{"id":28961,"date":"2016-01-03T23:31:52","date_gmt":"2016-01-04T03:31:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=28961"},"modified":"2016-01-03T23:36:13","modified_gmt":"2016-01-04T03:36:13","slug":"sonderling-sunday-the-hallows-of-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=28961","title":{"rendered":"Sonderling Sunday – The Hallows of Death"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

Tonight, I’ve got a hankering to go back to Harry Potter und die Heiligt\u00fcmer des Todes<\/a><\/em>, which translates as “Harry Potter and the Hallows of Death.”<\/p>\n

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

Last time we looked at this book<\/a> (more than a year ago, I’m afraid), we finished on page 6 in the English edition, Seite 14 auf Deutsch<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Right away, they’ve got one word in German for a long phrase in English:
\n“The company around the table” = Die Tischgesellschaft<\/em><\/p>\n

But this is a longer phrase in German:
\n“Harry Potter’s continued existence”
\n= dass Harry Potter immer noch am Leben war<\/em><\/p>\n

“unconscious body” = bewusstlosen K\u00f6rper<\/em><\/p>\n

This does sound like the right way for a supervillain to talk about his plans:
\n“best-laid plans” = bestgeschmiedeten Pl\u00e4nen<\/em><\/p>\n

“a sudden wail” = ein pl\u00f6tzliches Wehklagen<\/em> (“sudden woe-lamentation”)<\/p>\n

“misery and pain” = Qual und Schmerz<\/em><\/p>\n

“scrambled” = kletterte<\/em><\/p>\n

“scurried” = huschte<\/em><\/p>\n

“a curious gleam of silver” = ein merkw\u00fcrdiges silbernes Schimmern<\/em><\/p>\n

“volunteers” = Freiwilligen<\/em><\/p>\n

Interestingly shorter in English:
\n“his eyes were sunken” = seine Augen lagen tief in ihren H\u00f6hlen<\/em> (“his eyes were deep in their sockets”)<\/p>\n

“wrist” = Handgelenk<\/em> (“hand-link”)<\/p>\n

“Elm” = Ulme<\/em><\/p>\n

“fraction” = Bruchteil<\/em> (“break-piece”)<\/p>\n

“maliciously” = geh\u00e4ssig<\/em><\/p>\n

This phrase rolls off the tongue:
\n“The soft voice seemed to hiss on” = Die sanfte Stimme schien weiterzuzischen<\/em><\/p>\n

“The huge snake” = Die riesige Schlange<\/em><\/p>\n

“thigh” = Oberschenkel<\/em> (“upper-shank”)<\/p>\n

“vertical slits” = senkrechten Schlitzen<\/em><\/p>\n

“absently” = geistesabwesend<\/em> (“spirit-absence”)<\/p>\n

“in bearing and demeanor” = in Haltung und Gebaren<\/em><\/p>\n

“rigid and impassive” = starr und teilnahmslos<\/em><\/p>\n

“tears of delight” = Freudentr\u00e4nen<\/em><\/p>\n

“jeering laughter” = h\u00f6hnisches Gel\u00e4chter<\/em><\/p>\n

“gleeful looks” = h\u00e4mische Blicke<\/em><\/p>\n

“humiliation” = Dem\u00fctigung<\/em><\/p>\n

“outpouring of mirth” = Ausbruch von Heiterkeit<\/em><\/p>\n

“Mudblood” = Schlammbl\u00fcter<\/em><\/p>\n

“brat” = G\u00f6re<\/em><\/p>\n

“cubs” = B\u00e4lger<\/em><\/p>\n

“family trees” = Familienstammb\u00e4ume<\/em><\/p>\n

“breathless and imploring” = atemlos und flehentlich<\/em><\/p>\n

“canker” = Krebsgeschw\u00fcr<\/em><\/p>\n

“infects” = verseucht<\/em><\/p>\n

“tiny flick” = winzige Schlenker<\/em><\/p>\n

“cracked and terrified voice” = gebrochener und grauenerf\u00fcllter Stimme<\/em><\/p>\n

Alliterative in both languages:
\n“stroking the snake’s snout” = die Schnauze der Schlange streichelte<\/em><\/p>\n

“broad, hunched woman” = derbe, bucklige Frau<\/em><\/p>\n

“gagged” = geknebelt<\/em><\/p>\n

“corrupting and polluting” = verdirbt und besudelt<\/em><\/p>\n

“resounding crash” = dr\u00f6hnenden Schlag<\/em><\/p>\n

“trembled and creaked” = bebte und knarrte<\/em><\/p>\n

And that’s the end of Chapter One!<\/p>\n

I’m hoping you won’t be in any conferences with powerful and evil wizards this week and won’t have too much use for these phrases, but if you ever do encounter a riesiges Schlange<\/em> in Germany, at least you’ll know what to call it!<\/p>\n

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

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