{"id":18380,"date":"2013-03-03T21:52:26","date_gmt":"2013-03-04T01:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=18380"},"modified":"2013-03-03T23:34:42","modified_gmt":"2013-03-04T03:34:42","slug":"sonderling-sunday-die-unendliche-geschichte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=18380","title":{"rendered":"Sonderling Sunday – Die unendliche Geschichte"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s time for Sonderling Sunday<\/a>! — That time of the week when I play with language by looking at the German translation of children’s books. Today, I’m going to flip it around and look at the English translation of a German children’s book, Michael Ende’s Die unendliche Geschichte<\/em>, known and loved in English as The Neverending Story<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

First, the stats: The original German version is 428 pages long, but it’s a much nicer, more lavishly illustrated version than my English paperback, which is 377 pages long. Still, the English version did at least give a full page to each starting chapter illustration, even though they’re in black and white instead of two-color as in my lovely German edition. And they did preserve the A-to-Z nature of the illustrations.<\/p>\n

But right on the title page, we find a difference! The German edition has a subtitle!<\/p>\n

Die unendliche Geschichte<\/p>\n

Von A bis Z mit Buchstaben und Bildern versehen von Roswitha Quadflieg<\/em><\/p>\n

This translates to: “from A to Z with letters and pictures provided by Roswitha Quadflieg.”<\/p>\n

You see, the full-page illustration at the front of each chapter has a letter in the illustration, progressing from A to Z. The English edition merely says “Illustrated by Roswitha Quadflieg.”<\/p>\n

The beginning of the book is about Bastien Balthazar Bux, and does not have the Illuminated Letters or any heading except the backwards words on the door of the bookshop.<\/p>\n

In the English version, this is:
\n“rednaeroC darnoC lraC
\nskooB dlO”
\n— except mirrored as well as backwards. (Carl Conrad Coreander: Old Books)<\/p>\n

In the German version, it is:
\nTAIRAUQITNA
\nrednaeroK darnoK lraK :rebahnI (ANTIQUARIAT: Inhaber: Karl Konrad Koreander)<\/em><\/p>\n

While talking about the rain rolling over the letters on the door, we learn
\n“ornate letters” = geschn\u00f6rkelten Buchstaben<\/em>
\nIn the context, it made me think of snorkeling letters! And when I look in Google translate, they call it “scrolled.” Perhaps that’s where a snorkel gets its name — from that curve on the end.<\/p>\n

**Okay, my Sonderling Sunday was interrupted by finding out that my offer was accepted on a new home!**
\nAnd you know what? Now I’m too hyper to focus at all! I’m so excited!<\/p>\n

Mind you, this place went on the market yesterday, and I loved it by the pictures. But was it really so good? I looked at it today, and it was even better than the pictures. My favorite part? A whole wall filled with windows and a lake view. I didn’t even know that it was possible to find a place near my church with a lake view! <\/p>\n

But four people had already seen it, and there was already an offer. So my realtor recommended offering full price. I did, and they accepted my offer! What a whirlwind of a day!<\/p>\n

So next time, I will continue beyond the snorkel-shaped letters! But I think that’s all for now! Good night!<\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a>