“tumbled down” = heruntergestürzt

“steep” = steil

“I bent low” = Ich ging in die Hocke. [“I went into the squat.”]

“tiles” = Fliesen

“jarred my teeth”
= mein Zähne aufeinanderschlugen
[“my teeth on-one-another-struck”]

“rapier” = Degen

“eyes staring wildly side to side”
= mein Blick huschte panisch umher
[“my view scurried panicked around”]

“banister” = Geländerpfosten [“railing posts”]

Here’s a nice long phrase:
“a watch with a luminous dial”
= eine Uhr mit fluoreszierendem Zifferblatt
[Ha! Zifferblatt is “digit-leaf,” so I think it’s specifically a watch dial]

“drops in temperature”
= Temperaturschwankungen

“ectoplasmic shock” = ektoplasmische Erschütterungen

And the last sentence of the chapter:
“Then we find ourselves a ghost.”
= Und danach schnappen wir uns den Geist.

Okay, I’m done with Chapter One. These translators, Katharina Orgaß und Gerald Jung, seem to not be doing as strict a sentence-by-sentence translation as some of the other books I’ve covered. That’s why I’ve done more full sentence comparisons, because it’s a little harder to pull out individual words. But I hope it still has the effect of making you wonder what the book is about! (It’s wonderful! They’re still getting ready to try to neutralize a ghost.)

Meanwhile, enjoy! Here’s hoping you never have any need to use the phrase schiefe Särge or ektoplasmische Erschütterungen. Though I kind of want to find a reason to say fluoreszierendem Zifferblatt.

bis Bald!

Sonderling Sunday – Lockwood & Co.!

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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.

And – I recently traveled to Germany, after being away for 18 years – and purchased a new children’s book in German to use – Lockwood and Co. Book 1, The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud! I’m excited to go through another much-loved book.

First, the full German title is Lockwood & Co.: Die Seufzende Wendeltreppe I don’t think it’s nearly as catchy as The Screaming Staircase, but what can you do? There are two translators listed, Katharina Orgaß and Gerald Jung. The English edition has 390 pages, and the German edition has 428 pages.

The chapters do not have titles, but there are five parts to the book, that do have titles. Part I in English is “The Ghost,” which is simply enough translated as Der Geist.

I like to start with the first sentence of chapter 1, which is a nice long one in this case:

“Of the first few hauntings I investigated with Lockwood & Co. I intend to say little, in part to protect the identity of the victims, in part because of the gruesome nature of the incidents, but mainly because, in a variety of ingenious ways, we succeeded in messing them all up.”
= Zu den ersten Fällen, an denen ich bei Lockwood & Co. mitgearbeitet habe, möchte ich hier nicht viel sagen. Einerseits, weil die Opfer anonym bleiben sollen, andererseits, weil die Einzelheiten allzu grausig sind, aber vor allem, weil wir es tatsächlich fertiggebracht haben, diese Aufträge allesamt gründlich zu vermasseln.

Now I’ll cite intriguing phrases:

“Chattering Bones” = Knochenknirscher (I think that’s a much better name for a spook.)

“unnecessary” = vermeidbare [Google translate: “avoidable”]

“creeping shadow” = Heimsuchung [“home-seeking”, “visitation”]

“hemline” = Rocksaum

“unblemished record” = ruhmreiche Bilanz [“fame-rich balance”]

“misty autumn afternoon” = nebligen Nachmittag [they leave out autumn]

I always like finding when Germans have one word for something and English doesn’t:
“rang the bell” = läuteten [To be fair, this is a case where you can figure out what they rang.]

“bell pull” = Klingelzug [“Ring-train”]

“scuffs on the letter box” = der Briefschlitz war verschrammt

“four diamond panes of frosted glass” = vier rautenförmigen Milchglasscheiben

“Don’t blab about everything you see.” = Nicht einfach drauflosreden.

“And, above all, don’t impersonate the client. = Und vor allem: Nicht den Klienten nachäffen!

“It never goes down well.” = Das geht immer schief.

