Sonderling Sunday – Seltsamen Sonderlinge Kapitel 25

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

Last time, we left off ready to begin Chapter Twenty-Five! There are twenty-eight chapters in the book, so we have almost given tidbits from the entire book — without giving away the plot, I might add. I hope I have merely tantalized my readers, while giving them handy phrases to use the next time they travel to Germany. This first sentence, for example, could come in handy:

“Jo didn’t remember how she got back to the lodge.”
= Jo konnte sich nicht daran erinnern, wie sie zum Logenhaus zurückgekommen war.

“crumpled” = zerknittert

“boiled furiously” = kochte brodelnd

“twisting up her guts” = verdrehte ihr die Gedärme

“exhausted” = erschöpft

Sometimes the translator just had to draw out and explain the playful English:
“Her brain itched with needles and worms and fizzing sparks”
= Nadeln schienen sie ins Hirn zu stechen, Würmer wanden sich und Funken stoben
(“Needles seemed her in the brain to pierce, worms writhed and sparks flew”)

“pleaded” = angefleht

“slosh around” = herumschwappte

“rattled and bounced” = ratternd und schaukelnd

“exciting” = aufregend

“enticing” = verlockende

“exuberant crowd” = ausgelassene Menge

“disinfectant” = Desinfektionsmittel

“opposite corner” = gegenüberliegenden Ecke

I hope you’ll never say this, but here it is if you need it:
“If you die, too bad.”
= Wenn ihr sterbt, Pech gehabt.

“Razzle-dazzle” = Tamtam

“Deceit” = Arglist

“left big toe” = linken dicken Zeh

“thigh” = Oberschenkel

“show of respect” = Respektbezeugungen

“fondling” = liebkoste

That’s all for tonight! If you encounter any ausgelassene Menge this week, I hope you will find it aufregend and verlockend, but that you won’t be too erschöpft for some Tamtam! Bis bald!

Sonderling Sunday – Das Buch der Tausend Tage – Tag 268

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, sort of a Very Silly Phrasebook for Travelers.

A couple weeks ago at the Newbery Banquet, I met Shannon Hale again, and she mentioned that she’d sent me a copy of the German version of Book of a Thousand Days, Das Buch der Tausend Tage, for Sonderling Sunday. So in her honor, I’m going back to this lovely book tonight.

Last time we looked at this book, we left off at the start of Day 268. The first sentence of that day is one I’d really like to know how to say in German:

“She’s devoured our dried fruit, every crumb, and all the sugar’s gone but dust.”
= Sie hat unsere Trockenfrüchte verschlungen und vom Zucker ist nur noch ein wenig Staub übrig.

Too bad. This one lost the image in translation:
“Though I grumble enough to put any piglet to shame.”
= Aber ich bin besorgt deswegen.
(Google translate: “But I’m worried about that.”)

“wheel of cheese” = Laib Käse (“Loaf cheese”)

“The rats will be heartbroken.”
= Das wird den Ratten das Herz brechen.

“careful” = sorgsam

“coffin” = Sarg

“dizzy” = schwindelig

“I swore an oath.” = Ich habe einen Eid geschworen.

“dimple” = Grübchen

“How she droops and moans”
= Wie sie stöhnt und sich hängen lässt

“purpose” = Lebenszweck

“chief of animals” = Tieroberin

“real person” = leibhaftigen Menschen

“headache or bellyache”
= Kopfschmerzen oder Bauchweh
(“head-pain or belly-woe”)

“whatever troubles her inside”
= was sie innerlich quält

“wail” = Wehklagen (“Woe-complaint”)

“throat” = Kehle

“curled up against me”
= schmiegte sich an mich

“pea toss” = Erbsenwerfen

“progress” = Fortschritte

More images disappearing in translation:
“crooked-brained” = verdreht (“twisted”)

It always surprises me when German is shorter:
“perhaps daring one another to draw near”
= vielleicht in einer Art Mutprobe
(“maybe in a kind of courage-test”)

“uncovered hole” = deckellose Loch

“haul (up)” = hochhieven

“shivering dark” = bebende Dunkelheit

“She looks at the whole world as though it crouches over, ready to pounce.”
= Sie betrachtet die ganze Welt, als ob sie nur darauf warten würde, ihr wehzutun.
(“She looks at the whole world, as if it’s only waiting to bring woe to her.”)

