{"id":28110,"date":"2015-08-02T22:37:20","date_gmt":"2015-08-03T02:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=28110"},"modified":"2015-08-02T23:46:21","modified_gmt":"2015-08-03T03:46:21","slug":"sonderling-sunday-der-lorax-part-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=28110","title":{"rendered":"Sonderling Sunday – Der Lorax, Part Three"},"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.<\/p>\n

This week, I’m going to take another look at Der Lorax<\/em>, by Dr. Seuss.<\/p>\n

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

Last year, I found a German version of this classic when I shopped at Powell’s in Portland, and I looked at the beginning of the book<\/a>, and then the second part<\/a>. It is time to push onward!<\/p>\n

With The Lorax<\/em>, it’s fun to do sections at a time, because this is poetry! I’ll include the original, the translation, and then give an idea of how the translation reads, literally.<\/p>\n

I had just finished the part where the Once-ler had laid out his Thneed Scheme. <\/p>\n

“‘I repeat,’ cried the Lorax,
\n‘I speak for the trees!’
\n‘I’m busy,’ I told him.
\n‘Shut up, if you please.'”<\/p>\n

= \u201eIch sprech’ f\u00fcr die B\u00e4ume,
\nden die B\u00e4ume sind stumm!?
\n\u201eTut mir leid, ich hab’s eilig,
\nund schrei nicht so rum.?<\/em><\/p>\n

(“I speak for the trees,
\nfor the trees are silent!
\nI’m sorry, I’m in a hurry,
\nand don’t shriek so loud.”)<\/p>\n

I like it when the translator makes up words. Since, after all, Dr. Seuss does the same.<\/p>\n

“I rushed ‘cross the room, and in no time at all,
\nbuilt a radio-phone. I put in a quick call.
\nI called all my brothers and uncles and aunts
\nand I said, “Listen here! Here’s a wonderful chance
\nfor the whole Once-ler Family to get might rich!
\nGet over here fast! Take the road to North Nitch.
\nTurn left at Weehawken. Sharp right at South Stitch.”<\/p>\n

Ich rannte durchs Zimmer und baute ganz fix
\nein Funktelefon, in null Komma nix.
\nIch rief meine Br\u00fcder und Onkel und Tanten.
\n\u201eIch hab sie, die Chance f\u00fcr alle Verwandten!
\nDie Einstler-Familie wird saum\u00e4\u00dfig reich!
\nKommt schnell, fahrt Richtung Nordwudelwaldeich,
\nbiegt ab bei H\u00fchhotten, scharf rechts bei S\u00fcdschleich.?<\/em><\/p>\n

(“I ran across the room and built entirely
\na radio-telephone, in zero point zero.
\nI called my brothers and uncles and aunts.
\n‘I have for you the chance for all the relatives!
\nThe Onceler Family will be lousy rich!
\nCome quickly, drive in the direction of North-wudel-forest-oak,
\nturn off at Hoo-hotten, sharp right at South-creeping.'”)<\/p>\n

“And, in no time at all,
\nin the factory I built,
\nthe whole Once-ler Family
\nwas working full tilt.
\nWe were all knitting Thneeds
\njust as busy as bees,
\nto the sound of the chopping
\nof Truffula Trees.”<\/p>\n

Schon bald strickte dort
\nin der neuen Fabrik
\ndie Einstler-Familie
\nim Schichtbetrieb.
\nWir strickten die Schn\u00e4uchte,
\ndie Nadel klackte
\nzum Takt der Axt, die die B\u00e4ume hackte.<\/em><\/p>\n

(“Soon knitted there
\nin the new factory
\nthe Onceler Family
\nin shift-work.
\nWe knitted the Thneeds,
\nthe needles clacked
\nto the beat of the axes, that the trees hacked.”)<\/p>\n

