Taking things too literally can be a problem at any time. But translating things too literally into German can be a disaster! One of the first lessons a language learner has to learn concerns the dangers of assuming that just because something is expressed a certain way in English, it will work the same way in German. As we'll see below, there is also the peril of "false friends" or false cognates—words that look like something they're not. The German words "bald" (soon), "fast" (almost), "der Smoking" (tuxedo), and "der Slip" (briefs, panties) are just a few examples.
The article below is a guest contribution by Brigitte Dubiel, who also happens to be our forum manager. So, time to learn about...
The Pitfalls of Literal Translation
By Brigitte Dubiel
Who has not read at one time or another about a sign, a notice, or an announcement that was translated literally (or just plain badly) from a foreign language into English? Two samples:
Sign on an elevator in a hotel in Romania:
THE LIFT IS BEING FIXED FOR THE NEXT DAYS. DURING THAT TIME WE REGRET THAT YOU WILL BE UNBEARABLE
On a visa application form in Hungary:
YOUR ANSWER SHOULD BE TYPEWRITTEN OR PRINTED IN CASE OF HANDWRITING
Since English and German are related languages, some people assume that translating is really easy, if necessary at all. A good example is the following excerpt from an article by Enno von Lowenstein, correspondent for the New York Times:
"...die Korrespondenten müssen Features kabeln, und beim Handling ihrer Computer-Terminals fit sein, ihr Password nicht vergessen, mit dem Scanner umgehen können ...die Disks pflegen, sich mit Bits und Bytes auskennen..."
In more than 20 years as a German teacher I have collected funny literal translations, sayings, and expressions from students that tickled my "Komischknochen." Maybe they will tickle your funny bone also. Here are some examples (remember, these are false translations):
Excuses for not doing homework, missing a class, not knowing an answer:
• Das schlägt die Hölle aus mir! (That beats the hell out of me.)
• Das schlägt mich! (Beats me.)
• Ich konnte meine Hausaufgaben nicht tun, weil meine Hundefrau vier Puppen bekommen hat. (I couldn't do my homework because my (female) dog had four puppies.) "Puppen" are actually "dolls." Puppies are "Welpen."
• Mein Großvater hatte am Sonntag gestorben, und ich musste zum Denkmalsdienst gehen. (My grandfather had died on Sunday, and I had to go to the monument service.) "Denkmal" actually means "monument." The sentence should have read: "Mein Großvater war am Sonntag gestorben, und ich musste zum Gedenkgottesdienst gehen."
• Ich hatte eine schlechte Kälte. (I had a bad cold.) "Kälte" is "coldness," the opposite of heat. The ailment is called "eine Erkältung" or "ein Schnupfen" (masc.).
• Wir haben uns verführt. (We lost our way.) The word "verführt" means "seduced." The correct version would be: "Wir haben uns verfahren."
More examples on the next page...