“Her eyes wandered.”
= Sie konnte den Blick nicht stillhalten.
(“She could her gaze not steady-keep.”)

“where the barest slip of breeze comes through the crack between bricks”
= wo sich nur der Hauch einer Brise durch die Ritzen fädelt

“arrows” = Pfeilen

And the final sentence for tonight, the last sentence of Day 640:
“The heat is so huge, I have no space left for thoughts.”
= Die Hitze ist so gewaltig, dass für Gedanken kein Platz mehr in mir ist.

That’s all for now! Now the challenge is to try to use your new German words this week!

Sonderling Sunday – Alone with the Belgian Prankster

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

Last time, we left off on page 335 in the English edition, Seite 426 in the German edition. I’ll begin with the first sentence of the new section:

“Jo and the Belgian Prankster were alone.”
= Jo und der Belgische Scherzkeks waren allein.

Aren’t you glad to know how to say these things?
“dirty fur pelts, green ski goggles, and enormous rawhide diaper”
= schmutzigen Pelze, die grüne Skibrille und eine riesige Windel aus Rohleder.

“His breathing was forced and shallow”
= Er atmete heftig und flach

“fatty bulk” = feister Wanst

“patchwork” = Flickwerk

“Sweating and snuffling, slowly smacking his lips”
= Er schwitzte, keuchte, schmatzte

This seems like a good sentence to know:
“With all her might Jo resisted the mad urge to run away screaming”
= Jo musste sich zusammenreißen, um dem dringenden Bedürfnis zu widerstehen, schreiend wegzulaufen
(“Jo must herself together-pull, for the urgent need to resist screaming away-running”)

“almost tempted” = fast geneigt

Too bad, they took out the picturesque elements here:
“But Jo held her ground with the last shred of her fingernails, even as it seemed to be crumbling away from her.”
= Doch Jo widerstand dem Drang mit letzter Kraft, obwohl sie zusehends schwächer wurde.
(“But Jo resisted the urge with last strength, although she rapidly weaker was.”)

“satisfaction” = Genugtuung (“enough-doing”)

“I’m forlorn”
= Ich bin vollkommen einsam und verlassen.
(“I am completely lonely and forsaken.”)

“Jo gritted her teeth.”
= Jo knirschte mit den Zähnen.

“icy attitude” = eisige Haltung

“saw through” = durchschaute

“come back with a nasty insult”
= mit einer boshaften Beleidigung konterte
(“with an evil insult countered”)

“her voice close to breaking”
= Ihre Stimme klang brüchig.
(“Her voice sounded broken.”)

“A wave of dread crashed through her.”
= Eine Woge von Angst durchflutete sie.

“get back” = zurückzubekommen

“Brave girl!” = Tapferes Mädchen!

“Jo clenched her fists.” = Jo ballte die Fäuste.

“devour and devour and devour” = schlingen und schlingen und schlingen

“a force” = ein Naturgewalt

“an unstoppable, annihilating wave”
= eine unaufhaltsame, alles vernichtende Woge

“It was a horrible tingle of joy.”
= Es war ein schreckliches freudiges Kribbeln.
(“It was a horrible joyful tingle.”)

Okay, everybody needs to know how to say this in German:
“The nose twitched and quivered in front of her, running juices all over the glass.”
= Die Nase zuckte und zitterte vor ihren Augen und Schnodder lief über das Glas.von Schorf übersät

“hideous beak” = grauenvoller Schnabel

“sticking out” = herausragte

“pricked” = pikste

“scratched” = gekratzt

“roaring” = brüllte

“a twitching stinger” = ein zuckender Stachel

“She was sobbing and screaming” = Sie schluchzte und schrie

And the final phrase of Chapter 24:
“and then blackness fell like an avalanche”
= und dann brach die Schwärze wie eine Lawine über sie herein

And that’s all for tonight! With all your might, do resist the mad urge to run away screaming!

