Translation is like a woman

You are probably familiar with the following saying by Yevgeny Yevtushenkoby: Translation is like a woman. If it is beautiful, it is not faithful. If it is faithful, it is most certainly not beautiful.

I would certainly agree with this, but I think there are two aspects missing, namely:

1)  A truly beautiful woman is also faithful

2)  There are plenty of women who are neither beautiful nor faithful

What do you think?

The secret life of pronouns

This is the dedication to James W. Pennebaker's new book The Secret Life of Pronouns - What Our Words Say About Us:

For you

and for us

and where we have been

and where we will go.

I think it might be one of the best dedications I have ever read.

It stands out because it is different, because it is universal and timeless, because it feels very personal, even though or maybe precisely because no particular person is named - and what's more, it showcases exactly what the book is about, namely, that words which on the surface do not tell us very much at all (who is "you"?, who are "we"?, where do we go? - it's all in the open) can stir up a whole world of emotions and significance.

And of course this immediately poses a problem for the translation: Is the "you" singular or plural? Why is it "where we will go" rather than "where we will be"?

I decide that as books, and therefore dedications, are usually read by a sinlge person, the German version should use the singular "Du" rather than "Euch". The second part is more difficult. I had to look at the verb tenses more carefully to come to a solution. "Have been" is progressive, whereas "be" is static - the journey from the past (have been) is matched with a journey (will go) in the future. This decided my choice for the German verbs. Finally, notice how even the alliteration of "where we" is preserved in the German version.

Für dich

und für uns

und woher wir kamen

und wohin wir gehen.

Father's Day

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother

I think this is a wonderful sentiment for today and very true. The English original has been variously attributed to Theodore M. Hesburgh and Henry Ward Beecher, both American clergyman.

Here is the German translation:

Das Wichtigste, das ein Vater für seine Kinder tun kann, ist, ihre Mutter zu lieben.

Happy Father's Day!

Galileo

You cannot teach a person something he does not already know; you can only bring what he does know to his awareness.

Man kann niemanden etwas lehren, von dem er nicht schon etwas weiß; man kann ihm nur das, was er schon weiß zum Bewusstsein bringen.

The Sea

This morning, while searching for the lyrics of a song, I came across a wonderful photograph of a motto painted onto the cabin of a small boat. See: Photo (Thank you to Grisu)

It's in Italian, but of course I'll provide you with a translation. I think it's a very poignant reminder of our role in this world. 

Italian original: Signore, è così grande il tuo mare e così piccola la mia barca.

English translation: Lord, how big is thy sea and how small is my boat.

German translation: Oh Herr, wie gross ist Dein Meer und wie klein mein Boot.