“accents” = Dialekte

“Irish dockworker” = irischer Hafenarbeiter

“speech impediment” = Sprachfehler

“collar of his coat” = Mantelkragen

“vole” = Maulwurf

“clips” = Spangen

“no-nonsense manner” = ziemlich streng [“quite strict”]

“an enormous wool cardigan with sagging pockets at the sides”
= eine viel zu weite Strickjacke mit ausgebeulten Taschen
[“a much too wide knitted-jacket with out-bulging pockets”]

“resentment” = Feindseligkeit

“carefully brushed hair” = sorgfältig gekämmte [Ha! “gekämmte” is the opposite of “unkempt” in English!]

“polished rapiers” = blitzenden Degen [“flashing swords”]

I found a sentence they left out: “It lingered long on our faces.”

“disturbances” = Störungen

“supervisor” = Vorgesetzten

“licenses” = Zulassungsurkunde [“approval-certificates”]

“curfew” = Ausgangssperre [“Going-out-lock”]

“antsy” = kribbelig

“hilt of my rapier” = mein Degenknauf [“my sword-knob”]

And the last sentence of the first section:

“He grinned at me, stepped up to the door and, with a magician’s flourish, turned the key in the lock.”
= Lockwood grinste mich an, steckte den Schlüssel ins Haustürschloss und drehte ihn mit der schwungvollen Gebärde eines Zauberkünstlers herum.

That’s it for tonight! I’m leaving off on page 9 of the English version, Seite 17 in German. (But the German edition began the text on page 11, the English on page 3.) I very much hope that using most of these words will be vermeidbare and that you don’t run into any Knochenknirscher!

Bis bald!

Sonderling Sunday – A Plan of Escape

Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, Sonderling Sunday 0

Guten Abend! It’s time for Sonderling Sunday! That time of the week when we find silly phrases translated into German from the texts of children’s books.

Tonight, I”m back to The Order of Odd-fish, by James Kennedy, with the German text Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge.. Last time, we had almost finished the twenty-sixth chapter (out of twenty-eight).

So tonight we start on page 370 in the English edition, Seite 469 auf Deutsch. We’re getting near the dramatic climax of the book, so I’ll try to only give teasers, not spoilers. The first sentence of the next section is:

“An hour later Audrey came back.”
[Side note: Yay! I’ve been doing Pimsleur German CDs in preparation for my trip, and I translated that sentence correctly!]
= Eine Stunde später kam Audren zurück.

I like the rhyme here:
“It’s getting worse out there.”
=Hier draußen wird es immer schlimmer.
(“Here outside becomes it always worse.”)

“escaped from the asylum”
= ist aus der Irrenanstalt ausgebrochen.

“lose their mind”
= verliert entweder den Verstand

“faint”
= wird ohnmächtig
[“become without-strength”]

“top of the mountain”
= Berggipfel

“a plan for you to escape”
= einen Fluchtplan für dich

“peephole”
= kleinen Spalt
[“little gap”]

“poked her eye”
= sie ins Auge gepikst

“waving torches”
= schwenkte Fackeln

“peephole” [again]
= Guckloch
[“look-hole”]

“veiled palanquin”
= verschleierte Sänfte

“elaborately draped”
= kostbar verzierten

“burly”
= stämmiger

“shaggy”
= zerzaustem

“angry chants”
= wütenden Sprechchören
[“angry Speak-chorus”]

I like this in German:
“Your plan isn’t working.”
= Dein Plan funktioniert nicht.

“stunned”
= verblüfft

“trapdoor”
= Falltür

“sagged” = sackte

“enterprise” = Schwung

Long words are always fun:
“jeweled drapery”
= juwelengeschmückter Überwürfe

“incense”
= Weihrauch
[“Consecration-smoke”]

Nice and dramatic in English, a bit more explanation in German, here’s the last sentence of the chapter:
“They had her.”
= Jetzt hatten die Stummen Schwestern sie.”

That’s it for tonight! And next week is the eve of my trip to Germany, so whether I do a post depends on how I’m feeling about the state of my packing! I will see how many of these phrases I can use on my trip, but I hope it will be more along the lines of juwelengeschmückter Überwürfe and Berggipfel than einen Fluchtplan für dich and Dein Plan funktioniert nicht.

Sonderling Sunday – The Silent Sisters

Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, Sonderling Sunday 0

It’s time for Sonderling Sunday, that time of the week when I play with language by looking at silly phrases in the German translations of children’s books.