Sonderling Sunday – Das Buch der Tausend Tage

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, sort of a Very Silly Phrasebook for Travelers.

This week, I’ll be going back to one of my favorite young adult novels, Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale, known as Das Buch der Tausend Tage in German.

It’s actually been three years since we did a Sonderling Sunday in this book! (This is far, far, too long — more than a thousand days!) We’re “Later” on Day 223, which is page 72 in the English edition, Seite 82 auf Deutsch.

The first sentence of this section is a good place to start.

“There’s a howling outside.”
= Draußen ist großer Radau.
(“Outside is large racket.”)

I like this one:
“curled up” = zusammengerollt

For once it’s shorter in German:
“the lulling song for comfort”
= das einlullende Trostlied

“poppy” = Mohn

“song of healing” = Heilgesang

She’s got picturesque sentences:
“Why does that sound dance like fingernails down my back?”
= Warum tanzt dieser Lärm wie Fingernägel über meinen Rücken?

“howl back” = zurückzuheulen

“they’ve gone quiet” = sind sie mucksmäuschenstill

“It sounds like nightmares.”
= Es klingt wie ein Albtraum.

“hissing” = faucht

“growling and snapping at me” = das knurrend nach mir schnappte

“its mouth was smeared with blood” = mit blutverschmiertem Maul

“blood hungry for battle” = um die Blutrünstigkeit für die Schlacht

“scoot away” = zurückweichen

“crouched, preparing to pounce”
= sich duckte und zum Angriff überging

“my sleek gray cat” = mein schlanker grauer Kater

“No sound from the guards.”
= Kein Geräusch von den Wachen.

“a little hiccup sound in his throat”
= leise Schluckaufgeräusche in der Kehle

“favorite bits” [to eat]
= Leckerbissen

“It’s clumpy and tastes sour”
= Er klumpt und schmeckt sauer

“And worse news” = Und noch eine schlechte Neuigkeit

“scratching and yipping and rustling”
= scharren und piepsen und rascheln

“not fit for gentry”
= für eine Adlige nicht schicklich

I’ll finish with the last sentence of Day 245:
“Rats squeal and skitter around her, and I hear her lips smack, smack, smack.”
= Die Ratten jagen quiekend um sie herum und ich höre ihre Lippen schmatzen, schmatzen, schmatzen.

Und noch eine schlechte Neuigkeit: That’s all for tonight!

Sonderling Sunday! The Party Was Over.

Believe it or not, it’s time for Sonderling Sunday!

Sonderling Sunday is that time of the week when I play with language by looking at the German translation of children’s books.

But you may well ask, Sonderling Sunday, where have you been? Hasn’t it been almost a year since your last post?

That’s right — it’s been far too long. But in case you hadn’t heard, last year I had this little activity of being on the Newbery Committee and basically that was eating up every minute, forcing me to read children’s books whenever I could find the time. (I know, twist my arm!) But one very good thing that did go by the wayside was Sonderling Sunday.

And I didn’t even manage to finish going through Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge before I went on hiatus!

This book, with the original title The Order of Odd-fish, by James Kennedy, is the book that started it all. And I am so close to the end! Last time we left off on page 334 in the original edition, Seite 424 auf Deutsch.

There are some fun ones on this page. Surely you can find a reason to say these things, right?

“fawning psychoanalysts” = kriecherischen Psychoanalytikern

“guffawed” = johlte

“a venerable therapist” = ein ehrwürdiger Therapeut

“you hit the nail on the head!” = Sie haben den Nagel auf den Kopf getroffen!

“cooed a spinster nurse” = gurrte Eine altjüngferliche Krankenschwester

“Take it down a notch.” =
Schalten Sie einen Gang runter.
(“Switch you a gear down.”)

