Presentations Prepare a worksheet for the course. Provide a brief structured theoretical introduction to your presentation topic. o Give your fellow students practical suggestions how to increase their competence regarding your presentation topic. o Illustrate general tendencies where possible. Devise an exercise based on examples from English texts and carry it out in class. o Find instances of your presentation topic in actual English texts. o Do not forget to provide enough context around each item so as to ensure that it can be interpreted coherently. o Please indicate where the examples are taken from. o Try to provide solutions for the problems you are discussing (e.g. on a transparency or in a PPT presentation). Your presentation should not exceed 20-30 minutes. Recommended reading: The following books may provide a good starting point for your presentations. Note, however, that their use is not obligatory and that you are of course free to use any material that you find useful. Friederich, Wolf (1977): Technik des Übersetzens. Englisch und Deutsch. 4th ed. Ismaning: Hueber. [many concrete juxtapositions] Götz, Dieter (2005): Vom Englischen ins Deutsche. Script. Available in StudOn. [the condensed knowledge of decades of teaching English translation with a linguistic background] Götz, Katrin (2005): Textueller Kulturbezug als Übersetzungsproblematik: ein zweckorientierter Lösungsansatz. In: Kovtyk, Bogdan: Linguistische und didaktischpsychologische Grundlagen der Translation. Berlin: Logos, 49-66. [a summary of translation strategies for culture-specific concepts] Hohenadl, Christa and Renate Will (1994): Into German. Ein systematisches Übersetzungstraining. Ismaning: Hueber. [typical translation mistakes] Hönig, Hans G. (1997): Konstruktives Übersetzen. Tübingen: Stauffenburg. 2nd, rev. ed. [linguistic background] Humphrey, Richard (2008): Strategies of Translation. German - English. Volume I: Word, Phrase, Sentence. Stuttgart: Klett. [useful hints and concrete juxtapositions]
Humphrey, Richard (2008): Grundkurs Übersetzen Deutsch-Englisch. Stuttgart: Klett. & Humphrey, Richard (2007): Aufbaukurs Übersetzen Deutsch-Englisch. Stuttgart: Klett. [concern the opposite directionality but contain some useful examples] Koller, Werner (1997): Einführung in die Übersetzungswissenschaft. 5th ed. Wiesbaden: Quelle und Meyer. [theoretical linguistic background] Königs, Karin (2004): Übersetzen Englisch-Deutsch. Ein systemischer Ansatz. München: Oldenbourg. 2nd, rev. ed. [highly recommendable for the preparation of the presentations: comprehensive and profound, many concrete juxtapositions, useful explanations, grammatical background - though sometimes the grammatical terminology is questionable] Smith, Veronica and Christine Klein-Braley (1989): In Other Words Arbeitsbuch Übersetzung. Ismaning: Hueber. [many helpful exercises] Snell-Hornby, Mary et al. [Hrsg.] (1999): Handbuch Translation. 2nd, rev. ed. Tübingen: Stauffenburg. [general survey of translation and interpreting] Stolze, Radegundis (2008): Übersetzungstheorien. Eine Einführung. 5th, rev. ed. Tübingen: Narr. [survey of linguistic, textual, and translation background] Thurn-Mithoff, Martin and Kenneth Cronin (1995): Übersetzungshilfen Englisch - Deutsch - Englisch. Mainz: Logophon Lehrmittel. [translation problems in a nutshell, good examples]
Vocabulary Find passages in English texts which may cause difficulties in English-German translation because a change of word class is likely to happen, or because there are language-specific differences regarding number or word formation (e.g. English equivalents of German compounds). Change of word class... is expected to continue. =>... wird vermutlich anhalten. (cf. Hohenadl and Will: Into German, p. 10-12) The Palace of Westminster will, as critics were quick to point out, remain exempt as a royal palace, although smoking was banned in the Strangers Bar and tearoom some time ago. (GW, 24.2.2006) The human rights and humanitarian situation in Sudan s Darfur region continues to be one of the worst in the world. (GW, 20.1.2006) Further lexical differences as tendencies the mountains > das Gebirge (cf. Friederich, p. 42) attempted murder > Mordversuch (cf. Königs, p. 517) cross-party majority > parteiübergreifende Mehrheit (GW, 24.2.2006) Friederich: Technik des Übersetzens, p. 41 ff., p. 46ff., p. 55ff., p. 63ff., p. 78ff. Hohenadl and Will: Into German, p. 40-42. [You can find discussions of relevant phenomena with many of the texts analysed by the authors, e.g. p. 12, 17, 24, 32, 58 ] Königs: Übersetzen Englisch-Deutsch, p. 445 ff.
