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!
The deep (August 2026)
In the text “Saving our Oceans: Code Blue” (www.time.com, 23 September 2010), one sentence goes:
“In her more than 50-year career in ocean science, Earle has studied the deep, dived it and written about it.”
In German translation: “In ihrer über 50-jährigen Karriere im Bereich Meereskunde hat Earle die Tiefe erkundet, ist hindurch getaucht und hat über ihre Erfahrungen geschrieben.”
Now, “die Tiefe zu erkunden” (to explore the deep) and “durch sie hindurchzutauchen” (to dive it) amounts to the same thing. The English original, however, suggests a contrast, here, between theory (“studied”) and practice (“dived”).
The following translation accounts for this contrast: In ihrer über 50-jährigen Karriere im Bereich Meereskunde hat Earle sich wissenschaftlich mit der Tiefe auseinandergesetzt, sie tauchend erkundet und über ihre Erfahrungen geschrieben.