Okay, I need to see how they handled this one:
“Why, you’re a regular ding-a-ling ding-dang-doodle, Belgian Prankster!” chirped a young doctor. “A first-class, blue-ribbon, dippity-doopity ding-a-ling ding-dang-doodle, and you can take that to the bank! Huh, fellas?”
=
»Also wirklich, Sie sind ein echter Kni-Kna-Knüller, Belgischer Scherzkeks«, zirpte eine junge Ärztin. »Ein erstklassiger, ausgezeichneter Kni-Kna-Kno-Knüller, darauf können Sie Gift nehmen! Stimmt’s, Jungs?«

(Hmmm. They seem to have translated “dippity-doopity” as Kno. Doesn’t seem quite as creative to me.)

“Esteemed doctors” = Hochgeschätzte Doktoren

“You got us that time, I’ll give you that!” = Sie uns aber wirklich drangekriegt, das muss ich Ihnen lassen!

“zinger” = Hammer

“What have you done to them?” = Was haben Sie mit ihnen gemacht?

“rigors of the workday” = strapaziösen Arbeitstag

“at random” = willkürlich

The German is so much more specific:
“She bit her cheek.”
= Sie biss sich auf die Innenseite der Wange.
(“She bit herself on the inside of her cheek.”)

“empty jest” = hohlen Witz

“unnecessary” = überflüssig
(“superfluous,” “over-fluid”)

Let’s finish with that important sentence:
“The party was over.”
= Der Party war vorbei.

That’s all for tonight, and I must say, it’s good to be back! One of the things that I think is so much fun about this pseudo-phrasebook is that we’ve gone through almost the entire book — and I’m guessing I haven’t given away the plot at all. I have given away how much James Kennedy likes to play with language, though.

Here’s wishing my readers a Kni-Kna-Kno-Knüller of a week!

Sonderling Sunday – Seeking the Belgische Schezkekse

In honor of Memorial Day weekend and having already finished reading 5 books this weekend and written 3 reviews, let’s do a short, late night Sonderling Sunday!

Sonderling Sunday is that time of the week when I play with language by looking at the German translation of children’s books. It’s been awhile since my last Sonderling Sunday post, and I’m getting so very close (proportionately) to the end of the most Sonder-book of all, that we’re going to stick with Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, The Order of Odd-Fish, by James Kennedy, again this time.

We are still on Chapter 24 (of 28), on page 331 in the English version, and Seite 420 in the German edition. As is traditional, I’ll begin with the first sentence of the section:

“Jo watched the ceiling as another sleepless night dragged on.”
= Jo betrachtete die Decke, während eine weitere schlaflose Nacht sich dahinschleppte.
(You’ve got to love “dragged on” = dahinschleppte.)

“as if she were full of squirming baby mice”
= als würde es in ihrem Innern von winzigen Mäusen nur so wimmeln

“wandered” = streifte

“deserted” = vollkommen menschenleer (“completely people-empty”)

This one’s interesting. “Flurd-Poffle” is translated Bodenhatz which means something like “ground-hunt.” It’s another made-up word, but why was it translated at all?

“a large, cold room with glass walls”
= ein großer, steriler Raum mit gläsernen Wänden

“harsh light” = grelles Neonlicht

“little rips” = kleinen Kerben

“pallor” = Blässe

“a guard or a receptionist” = einem Wächter oder einem Pförtner

“eerie” = gruselig

“empty skin” = leere Hülle

“maximum security section” = Hochsicherheitstrakt

“nurses” = Pfleger

“made his long-dreaded return”
= seine so lange gefürchtete Rückkehr inszeniert
(“his so long feared return staged”)

“a swank bachelor’s pad”
= eines prahlerischen Junggesellen

“centerpiece” = Prunkstück

“swinging lounge music” = coole Swingmusik

“off balance” = aus dem Gleichgewicht

“sipped” = schlürften

“laboratory glassware” = Reagenzgläsern

“robotic merriness” = mechanische Unbekümmerheit

“that creeped Jo out”
= bei der Jo ein Schauder über den Rücken lief
(“that Jo a shadow over her back ran”)