Context-dependent meaning Find vocabulary items in English texts which may cause difficulties in English- German translation. You should cover the following areas: hard words, context-dependent meaning, register, style. Try and give some useful suggestions on how your fellow students can expand their vocabulary as well as their competence regarding word fields, context and style. [In this context, you may wish to refer to works such as: McCarthy and O Dell (2002): English Vocabulary in Use. Advanced, or the Longman Language Activator.] Hard words Hearsay and rumour could find their way into print. Mistakes, only occasionally pernicious, crept in. (Ian Rankin: The Falls, Orion, 2005, p.327) Context-dependent meaning and register Keep your trap shut. (Trap does not mean Falle in this context; note the informal register.) Style Within the city s mix of races and ethnic groups, non-hispanic whites declined 14.2 percent and are no longer a majority, but they remain the largest group, with 43.2 percent of the population, down from 52.4 percent in 1980. (International Herald Tribune, 23.3.1991; in Hohenadl; Will: Into German, p. 20) (dt: darstellen or bilden rather than sind ). Friederich: Technik des Übersetzens, p. 22ff. McCarthy and O Dell: English Vocabulary in Use, i-viii. Hohenadl and Will: Into German. [You can find discussions of relevant phenomena with most of the texts analysed by the authors, e.g. p. 11-12, 19, 32, 40, 45-47, 55-58, 121ff., 128-131,...]
Idiomaticity Find instances of idiomaticity and collocation in English texts which may cause difficulties in English-German translation. Try to give your fellow students some useful suggestions how to expand their competence regarding idioms and collocations [In this context, you may wish to refer to monolingual dictionaries, collocation and idiom dictionaries, and self-study books such as English Collocations in Use by McCarthy and O Dell.] Collocations The new diversity is likely to have large economic consequences for the city. (International Herald Tribune, 23.3.1991; in: Hohenadl/Will: Into German, p. 20) [ weitreichende ( *große) wirtschaftliche Folgen] Idioms Many countries have buried their heads in the sand but Britain has taken decisive steps in cloning. Here, it is legal to clone human embryos for research purposes but it is illegal to clone babies. (The Guardian, 29.10.2004) [ den Kopf in den Sand gesteckt] Baker: In Other Words, p. 46 ff. Hohenadl and Will: Into German. [You can find discussions of relevant phenomena within many of the texts analysed by the authors, e.g. p. 12, 24, 84, 32, 69, 84, 132,...] McCarthy and O Dell: English Vocabulary in Use, iv; 88-95.
-ing-forms and participle constructions Find -ing-forms and -ed-forms (participle constructions) in English texts which may cause difficulties in English-German translation. When conceding, Mr Pinera said: I wish her the best of success... (GW, 20.1.2006) With smoke-free workplaces becoming the norm, Ms Hewitt told MPs: Over time we estimate an additional 600,000 people will give up smoking as a result of this law. (GW, 24.2.2006) Chased by 300 naked, cursing Pokot tribeswomen throwing sand, the 11 World Bank-backed research scientists leapt from their camp site on a monkey-filled island. (Times Magazine, 4.8.2001) Friederich: Technik des Übersetzens, p. 88ff., p. 132ff. Hohenadl and Will: Into German, p. 85f., p. 105f. [You can find discussions of relevant phenomena with most of the texts analysed by the authors, e.g. p. 75] Königs: Übersetzen Englisch-Deutsch, 145 ff.
