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 learned that tomorrow I’ve got a Snow Day, so never mind things I want to get done on Sunday night! I have time to have some fun! Let’s look at some silly German phrases that I dare you to find a way to use!
Tonight I’m going with the German book I bought last summer on my first trip back to Germany in 18 years, Lockwood & Co.: Die Seufzende Wendeltreppe, which is the translation of Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase. Last time we covered this book, we finished up Chapter One.
So we begin tonight with Chapter Two, which is page 13 in the English edition, Seite 22 auf Deutsch. It’s always fun to start with the first sentence:
“When you go out hunting wicked spirits, it’s the simple things that matter most.”
= Bei der Jagd nach Geistern kommt es oft auf die einfachen Dinge an:
“the silvered point of your rapier flashing in the dark”
= die versilberte Degenspitze, die im Dunkeln aufblitzt
“the iron filings scattered on the floor”
=die Eisenspäne auf dem Fußboden
“the sealed canisters of best Greek Fire, ready as a last resort”
= die versiegelten Büchsen mit Griechischem Feuer für den äußersten Notfall
“iron circle” = Schutzkreis (“protection-circle”)
“They help to keep you sane” = dass man bei Verstand bleibt (“that one sane stays”)
“in a haunted house” = in einem Heimgesuchten Haus
“the silence beats against your ears” = die Stille rauscht in den Ohren (“the silence rushes in the ears”)
“In short, you need distractions.” = Soll heißen: Man braucht eine Ablenkung.
“Lockwood reads the gossip magazines.”
= Lockwood schmökert in Glamourzeitschriften.
(“Lockwood browses through glamour-magazines.”)
“bumping on the stairs” = Poltern auf der Treppe
[Ha! That must be where “Poltergeist” comes from! “Bumping-ghost”!]
“Our belts have seven separate clips and pouches”
= Unsere Gürtel haben sieben verschiedene Täschchen und Karabinerhaken
“We went through these in silence” = wir überprüften wortlos
Okay, long word alert!
“systematically checking the contents”
= systematisch sämtliche Ausrüstungsgegenstände, die daran befestigt waren
(Something like: “systematically all the equipment-objects, that to it attached were”)
“the kettle wheezed and huffed away”
= Der Wasserkessel schnaufte und zischte leise vor sich hin.”
“hedges” = Lorbeerhecke (“laurel hedges”)
“aural” = akustischen
Interesting switch of language:
“She might as well have written it in Greek for all the good it does us.”
= Sie hätte den Bogen genauso gut auf Lateinisch ausfüllen können.
(“She could just as well have filled out the form in Latin.”)
“Hadn’t been sleeping well.”
= Er hatte Schlafstörungen.
(“He had Sleep-disorders.”)
“twinkly-eyed” = Lachfältchen (“laugh-lines”)
“vengeance” = Rache
“a moving shape” = eine schwebende Gestalt
“I quote” = Ich zitiere
“Word for word” = wortwörtlich
“dunked” = tunkte
And the last sentence of this section (page 18, Seite 27):
“I drained my mug, set it carefully on the table. ‘I think that’s a very good idea.'”
= Ich trank meinen Tee aus und stellte den Becher behutsam auf den Tisch. »Gute Idee.«
And that’s it for tonight. Now you have handy phrases to use if you should ever encounter a Heimgesuchten Haus in Germany! And I like the word schmökert for browsing through gossip magazines.
Bis Bald!