“desperate lightheartedness” = verzweifelte Fröhlichkeit

“blithely” = schlichtweg

They preserved alliteration:
“toast of the town” = Star der Stadt

“interchangeable” = austauschbaren

It’s very late and not, technically, Sunday any more, so I’m going to end with this sentence in the middle of a section:

“Wherever he went, he warped everything around him into an empty jest.”
= Wohin auch immer er ging, er verzerrte alles um sich herum zu einem hohlen Witz.

That’s all for tonight. It’s fun now to imagine scenarios where you could possibly use these new German words you know.

Bis zum nächsten Mal!

Sonderling Sunday – Seltsamen Sonderlinge – The Return of the Belgian Prankster!

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 to the especially Sonder-book, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, which is the translation of The Order of Odd-fish, by James Kennedy.

Last time, we finished Chapter 23! So now it’s on to Chapter Twenty-Four! [This is out of 28 chapters. My Sonderling Sunday posts are becoming less and less frequent. This is mostly because I’ve become part of a group that plays games on Sunday afternoon. And I just like the sound of “Sonderling Sunday” too much to switch to another day. Theoretically, as the year 2018 progresses, I should spend less time posting and more time reading. So we shall see what happens. But anyway, tonight the gaming hosts are getting home from a holiday weekend with family, so here I am ready to translate!]

The first sentence of Chapter 24 is a perfect sentence for translating. I’m sure you want to know how to say this, should you ever be in Germany!
“The return of the Belgian Prankster sparked a citywide panic.”
= Die Rückkehr des Belgischen Scherzkekses löste in der ganzen Stadt einen wahren Tumult aus.

“breathless and exhausted” = atemlos und erschöpft

“flurry of chaos” = Chaos der Verwirrung

“still others sat numbly on the sidewalk”
= wieder andere saßen wie betäubt auf dem Bürgersteig

It amuses me how much longer this is in German:
“Everybody had the same panicked expression.”
= Die Menschen dort trugen alle denselben panikerfüllten Gesichtsausdruck zur Schau.

“jittery conversations” = nervösen Gesprächen

“headlines” = Schlagzeile (“strike-row”)

“baffling” = verblüffende

“No one dared venture near.”
= Niemand wagte es auch nur, in seine Nähe zu kommen.
(“No one dared it even, in his neighborhood to come.”)

“stern chiding” = scharfe Rüffel

“public ridicule” = öffentlichen Gespött

“poked him” = piksten ihn

This is a great sentence:
“People will put up with being terrified, but no one will tolerate being bored.”
= Die Menschen ertragen es, in Angst und Schrecken zu leben, aber keiner nimmt es hin, gelangweilt zu werden.

“Asylum for the Feeble of Brain” = Asyl für die Geistesschwachen

“Jo drank coffee after coffee”
= Jo trank unablässig Kaffee
(“Jo drank ceaselessly coffee”)

“suicide” = selbstmörderisch

“sticky and sluggish” = stickig und zäh

“Nothing seemed worth doing.”
= Nichts schien der Anstrengung wert zu sein.

“eyes ache” = Augen wehtaten

“writhed” = wälzte

“feeling like she was wrapped in hot wet cotton”
= hatte das Gefühl, sie wäre in heiße, nasse Baumwolllaken eingewickelt

The last sentence of the section about the Belgian Prankster:
“Furious but repulsed, fascinated but terrified, she felt herself pulled toward him.”
Sie war wütend und angewidert, fasziniert und verängstigt und fühlte sich trotz allem zu ihm hingezogen.

Here’s hoping you never have occasion to use that sentence!

That’s all for tonight! Until next time, may you not be terrified or bored!

Sonderling Sunday – The Festival Interrupted

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 back to the especially Sonder-book, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, which is the translation of The Order of Odd-fish, by James Kennedy.

