German Translation

Euclid - Try Babelfish which is an on-line translator and see what it comes up with. Because translators can sometimes miss nuances, I'd suggest posting what you want translated and the translation here and ask people to tell you if the translation is okay. The items you posted are pretty simple so you might be okay with Babelfish. And yes, this is the proper place to post this. Puma

To be honest, I'd be reluctant to rely on Babelfish other than as a rough guide.

I've emailed my daughter in Germany to see if she can help. Will let you know if or when I get a result.

I'm not an expert in German (it's been years since college German), but those don't look too bad. Give this thread a little time and hopefully someone who's expert can give you an opinion. Puma

Done job, Euclid. PM-ing daughter's reply to you.

The problem with online translators is that they translate phrases word for word in the way you write them, without regard as to how they should really be put into the sentence. For instance, I'll use Romanian as an example because I know a wee bit, you want to say, I love you. A translator may write it as Eu Iubire Tu. It should be Te Iubesc (literal translation - you(te) I love(iubesc)). It's much more helpful getting someone who knows the language well to help with the translations.

I'm Putting in my two cents worth, and hope it might help;

euclid said:

Thanks to both of you.

Though my German is not gramatically correct, I will still give a couple of inputs, 'cause i know that some of these translations are sooo not right; (mine in red) (And to everyone else in this board who is better knowledged in German - Please forgive me)

I tried Babelfish between the two posts above, and this is what I got:

He regretted that
Er bedauerte den
Er hat's beaduert

He always regretted missing so much of your childhood
Er bedauerte immer, von ihrer Kindheit soviel zu verfehlen
Er bedauerte das er so viel von seine kinderzeit soviel verpasst hat

He was a good father
Er war ein guter Vater

He loved you
Er hat Dich geliebt (No parent, or family member or friend would call you 'Sie', which is a way of distancing yourself from the counterpart, kind of referring to a third party)

You are so like him
Sie sind so wie er
Du bist ihn gleich...

You look so like him (I put this extra one in because I thought the previous one might be misconstrued)
Du siehst genau aus wie ihn. (I would prefer to say; Du bist ihn so ehnlich)

You miss him
Er verfehlst Dich (The German language has a tendancy of 'turning things around', though they think the English spoken do)

I miss him
Ich verfehlen ihn
Ich vermisse ihn
(The other interpretation is SOOO wrong)

His life was cut short
Sein Leben wurde gekurzt (with an umlatt on the last u)
Sein leben ist leider gekurstz geworden. (And no umlaut)

PS: I never heard of Babelfish before (except in HHGG, of course)

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First of all, try this website:
dict.tuchemnitz.dedings.cgilang=en&service=deen&opterrors=0&optpro=0&query=pig&iservice=&dlink=self&comment=
It's been over thirty years since I spoke German and I was fluent - actually improved my English a lot! So, let me take the following, which is close, and make comments.

Melisande I'm Putting in my two cents worth, and hope it might help;


1st - remember all the main verbs come at the end of the sentence. The problem is determining which is the main verb.

He regretted that
Er bedauerte den
Er hat's beaduert yes

He always regretted missing so much of your childhood
Er bedauerte immer, von ihrer Kindheit soviel zu verfehlen
Er bedauerte das er so viel von seine kinderzeit soviel verpasst hat yes

He was a good father
Er war ein guter Vater
Er ein guten Vater war.

He loved you
Er hat Dich geliebt (No parent, or family member or friend would call you 'Sie', which is a way of distancing yourself from the counterpart, kind of referring to a third party) Yes!!!

You are so like him
Sie sind so wie er
Du bist ihn gleich...
Du bist ihnen gleichwise (?)

You look so like him (I put this extra one in because I thought the previous one might be misconstrued)
Du siehst genau aus wie ihn. (I would prefer to say; Du bist ihn so ehnlich)

You miss him
Er verfehlst Dich (The German language has a tendancy of 'turning things around', though they think the English spoken do)
I can't for the life of me remember the right way but something about this bothers me.