Tonight, we’re back to Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderling, The Order of Odd-Fish, by James Kennedy. We’re still so close to the end – and yet so far! Let’s get a little bit closer.

Last time we looked at this book, we left off on page 366, Seite 464 in German (Yes, German is longer.) with the approach of the Silent Sisters, die Stummen Schwestern. Here’s the first sentence of the next section:

“They glowed in the darkness, veils and gowns rippling in an invisible wind, holding out their clutching bony hands.”
= Sie schimmerten dunkelblau in der Finsternis; ihre Schleier und die Gewänder wehten in einem unsichtbaren Wind, während sie ihre knorrigen Hände nach ihr ausstrecken.

“chilly fingertip” = eiskalte Fingerspitze

“Jo yelled and tore up the stairs, three at a time.”
= Jo schrie auf, die Treppe hoch und nahm drei Stufen auf einmal.

“fluttering up the stairs”
= die Stufen hinaufschwebten

“The city was in a pandemonium.”
= In der Stadt war die Hölle los.
(“All hell broke loose in the city.”)

“Flames leaped”
= Flammen loderten
(“Flames blazed”)

“bobbing” = hüpfte (“hopped”)

“mob” = Meute

“their faces ugly with rage”
= die Gesichter vor Hass zu hässlichen Fratzen verzogen
(“their faces from hate to ugly grimaces twisted”)

“Jo was trapped.”
= Sie saß in die Falle
(“She sat in the trap.”)

Hmm. Not at all sure about this translation:
“sedan” = Limousine (Though yes, Google confirms that “sedan” is a legit translation.)

“skidded” = schleuderte

Another version of this one:
“mob” = Menschenmenge (“crowd”)

“the door flew open” = die Beifahrertür flog auf (“the by-driver [passenger] door flew open”)

“bricks and rocks” = Ziegelsteine und Felsbrocken (“brick-stones and rock-chunks”)

“Audrey floored it.” = Audrey gab Vollgas.

“I slipped away.” = Ich bin schnell hinausgeschlüpft

“after this blows over”
= wenn Gras über diese Sache gewachsen ist
(“when grass grows over these things”)

“deserted and in shambles” = verlassen and verwüstet

“wedged into the twisted door frame”
= in dem verbogenen Rahmen klemmte

“shattered” = zerschmettert

“a panel in the wall” = eine Holzvertäfelung an der Wand

“hidden door” = Geheimtür

“narrow” = schmaler

“poking around” = herumgeschnüffelt (“sniffing around” — I like this word!)

“crawl space” = Kriechraum

“Don’t ask!” = Stell keine Fragen!

“reluctantly” = zögernd

Oh, here’s a phrase every traveler should know:
“sucking up her blood” = ihr Blut aufsaugte

And a sad last sentence for the section:
“Maybe she was born evil.”
= Vieleicht war sie von Geburt an böse.

That’s it for tonight! We’re leaving off on Seite 468, page 370, at a section break. Only two chapters and a small section to go!

Meanwhile, I hope you will never need most of the above phrases in your travels, but isn’t it good to be prepared? And one that I may use on the Autobahn is giving the car Vollgas.

Bis nächste Woche!

Sonderling Sunday – Momo – Meeting Guido

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It’s time for Sonderling Sunday! That time of the week when I play with language by looking at phrases in children’s books and how they’re translated into German.

But today we’ll go the other way! Today I’m looking at one of my favorite children’s books ever, Momo, by Michael Ende, which was originally written in German. So we’ll look at how it was translated into English.

When my family first moved to Germany in 1996, I think it was our second night there when we found a bookstore. I had no idea what to buy — and then I saw a copy of Momo! And realized it was originally written in German and got very excited and purchased it. I also bought a detailed road-and-hiking map of our region that I used over and over and over again, so that was a productive and memorable bookstore visit.

Last time I covered Momo was 2016. We are in Kapitel 4, which in English is just called “Two Special Friends,” but in German is called Ein schweigsamer Alter und ein zungenfertiger Junger (“A silent old man and a tongue-ready young man.”) Now we’re ready to meet Guido, the “tongue-ready” young man. We’re on page 30 in my English edition, Seite 45 in German.

