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!
False irony (November 2025)
The article “Think Really Different” by Daniel Lyons appeared in Newsweek shortly after Apple had brought out the iPad in January 2010. The text starts with the following sentence:
“What’s the big deal about Apple’s iPad, currently arriving in stores on the biggest wave of hype since, well, Apple’s iPhone?”
In German: “Was ist schon groß dran an Apples iPad, das bald in die Läden kommt und gehypt wird wie zuletzt – nun ja – Apples iPhone?”
The article about Apple’s iPad is, on the whole, quite positive. If you accept that the participle “gehypt” is well-known among young people who are interested in Internet technology and reflects the style of the original, which is characterised by many colloquial expressions, then, what remains in this example is the interpretation of “What’s the big deal”, which, in the target text, obviously is meant to be ironical, whereas, in the source text, there is no irony. For the question is not a rhetorical one (implying “Nothing!” by way of an answer) but a genuine question that is supposed to pique the readers’ curiosity.
We might translate: Was ist das Besondere an Apples iPad, das bald in die Läden kommt und gehypt wird wie zuletzt – nun ja – Apples iPhone?