I miss him
Ich verfehlen ihn
Ich vermisse ihn
(The other interpretation is SOOO wrong)
Ich vermiss ihnen (?)

His life was cut short
Sein Leben wurde gekurzt (with an umlatt on the last u)
Sein leben ist leider gekurstz geworden. (And no umlaut)
God, this is driving me nuts! What follows isn't exact but I think it's closer!
Der liebe den ihnen leider gekurstz geworden ist.

PS: I never heard of Babelfish before (except in HHGG, of course)

I know a lot of people don't like Lulu but they do have an internation section where Germans talk about their work. You might post your questions there and I guarantee you'll get an answer.
And, it you want to improve your German, do a Google for German discussion forums and German media. It'll help loads.

On the two short "You miss him" types - shouldn't the verb still come last? - Er verfehlst Dich to Er dich verfehlst? Just asking - it's been ages for me. I can't say I was fluent, but I survived. Puma

I took German for 4 years in high school, and the only time we put the main verb at the end was in a case with two verbs, e.g., Ich habe mein Bein gebrochen (obviously there is a better way to say that, I just couldn't think of another example). With one verb, we still stuck it in the front, e.g., Wir aßen Mittagessen.

euclid said:

Does anybody speak German? I need to translate the following dialogue into German:

“He regretted that.”
“He always regretted missing so much of your childhood.”
“He was a good father.”
“He loved you.”
“You’re so like him.”
“You miss him.”
“I miss him.”
“His life was cut short.”

Thanks

PS If there's a more appropriate place to post this, maybe a mod could move it.

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"Er bedauerte das" / "Er bereute das" ("bereuen" means something like "repent", it is only used if someone has caused the harm himself)

"Er hat immer bedauert, dass er so viel von deiner Kindheit verpasst hat" (I am not absolutely sure here - it is correct German, but it doesn't sound very good.

"Er war ein guter Vater"

"Er hat dich geliebt" (actually it would be "Er liebte dich", but no one ever talks like this)


"Du bist ihm so ähnlich" (Means either "you look like him" or "you behave like him")

"Du vermisst ihn"

"Ich vermisse ihn"

I am not sure, how to translate “His life was cut short.”
You cannot use "abgekürzt" or "gekürzt" in this context.

What do you want to say? That he should have lived longer?
Or simply that he died?

Menyanthana said:

"Er bedauerte das" / "Er bereute das" ("bereuen" means something like "repent", it is only used if someone has caused the harm himself)

"Er hat immer bedauert, dass er so viel von deiner Kindheit verpasst hat" (I am not absolutely sure here - it is correct German, but it doesn't sound very good.
“He always regretted missing so much of your childhood.”
"Er hat's immer bedauert, das er von Deiner kinderzeit so viel varpasst hat' might be better, but now I am suddenly not sure anymore.


"Er war ein guter Vater"

"Er hat dich geliebt" (actually it would be "Er liebte dich", but no one ever talks like this) One could also say; 'Du warst von ihn geliebt', but I think the former is better.


"Du bist ihm so ähnlich" (Means either "you look like him" or "you behave like him") Correct spelling would be 'ehnlich'.
"Du vermisst ihn" (and if you wish to Emphasize an epiphany, you could say "Du Vermisst ihn doch" or, from the point of view of the counterpart "Ich glaube das Du ihn vermisst" -(I think you miss him)

"Ich vermisse ihn"

I am not sure, how to translate “His life was cut short.”
You cannot use "abgekürzt" or "gekürzt" in this context.
"Sein leben ist zu kurzt geworden" or "Es ist schade das sein leben so früh abgekurzt geworden ist" or you could simply state; "Er ist zu früh gestorben".

What do you want to say? That he should have lived longer?
Or simply that he died?

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Menyanthana has some excellent points. I hope neither you nor him/her will mind these new (in red) suggestions.

euclid said:

He was shot by the SS.

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Ah, okay...

