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 looking at Winnie-the-Pooh, otherwise known as Pu der Bär.
Last time I looked at Winnie-the-Pooh, we covered chapter 4, in which Eeyore loses his tail. This week, we’ll look at Chapter 5, “In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump.” The German chapter title is In welchem Ferkel ein Heffalump trifft.
I like to begin with the first sentence, so here it is:
“One day, when Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet were all talking together, Christopher Robin finished the mouthful he was eating and said carelessly: ‘I saw a Heffalump to-day, Piglet.'”
= Eines Tages, als Christopher Robin und Winnie-der-Pu und Ferkel alle miteinander sprachen, schluckte Christopher Robin bin das, was er gerade im Munde hatte, herunter und sagte beiläufig: »Heute habe ich ein Heffalump gesehen, Ferkel.«
(Translation back to English with the help of Google is: “One day, when Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pu and Piglet all with each other talked, swallowed down Christopher Robin what he just had in his mouth, and said casually: ‘Today have I a Heffalump seen, Piglet.'”)
I like this one:
“Just lumping along”
= Einfach so vor sich hin gelumpt
“You don’t often see them.”
= Man sieht sie nicht oft.
“Not now”
= Im Augenblick nicht.
“Not at this time of year”
= Nicht in dieser Jahreszeit
“as they stumped along the path”
= als sie den Pfad entlangstapften
The number here is 160. It doesn’t seem to have to do with the conversion to square meters.
“Hundred Acre Wood” = Hundertsechzig-Morgen-Wald
“stepping stones” = Trittsteine
“heather” = Heidekraut
“If you see what I mean, Pooh.”
= Falls du verstehst, was ich meine, Pu.
“It’s just what I think myself, Piglet.”
= Genau das finde ich auch, Ferkel.
“But, on the other hand, Pooh, we must remember.”
= Aber andererseits, Pu, müssen wir auch daran denken.
“Quite true, Piglet, although I had forgotten it for the moment.”
= Sehr richtig, Ferkel, es war mir nur kurz entfallen.
“very solemn voice” = sehr feierlicher Stimme.
“I have decided to catch a Heffalump.”
= Ich habe beschlossen ein Heffalump zu fangen.
“Cunning Trap” = listige Falle
“That’s just it. How?”
= Das ist es nämlich. Wie?
“they should dig a Very Deep Pit”
= sie eine sehr tiefe Grube graben sollten
“humming a little song”
= ein kleines lied summen
“looking up at the sky”
= den Himmel betrachten
“He would Suspect.”
= Es würde Verdacht schöpfen.
“It isn’t as easy as I thought.”
= Es ist nicht so leicht, wie ich dachte.
“gorse prickles” = Stechginsterstacheln
“much more trappy” = viel fallenmäßiger
“larder” = Küchenschrank
“top shelf” = obersten Brett
“No doubt about that.”
= Gar kein Zweifel.
“It is honey, right the way down.”
= Es ist Honig, bis ganz unten.
“And have you got any string?”
= Und has du vielleicht Bindfaden?
“Heffalumps come if you whistle.”
= Heffalumps kommen, wenn man pfeift.
“Some do and some don’t. You never can tell with Heffalumps.”
= Manche kommen und manche knommen nicht. Bei Heffalumps kann man nie wissen.
And this chapter is longer than I realized. Translating it ist nicht so leicht, wie ich dachte. I will come back to this chapter the next time I do Sonderling Sunday. I’m leaving off right where the Very Deep Pit has been dug and the Cunning Trap is set. The actual meeting with the Heffalump, I will save for next time.
Meanwhile, this chapter had lots of Handy Phrases to try to work into your conversation. Gar kein Zweifel.
Bis bald!