Here’s the first sentence of the next section:
Der andere beste Freund, den Momo hatte, war jung und in jeder Hinsicht das genaue Gegenteil von Beppo Straßenkehrer.
= “Momo’s other special friend was not only young but the exact opposite of Beppo in every respect.”

hübscher Bursche = “handsome fellow”

verträumten Augen = “dreamy eyes”

einen schier unglaublichen Mundwerk
= “an incredible gift of the gab”
(“a sheer unbelievable Mouth-factory”)

Er steckte immer voller Späße und Flausen
= “he was always playing practical jokes”
(“He was always full of jokes and nonsense”)

Interesting. In English his nickname is Guido, but in German it’s Gigi. Probably too feminine-sounding in English.

Fremdenführer = “Guide” (“Stranger-leader”)

Schirmmütze = “peaked cap”

Dichter = “poets”

Reisende = “tourists”

This is fun. There’s a list of Guido’s odd jobs, and some nice long German words are included.

Trauzeuge = “witness at weddings” (Google says “best man”)

Hundespazierenführer = “dog walker”

Liebesbriefträger = “deliverer of love letters”

Beerdigungsteilnehmer = “mourner at funerals”

Andenkenhändler = “souvenir seller”

Katzenfutterverkäufer = “cat’s meat man” (“cat’s-feed-seller”)

Armseligkeit = “poverty”

unermüdlichem Fleiß = “perseverance” (“tireless diligence”)

tadelte = “chided”

Leichtfertigkeit = “irresponsibility”

Gegend = “neighborhood”

tagtäglich = “day by day”

Eroberer = “invaders”

immer zahlreicher = “ever-increasing numbers” (“always number-richer”)

unheimliche Weise = “uncanny knack”

auffielen = “noticed”

die grauen Herren = “the men in gray”

spinnwebfarbenes = “the color of a spider’s web”

auf dem obersten Rand der Ruine aufgetaucht waren
= “peering over the edge of the ruined building”

keine gewöhnliche Kälte = “no ordinary chill”

leise und doch gewaltige Musik = “soft but majestic music”

And the last sentences of the chapter:
Momo machte sich keine Gedanken mehr über die seltsamen Besucher. Auch sie hatte sie vergessen.
= “She thought no more about her weird visitors, and it wasn’t long before she, too, forgot them.”

That finishes out Chapter Four. Lots of phrases here that might be useful on my trip to Germany. I hope I’ll find an Andenkenhändler and get a chance to be auf dem obersten Rand der Ruine aufgetaucht waren.

Until next time! Bis nächste Zeit!

Sonderling Sunday – Eeyore Has a Birthday

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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 taking on the wonderful classic Winnie-the-Pooh, which I’m afraid isn’t quite as charming as Pu der Bär, but the translator, Harry Rowohlt, makes a good effort. Of course, all the nouns are Already Capitalized in German, so they can’t use capitalization With Great Meaning.

Last time I covered Pu der Bär was *gasp* 2016! We covered the chapter where Pooh meets the Heffalump. This means that today we’re on Chapter 6, “In Which Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents,” which when translated is Kapitel 6, In welchem I-Ah Geburtstag hat und zwei Geschenke bekommt.

I like including the first sentence. This one’s actually shorter in German!
“Eeyore, the old grey Donkey, stood by the side of the stream, and looked at himself in the water.”
= I-Ah, der alte graue Esel, stand am Bach und betrachtete sich im Wasser.

“Pathetic”
= Ein Bild des Jammers
(“A picture of misery”)

Shorter again in German:
“There was a crackling noise in the bracken behind him”
= Es raschelte im Farn hinter ihm
(“It rustled in the ferns behind him”)

“gloomily” = düster

“Which I doubt.” = Was ich bezweifle.

“Gaiety” = Frohsinn

“Here we go round the mulberry bush”
= Ringel Ringel Rosen. Darf ich bitten, mein Fräulein.

“riddle” = Rätsel

Sorry, just not the same:
“a Bear of Very Little Brain”
= ein Bär von sehr geringem Verstand
(“a bear of very low understanding”)

Okay, this had to have been a Great Big Challenge to translate:

“Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,
A fly can’t bird, but a bird can fly.
Ask me a riddle and I reply:
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.”

The German version:
Fragen, Fragen, immer nur Fragen.
Es kann der Käfer den Specht nicht ertragen.
Gib mir ein Rätsel auf; ich werde sagen:
»Da musst du jemand anders fragen.«

It rhymes!