Last time, I left off in the middle of Chapter 23, page 314, in English, Seite 399 auf Deutsch.

Here’s the sentence that begins the section:
“The sun sank behind the trees, and the sky darkened, but the festival went on.”
= Die Sonne versank hinter den Bäumen und es wurde dunkel, aber das Fest ging weiter.

“A sweaty man by nature”
= Der Ritter neigte ohnehin zu Schweißausbrüchen
(“The knight tended anyway to sweat-outbreaks”)

“particularly damp” = besonders verschwitzt

“golden swimsuit” = goldfarbenen Badeanzug

“Stroke him, reassure him.” = Streichelt ihn, beruhigt ihn.

“pinching” = zwackt

A good sentence to know:
“Now you’re just being silly.”
= Jetzt sind Sie aber wirklich albern.

And you thought we’d never learn how to say this!
“ridiculous farts and burps” = alberne Fürze und Rülpser

Ha! I caught a mistake in the translation! The English says:
“It was difficult to believe the music was grunts and snorts forced out of a giant worm.”

But the translation says:
dass es schwer zu glauben war, diese Musik würde aus Grunzen, Schnauben, Fürzen und Rülpsern eines gigantischen Wurms bestehen.

See what they’ve done? Although when Sir Alasdair began playing the Urk-Ack by climbing inside it and pinching its organs at first all that came out was farts and burps. Now he has progressed and is giving a lovely concert – but the translator put the farts and burps back in! Oops!

“like a blob of pink putty” = wie ein rosafarbener Gummiball

You should be able to say this:
“This is my moment of triumph!”
= Das ist mein Augenblick des Triumphes!

“explosive” = Sprengstoff

“roguishly” = schelmisch

“candy wrappers” = Bonbonpapier

“reckless zeal” = rücksichtslosem Eifer

“The audience was booing.” = Die Zuschauer buhten.

“caterwauling” = jaulenden

“adoring fans” = hingebungsvollen Anhänger

“jeers” = die höhnischen Zwischenrufe (“the sneery calls”)

“the stage” = der Bühne

“savior” = Retter

“pusillanimous” = kleinkarierten

“Consarn it” = Sapperlot

“handyman” = Faktotum

“tousling” = verwuselte

“whirlwind” = Wirbelwind

“parachutes” = Fallschirmen

“conductor” = Dirigenten

“shoved aside” = beseitegeschoben worden

Here’s a good sentence to know:
“I expect you to solve all my problems!”
= Ich erwarte, dass Sie alle meine Probleme lösen!

“waved” = wedelte

“crumpled papers” = zerknüllter Blätter

“cameo” = Nebenrolle

“unbutton” = aufzuknüpfen

“grunting and grinning” = grunzend und grinsend

“footlights” = Rampenlichter

“waggled his hips” = wackelte mit seinen Hüften

“a throbbing, squirming mass of blubber and muscle”
= eine pulsierende, wabernde Masse von Speck und Muskeln

And that brings us to the end of Chapter 23!

I think it’s fun how little these phrases give away the plot – I hope they tantalize the reader to want to know the details!

Bis bald!

Sonderling Sunday – Chapter 23

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 back to the especially Sonder-book, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, which is the translation of The Order of Odd-fish, by James Kennedy.

I am getting close to the end! And I got to thinking that it would be really nice to finish looking at this book before I start my real work of reading for the 2019 Newbery committee (reading books published in 2018). Because I fear I won’t have a lot of time for Sonderling Sunday once that happens. So – let’s push on! Last time, I finished Chapter 22. Let’s look at what the next chapter holds, beginning on page 309 in the English edition, Seite 393 in the German edition.

Let’s start with the first sentence:
“The rain stopped as suddenly as if someone had switched it off.”
= Der Regen hörte so plötzlich auf, als hätte jemand ihn abgeschaltet.

