Overcoming Tough Problems in English to German Translation

Posted on February 7, 2010
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Most professional European and American translators know that German and English are closely related and have many words in common. New German Translation workers become acutely aware that this can be a benefit and drawback.

Many Anglophones learning in German translation studies should be aware of this fact. But too often, beginning language learners neglect the fact that appearances can be deceiving. “False friends,” which exist in many languages, are cognates that are false, and having nothing in common with the words you would expect them to mean. The translation profession regularly deals with the challenge of avoiding falling prey to false cognates. Once again, false cognates are deceiving because they look like a common word, but in actuality they have nothing to do with it. The inaccurate use of “false friends” can ruin a translation and leave the translator open to liability problems.

When it comes to translating from German to English or vice versa, there are numerous false friends because the languages are in the same family. Any student of German or English knows that there are numerous similarities between many words in the two languages. Some examples of true cognates (or true linguistic friends) are the following: hound /Hund, mother / Mutter, end / enden, word / Wort, dance / Tanz, and many others. German and English have countless true cognates, but be careful not to assume that a given word is a true cognate.

No matter if you are translating into English or into German, texts are easier to translate when true cognates (as opposed to false cognates) are used. But false cognates are just a fact of life for a translator, whether you translate from German to English or from English to German. “False Friends”, “falsche Freunde”, or, as in French, “faux amis” are all the same regardless of language combination, and any good translator needs to remain vigilant so as not to fall prey to the potential of producing a poor translation because of them.

After (After) all is said and done, the act (Akt) of translation can be quite objective (Objektiv). In this sentence, the German words in parentheses actually mean something quite different from what you might expect. The German words, “After,” “Akt” and “Objectiv” actually mean “rectum,” “nude,” and “lens” respectively in English. Medical Translation Services are also full of false friends, such as “Krank”, which really means “ill” or “sick”. And finally, good medical translators know that words like “tasten” mean “to touch” and not “to taste.”

Legal translations are also replete with false cognates, which may include words like “Rat,” “Jura,” and “Advokat,” which mean “advice,” “law,” and “attorney,” respectively. Other false cognates common in Legal Translation Services include “Akt,” which, as described above, means “nude,” and “absolvieren,” which means to complete coursework.

Unfortunately, this is only a sampling of the numerous false cognates that exist between English and German. For example, the word “drogerei” refers to what Anglophones know as a drugstore, but it does not carry medications. Instead, you will find only personal care items such as razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc. there. You need to go to the “Apotheke” if you need medications. To get your prescription filled at the “Apotheke,” don’t forget to take your “Rezept,” but if you need a receipt, you should ask for a “Quittung.”In summary, this all just underlines the importance of remaining attentive to the complexities involved in professional translation, with particular attention to ensuring you understand that false cognates can ruin a translation. Relying on assumed meanings of false cognates can mean the end of a translation career and can also do serious harm to the person or organization hiring the translator. It can also very often prove to be a costly mistake.

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