(Put through Google translate:
“Questions, questions, always just questions.
The beetle cannot bear the woodpecker.
Give me a riddle; I would say:
»You’ll have to ask someone else.«”)

“verse” = Strophe

zweite Strophe:

“Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,
A fish can’t whistle and neither can I.
Ask me a riddle and I reply:
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.”

Auf Deutsch:
Fragen, Fragen, immer nur Fragen.
Ein Fisch kann nicht pfeifen und ich kann nicht klagen.
Gib mir ein Rätsel auf; ich werde sagen:
»Da musst du jemand anders fragen.«

(The new line through Google translate is:
“A fish can’t whistle and I can’t complain.”)

And finally, the third stanza:

“Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,
Why does a chicken, I don’t know why.
Ask me a riddle and I reply:
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.”

Auf Deutsch:
Fragen, Fragen, immer nur Fragen.
Unsichtbar wird der Honig im Magen.
Gib mir ein Rätsel auf; ich werde sagen:
»Da musst du jemand anders fragen.«

(“Invisible becomes the honey in the stomach.”)

Hey, it rhymes!

“Many happy returns of the day”
= Herzliche Glückwünsche zum Geburstag

“proper” = angemessenes

We’ve done this before, but have to include:
“Piglet” = Ferkel

“knocker” = Türklopfer

“kindly” = liebenswürdig

“Very Sad Condition” = sehr traurig Zustand

“wants to cheer him up” = zur Aufheiterung wünscht

And a good sentence to know:
“Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.”
= Niemand kann mit einem Ballon unaufgeheitert bleiben.
(“Noone can with a balloon uncheered remain.”)

“trotted” = trabte

“jar of honey” = Honigtopf

“tip of his nose” = seiner Nasenspitze

“trickled” = tröpfelte

Another phrase we Need to Know:
“Time for a little something.”
= Zeit für eine Kleinigkeit.

“as he took his last lick of the inside of the jar”
= als er den Topf ein letztes Mal ausschleckte

“useful pot” = nützlichen Topf

“paw” = Pfote

“wobbly” = wacklig

“admiringly” = bewundernd

“carelessly” = leichthin (“lightly”)

“rabbit hole” = Kaninchenloch

“blown up” = in die Luft geflogen (“in the air flown”)

“BANG!” = PENG!

“bang” = Knall

“with great difficulty” = unter großen Schweirigkeiten

“I burst the balloon!”
= ich habe den Ballon kaputtgemacht!

“snuffling” = schniefend

“And it’s for putting things in.”
= Und man kann Sachen hineintun.

“So it does!” = Es klappt ja! (“It works!”)

“It goes in!” = Es passt hinein! (“It fits in!”)

“as happy as could be” = so glücklich, wie man nur sein kann

“box of paints” = Malkasten

And the last sentence of the chapter:
“‘Yes, I remember,’ said Christopher Robin.
»Ja, jetzt weiß ich es wieder«, sagte Christopher Robin.

So, that took a while, but I like doing a complete chapter. May your next week be so glücklich, wie man nur sein kann!

Sonderling Sunday – An Arrest?

Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, Sonderling Sunday 0

It’s time for Sonderling Sunday, that time of the week when I play with language by looking at silly phrases in the German translations of children’s books.

Tonight I’m back to the book that started it all, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, by James Kennedy, otherwise known as The Order of Odd-Fish.

Last time we looked at this book, we left off on page 363 in the English edition, Seite 460 in the German edition, with the words, Wir sind hier, um eine Verhaftung vorzunehmen! So the beginning words for the new section won’t come as a surprise:

“Everyone saw the policemen.”
= Alle blickten auf die Polizisten

“why rain on her parade now?”
= Warum sollten wir ihr deshalb ihr Fest vermiesen?
(“Why should we for her because of this her party spoil?”)

“growled” = knurrend

“But tonight she will be exposed!”
= Heute Nacht werden wir ihr allerdings die Maske vom Gesicht reißen!
(Google translate: “Tonight, however, we’re going to rip the mask off her face!”)

“What are you talking about?”
= Wovon reden Sie?