Maybe "Er wurde aus dem Leben gerissen", (Literally something like: "He was teared away from life") , "Sein Leben wurde ausgelöscht" (Literally something like "His life was extinguished")

I would really like to know what qwertys daughter suggested for this one.

@Melisande: It is spelled "ähnlich". Or, if you don't have ä, "aehnlich".

I'm not sure how to translate that, but make sure you use the right SS. That probably doesn't need to be said, but better I look like an idiot than someone accidentally make a mistake.

Menyanthana said:

Ah, okay...

@Melisande: It is spelled "ähnlich". Or, if you don't have ä, "aehnlich".

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You are right, of course. I am sorry. Did not mean to mislead anyone. Thanks for the correction.

Sein Leben wurde zu schnell beendet (his life was finished too fast)

euclid said:

Thanks to both of you.

I tried Babelfish between the two posts above, and this is what I got:

He regretted that
Er bedauerte den

He always regretted missing so much of your childhood
Er bedauerte immer, von ihrer Kindheit soviel zu verfehlen

He was a good father
Er war ein guter Vater

He loved you
Er liebte Sie

You are so like him
Sie sind so wie er

You look so like him (I put this extra one in because I thought the previous one might be misconstrued)
Sie sehen so wie er aus

You miss him
Sie verfehlen ihn

I miss him
Ich verfehlen ihn

His life was cut short
Sein Leben wurde gekurzt (with an umlatt on the last u)

PS: I never heard of Babelfish before (except in HHGG, of course)

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In what context is this conversation? Because the translations above look like each is in the 'formal' method rather than a more relaxed and informal conversation.

Rabe...

Courtesy of my wife, who's German. She's used the informal you, meaning that the two having the conversation were friendly.

He regretted that.
Er bedauerte es.

He always regretted missing so much of your childhood.
Er hat immer bedauert dass er so viel von deiner Kindheit verpasst hat.

He was a good father.
Er war ein guter Vater.

He loved you.
Er hat dich geliebt.

You’re so like him.
Du bist so wie er.

You miss him.
Du vermisst ihn.

I miss him.
Ich vermisse ihn.

His life was cut short.
Sein leben wurde vorzeitig beendet.

Menyanthana said:

"Er bedauerte das" / "Er bereute das" ("bereuen" means something like "repent", it is only used if someone has caused the harm himself)....
these are all great translations

"Er hat immer bedauert, dass er so viel von deiner Kindheit verpasst hat" (I am not absolutely sure here - it is correct German, but it doesn't sound very good.

"..........

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Sein Leben wurde abgeschnitten.

(A bit more stylish than "zu kurz beendet", which is correct but a bit boring).

Priene's wife must be from where my German Professor was from

"Er bedauerte das" / "Er bereute das" ("bereuen" means something like "repent", it is only used if someone has caused the harm himself)

"Er hat immer bedauert, dass er so viel von deiner Kindheit verpasst hat" (I am not absolutely sure here - it is correct German, but it doesn't sound very good.

"Er war ein guter Vater"

"Er hat dich geliebt" (actually it would be "Er liebte dich", but no one ever talks like this)


"Du bist ihm so ähnlich" (Means either "you look like him" or "you behave like him")

"Du vermisst ihn"

"Ich vermisse ihn"

I am not sure, how to translate “His life was cut short.”
You cannot use "abgekürzt" or "gekürzt" in this context.

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The translation is perfect. With regard to the last sentence I'd say: Er starb zu früh.
He died too young (early). This doesn't take into account that he was murdered.

If the focus is on the murder it might be: Er wurde zu früh aus dem Leben gerissen, as has been suggested. It's a bit flowery for my taste.

Maybe: Er wurde uns zu früh genommen.
(He was taken from us too soon.) I'm not altogether happy with this either. It's somewhat obituary talk. What do the other German experts say?

backslashbaby said:

Priene's wife must be from where my German Professor was from

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She's from up the hills east of Stuttgart, where the Swabian occupants speak - how shall I put this? - an interesting variant of the language