“alarmingly lush” = beunruhigenden Üppigkeit (“disturbingly luxuriant”)

“exploding with ferns and lurid tropical flowers”
= schien von Farnen und grellen tropischen Blumen nur so zu explodieren

“smothered in ivy, creepers, and weeds
= wurde von Efeu, Kriechpflanzen und Kräutern förmlich erstickt
(“was by ivy, creeper plants and herbs formally stifled”)

I’m using this word this week, if I can manage to pronounce it:
“humid” = schwül

“freaks” (as in “freakshows”) = Monstrositätenschauen

“roller coaster” = Achterbahn (“8-train” as in “figure-8 train”)

“dragged” = kramten

“float” = Karren

“seethed” = siedete

“wildly boiling soup” = heftig kochende Suppe

“mocking her” = sie verhöhnen

“numb” = betäubt

“marching bands” = Marschkapellen

“dazzling” = blendende

“furry pink boots” = pinkfarbene Fellstiefel

“puffy blouse” = Rüschenbluse

“compliment” = bewundern

“artful restraint” = künstlerische Zurückhaltung

“hallmark” = Markenzeichen

“urgently” = drängend

“brazen” = Tollkühnes

“newsworthy” = berichtenswert

“big scoop” = Knüller

“paralyzing dread” = lähmenden Furcht

“tilt-a-whirls” = Raupe (“caterpillar”)

“pinched” = kniff

“pterodactyls” = Flugsaurier

“skip every line” = an den Wartenden vorbeigewunken

“put two and two together” = eins und eins zusammenzählen (“one and one together-count”)

Ah! A Sonderword:
“special treatment” = Sonderbehandlung

And I’ll stop at the end of that section, as they’re going to the festival.

Now, may you enjoy the Marschkappellen und blendende fireworks on the fourth of July!

Sonderling Sunday – Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge – Desolation Day is here!

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 back to the book that started this feature, Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, which is the translation of The Order of Odd-fish, by James Kennedy.

Last time (far too long ago), I covered Jo’s dinner with Fiona, and ended on page 304 in the original English edition, Seite 387 in the German edition.

The first sentence of the next section is so practical, I’ll start with that:

“Jo couldn’t sleep.” = Jo konnte nicht einschlafen.

“bubbling and boiling” = überschlugen
(Google Translate says “raced.” The context is this is what Fiona’s thoughts are doing. The original English seems a bit more vivid.)

“dream-wracked” = von Träumen gepeinigt (“by dreams tormented”)

I hope you won’t need to say this!
“Everyone up. It’s Desolation Day.”
= Aufstehen. Es ist der Tag der Verwüstung.

“underground courtyard” = unterirdischen Hof

“exhausted and disoriented” = erschöpft und orientierungslos

I think this sentence has come up before, but I like it.
“Jo was astonished.” = Jo war verblüfft

“disobeyed” = missachtet

“veil” = Schleier

Just fun to say:
“who was who” = wer wer war

“a familiar face” = ein vertrautes Gesicht

“shuffling echo of footsteps” = Schlurfen von Schritten

“rustle of skirts” = Rascheln von Kleidern

“turn back” = umgekehrt

“queasily and unsteadily” = Unbehagen und schwankend

“confusion and horror and guilt” = Verwirrung, Entsetzen, Schuldgefühlen

“found out” = enttarnen

“not a human sobbing” = kein menschliches Schluchzen

“long, twisty pipes” = langen, krummen Flöten

“windy sky” = sturmgepeitschten Himmel (“storm-whipped sky”)

“rising and falling” = hoben und senkten

“bright” = grell

“frenzy” = Raserei

“tipping” = torkelte

“climbed up” = hinaufkletterten

“milky liquid” = milchigen Flüssigkeit

“gurgling” = blubbernd

“puddles” = Pfützen

“sidewalk” = Bürgersteig

And the last sentence of Chapter 22:
“She had never felt more alone.”
= Noch nie hatte sie sich einsamer gefühlt.

That’s all for tonight! May you never have to describe kein menschliches Schluchzen.

Bis bald!