Like-Blog
Presenting you the most interesting translation solutions
Why Like-Blog? Now, first of all, this blog is a blog that you should like (and read regularly) – at least, if you are interested in translation. Then, the topic discussed here is one in which the meaningful likeness between a text and its translation in the language pair English-German plays a key role. On this page, I will take a close look at some interesting translation solutions that I have come across in the course of my work as a translator and translation scholar.
A translation solution is only as good as the arguments that support it. This means that any translation criticism, whether positive or negative, needs to be justified. The quality of a translation solution shows only when we compare it to other possible translation solutions in a given translation situation. Therefore, a translation critic should not only say why a translation solution is bad, but also demonstrate what a better solution might look like. I will try to stick to these principles of translation criticism. So if you have any questions regarding my line of argument or if you disagree, please, let me know your opinion by phone at +49 4171 6086525 or by e-mail to bittner@businessenglish-hamburg.de. So much for the introduction. I hope you’ll enjoy reading this blog!
Context (May 2025)
Sally Williams writes in “Green Gold” (telegraph.co.uk, 27 October 2007): “According to Oxfam America, one mine in Papua New Guinea generates 200,000 tons of cyanide-laced waste rock per day.”
The German version ran: “Laut Oxfam America wirft eine Mine in Papua-Neuguinea pro Tag 200.000 Tonnen an Cyanid-verseuchten Gesteinsüberresten ab.”
In this translation the verb “abwerfen” is out of place because it doesn’t fit into the context. Not that “abwerfen” might not serve as a translation for “generate”: “to generate profits”, for example, can be rendered as “Gewinne abwerfen”. The crucial contextual difference between “generate” and “abwerfen” (with its figurative meaning) shows in the fact that the English verb may be used both in a positive and negative context, while the German verb needs a positive context.
I would translate: Laut Oxfam America produziert eine Mine in Papua-Neuguinea pro Tag 200.000 Tonnen an Cyanid-verseuchten Gesteinsüberresten.