Infinitive constructions Find infinitive constructions in English texts which may cause difficulties in English- German translation. Why are boxing rings square? Otherwise there would not be a corner for the contestants to start from and retire to. (GW, 22.10.2004) We believe Aids is the worst catastrophe ever to hit the world. (GW, 7.12.2004) The U.S. Senate found the evidence alarming enough to justify a faster phase-out of CFCs. (cf. Hohenadl and Will, p. 49) Friederich: Technik des Übersetzens, p. 91ff. Hohenadl and Will: Into German, p. 47ff., p. 106 [You can find discussions of relevant phenomena with many of the texts analysed by the authors, e.g. p. 47] Königs: Übersetzen Englisch-Deutsch, 21ff.
Word order and cleft sentences Find structures in English texts which may cause difficulties in English-German translation due to their word order. Be sure to discuss the translation of English cleft sentences as well as the translation of various complex sentences (displaying subordination on various levels). It was in the mid-1950s that she began her world conquest. (GW, 20/1/2006) Sampson explains that, although one knew about the concentration of power in Number 10, the Hutton disclosures acted rather like the Watergate tapes. (The Independent, 23/4/2004) Friederich: Technik des Übersetzens, p. 105ff., 110ff. and 129ff. Hohenadl and Will: Into German, p. 34 (it), 77 (what II), 86, 100ff., 107. [You can find discussions of relevant phenomena with most of the texts analysed by the authors, e.g. p. 13, 31, 38f., 46] Königs: Übersetzen Englisch-Deutsch, 385ff.
Passive and indirect speech Find passive constructions and instances of indirect speech in English texts which may cause difficulties in English-German translation. Passive: Police are thought to have recovered more than 10m pounds, and four men and a woman were charged in connection with the country s biggest heist. (Guardian Weekly, 10.3.2006) [ soll angeblich sichergestellt haben] Indirect speech: The Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, said that the entire Cabinet, not just the Chancellor, must decide whether Britain was ready to join the euro. (Guardian Weekly, 2004) [ sagte, müsse] Friederich: Technik des Übersetzens, p. 87f., 108ff., 116ff. Hohenadl and Will: Into German [You can find discussions of relevant phenomena with many of the texts analysed by the authors, e.g. p. 85]. Königs: Übersetzen Englisch-Deutsch, 333ff., 364 ff.
Tense, aspect and modality Find verb forms in English texts displaying a particular tense, aspect or modality which may cause difficulties in English-German translation (e.g. putative should, habitual will/would, used to, or other forms, such as be to or must). In the Raemoir House Hotel near Aberdeen there used to be a sign on a door that read: Room for shooting guests only. The room is now the manager s office. (GW, 24/12/2004) It s amazing that an event the whole world knows to have been so catatastrophic should also be something we know so little about in terms of the specifics of how it s playing out on the ground, said Budy Resosudarmo, an economist at the Australian National University. (GW, 28/01/2005) And I was fascinated to learn that this must have had something to do with his visiting the opera as a young man with an older woman. (GW, 26/11/2004) Recent polls show that many people will vote for a candidate they disagree with on the issues because they say they like the candidate personally. (Dialogue 4 /1988, in: Hohenadl and Will: Into German, p. 52.) Hohenadl and Will: Into German. [You can find discussions of relevant phenomena with most of the texts analysed by the authors, e.g. p. 12, 55f., 66] Königs: Übersetzen Englisch-Deutsch, 317ff., 335 ff.
Culture-specific concepts and names Find culture-specific terms (including names) in English texts which may cause difficulties in English-German translation. MPs vote to stub out smoking in public. (GW, 24/2/2006) David Black said some responsibility must lie with Downing Street because the Holyrood site, which is thought by many to be too small, was bought, and the first contracts were signed before the Scottish parliament came into existence. (The Guardian, 18/3/2002) Katrin Götz: Textueller Kulturbezug. Hohenadl and Will: Into German, p. 122-127.