It’s fun to see what they do with this:<\/p>\n

“Then…
\nOh! Baby! Oh!
\nHow my business did grow!
\nNow, chopping one tree
\nat a time
\nwas too slow.
\nSo I quickly invented the Super-Axe-Hacker
\nwhich whacked off four Truffula Trees at one smacker.”<\/p>\n

Und dann ging es los …
\nMein lieber Schwan!
\nDer Laden fing zu brummen an!
\nDoch nur eine Axt
\nwar mir viel zu lahm.
\nSchnell erfand ich das Super-Axt-Abhackmobil.
\nDas f\u00e4llte die B\u00e4ume, gleich viermal so viel!<\/em><\/p>\n

(“And then it began…
\nmy lovely swan!
\nThe shop started to grow!
\nBut only one axe
\nwas for me much to lame.
\nQuickly invented I the Super-Axe-Hack-Down-Mobile.
\nThat felled the trees, four times as much!”)<\/p>\n

When the Lorax comes back:<\/p>\n

“He snapped, ‘I’m the Lorax who speaks for the trees
\nwhich you seem to be chopping as fast as you please.
\nBut I’m also<\/em> in charge of the Brown Bar-ba-loots
\nwho played in the shade in their Bar-ba-loot suits
\nand happily lived, eating Truffula fruits.<\/p>\n

‘NOW . . . thanks to your hacking my trees to the ground,
\nthere’s not enough Truffula Fruit to go ’round.
\nAnd my poor Bar-ba-loots are all getting the crummies
\nbecause they have gas, and no food, in their tummies!'”<\/p>\n

= \u201eIch bin der Lorax, der die B\u00e4ume vertritt,
\ndie du schneidest mit deinem Hackebeilschnitt.
\nDoch ich spreche<\/em> auch f\u00fcr die Braunfelliwullis,
\ndie gl\u00fccklich in ihren Braunfellipullis
\ndie N\u00fcsse naschten im Tr\u00fcffelaschatten
\nund immer gen\u00fcgend zu essen hatten.<\/p>\n

Doch seit DU hier anfingst, die B\u00e4ume zu hacken,
\nsitzt den Braunfelliwullis der Hunger im Nacken.
\nDie armen Kleinen, was sollen sie machen?
\nMit knurrendem Magen gibt’s nichts zu lachen.?<\/em><\/p>\n

(“I am the Lorax, who the trees represents,
\nwhich you cut with your Cleaver-Cutter.
\nBut I speak also for the Brown-felli-woolies,
\nwho happily in their Brown-felli-pullovers
\nthe nuts nibbled in the Truffula shadows
\nand always enough to eat had.<\/p>\n

But since YOU here started, the trees to hack,
\nsit the Brown-felli-woolies with hunger in their necks.
\nThe poor littles, what shall they do?
\nWith growling stomachs there’s nothing to laugh about.”)<\/p>\n

And we’ll finish on a sad note as the Brown Bar-ba-loots walk off:<\/p>\n

“I, the Once-ler, felt sad
\nas I watched them all go.
\nBUT . . .
\nbusiness is business!
\nAnd business must grow
\nregardless of crummies in tummies, you know.”<\/p>\n

= Ich war etwas traurig,
\nda gingen sie nun.
\nDOCH …
\nGesch\u00e4ft ist Gesch\u00e4ft!
\nDa kann man nichts tun.
\nOb mit oder ohne Geknurre im Magen:
\nGesch\u00e4ft ist Gesch\u00e4ft
\nkann ich da nur sagen.<\/em><\/p>\n

(“I was somewhat sad,
\nthere they went now.
\nBUT …
\nBusiness is business!
\nYou can’t do anything about that.
\nWith or without growling in stomachs:
\nBusiness is business
\ncan I only say.”)<\/p>\n

I’ll stop there for tonight!<\/p>\n

Now you know a slightly more polite way to shut someone up!
\nTut mir leid, ich hab’s eilig,
\nund schrei nicht so rum.<\/em><\/p>\n

Bis bald!<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a>