“Jo’s stomach dropped.”
= Jo rutschte der Magen in die Kniekehlen.
(“Jo slipped her stomach to the back of her knees [knee-throats].”)

“unmistakably” = unverkennbar

“The room broke into screams.”
= Schreie gellten auf.
(“Screams rang out.”)

“The wound had become much worse.”
= Die Wunde war schlimmer geworden.

“All-Devouring Mother”
= All-Verschlingended Mutter

A handy phrase to know:
“But I’m not bad!”
= Aber ich bin nicht böse!

“lock her up”
= sperrt sie ein

“rumbles, scrapes, and cracks” = Poltern, Kratzen und Knacken

This is good in German:
“echoing all around the cavern”
= durch die Höhle hallte
(“through the cave echoed”)

“rage” = Wut

“heartbeat” = Herzschläge

“staggered” = taumelte

“to restore” = wiederherzustellen (“again-there-to-place”)

“crowd’s roar” = Getöse (“din”)

We’ll end with this sentence on page 366, Seite 464:
“The Silent Sisters were waiting for her.”
= Wo die Stummen Schwestern bereits auf sie warteten.
(“Where the Silent Sisters already on her waited.”)

That’s it for tonight! And now I’m ready to say, if confronted by Polizisten in Germany, Aber ich bin nicht böse!

Bis bald!

Sonderling Sunday – Jinx und der magische Urwald!

Sonderling Sunday 0

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.

I let Sonderling Sunday lapse for a long time, but now I’m reviving it in eager anticipation of my 60th birthday trip in a month and a half, when after 18 years away, I’m going to go back and visit the place where I lived for ten years.

So, yes, Sonderling Sunday! Today I pulled out a kids’ fantasy book that I loved when I read it, Jinx, by Sage Blackwood, called Jinx und der magische Urwald in German. I’m appalled to discover that while I have used Jinx before for Sonderling Sunday, the last time was in 2015. Far, far too long!

So we will begin where we left off, the third chapter “Strange Feet,” on page 25 in English, Drittes Kapitel “Fremdes Füße,” Seite 31 auf Deutsch.

The first sentence is:
“Winter settled in to stay.”
= Der Winter richtete sich zum Bleiben ein.

“Simon was away a lot.”
= Simon war viel unterwegs.

“he often came back in a foul mood”
= Oft kehrte er übellaunig zurück

“terrifying” = Furchterregendes

“gradually” = allmählich

“cooking mood” = Kochlaune

“cranky” = mürrisch

“fed them” = bewirtete sie

“south wing” = Südflügel

“clearing” = Lichtung

“Try as he might” = Sosehr Jinx es auch versuchte

“inside and out” = drinnen wie draußen

“slid off” = hinuntergerutscht

“on purpose” = mit Absicht

“gnarly feet” = schwielige Füße (Google translate: “calloused feet”)

“had nothing in common with tree roots” = nichts mit Baumwurzeln gemein hatten

“time ran together in a blur”
= Zeit verschwamm zu einem großen Ganzen
(“Time blurred to one big whole”)

“icky” = klebriges (“sticky”)

“Alarmed, he gave a loud snore”
= Erschrocken schnarchte er laut auf

“bristles” = Borstiges

I like this word:
cat-repellant spell = Katzenabwehrzauber

“my business” = meine Angelegenheit

“testily” = gereizt

“shooting star” = Sternschnuppe

“She had a formidable nose.”
= Ihre Nase war beeindruckend.
(“Her nose was impressive.”)

“something more polite” = etwas Höflicheres

“And wives were kind of hard to miss.”
= Ehefrauen waren kaum zu übersehen.

“was already becoming fuzzy in his memory”
= in seiner Erinnerung immer verschwommener wurde

“Everyone was afraid all the time on general principle”
= Alle hatten grundsätzlich immer Angst
(“Everyone was basically always afraid.”)

“to hide his confusion” = seine Verwirrung zu verbergen

“poker” = Schürhaken

“smooshed” = zerquetschte

“midnight meeting” = Mitternachtstreffen

“sizzle” = knisterte

“Were they all dead before you met my husband?”
= Waren sie alle schon tot, bevor du meinen Mann kennengelernt hast?

And that’s it for Chapter Three! I hope by the next time I come back to Jinx I won’t be saying Zeit verschwamm zu einem großen Ganzen!