tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post5576377277017813016..comments2024-03-28T23:08:18.504+00:00Comments on You are witty and pretty! : She dat typa girl dat'll turn you into stone...Brittahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688373434576442657noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-47365432432891195452014-06-01T07:25:09.563+01:002014-06-01T07:25:09.563+01:00Dear Britta - You have my total admiration for wri...Dear Britta - You have my total admiration for writing this blog in English let alone considering translating another one.<br />Most of the images of Medusa are, to my eyes, rather grotesque, I generally enjoy the ones created during the Art Nouveau period, but now I can add this glorious one you have shown by Gianlorenzo Bernini.Rosemaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03814070177137076757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-61637686525428981032014-05-28T15:03:27.064+01:002014-05-28T15:03:27.064+01:00Dear Jenny,
yes - "very rough" it is - ...Dear Jenny, <br />yes - "very rough" it is - and hilarious if one looks up the French version: they filled in only a few words of each sentence! :-) Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10688373434576442657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-82349777987100972372014-05-28T15:02:15.175+01:002014-05-28T15:02:15.175+01:00Dear Susan,
Ben Schott's lists are always fun...Dear Susan, <br />Ben Schott's lists are always fun - and the new German words are so well-thought out that I don't know which one I would prefer. "Leertretung' is great, and "Eisenbahnscheinbewegung" I will see soon, when I go to Munich by train. About "Zeigarnixfrustration" husband and I talked a few days before: the very young Mozart couldn't endure that his father had interrupted a song two accords too early - some time later YM went to the piano and played them - "So!". We discussed it because I hate incomplete sentences :-) Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10688373434576442657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-49782174785134972212014-05-28T00:16:21.224+01:002014-05-28T00:16:21.224+01:00Google translate is only really useful for giving ...Google translate is only really useful for giving a very rough idea of what a piece of writing is about. If you're lucky :)Jenny Woolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16881781466502273314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-25546360228091945332014-05-27T20:00:15.977+01:002014-05-27T20:00:15.977+01:00I'm so awful with fixing my hair, snakes might...I'm so awful with fixing my hair, snakes might be an improvement.<br /><br />Talking about the German language made me think of an article I read a while back, so I had to find it so I could share it with you. Took me a little while, but success! I hope you get as much of a kick out of it as I did:<br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/10/12/opinion/international/20131011_Schott.htmlSusan Flett Swiderskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09425315552148200073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-65637650441707985492014-05-27T07:18:27.434+01:002014-05-27T07:18:27.434+01:00Dear Suze,
Geo. so often brings aspects into view...Dear Suze, <br />Geo. so often brings aspects into view that help me to see e.g. poetry in a new light. <br />Your statement about the three levels belongs into that category too: thank you for 'the individual consciousness' tip! Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10688373434576442657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-37034559879293930102014-05-26T16:41:40.754+01:002014-05-26T16:41:40.754+01:00I, too, thought of Heraclitus's river--though ...I, too, thought of Heraclitus's river--though I did not know where to attribute until now! (Thank you, Geo.)<br /><br />As to the city which seems to to regress, I am reading a book about the three levels of time and one of them is individual consciousness, which Gernhardt so well captures with 'Berlin thirdly!'Suzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07908805179119217608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-19016141418172718872014-05-26T14:22:15.431+01:002014-05-26T14:22:15.431+01:00Dear Geo.,
thank you! I love the way Gerhardt pla...Dear Geo., <br />thank you! I love the way Gerhardt plays with Heraclite's prototype, and the image of the big city as a sea one steps into is nice - more fascinated I'm with the change of view, by changing oneself over the years. ("The policemen are definitely becoming younger" :-) Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10688373434576442657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-3203521730745043852014-05-26T14:16:53.997+01:002014-05-26T14:16:53.997+01:00Dear Jackie,
I love wonderful degrees (being a pr...Dear Jackie, <br />I love wonderful degrees (being a proud mother & mother-in-law, too). To master music and German with such an outstanding success is a good reason to celebrate - and your son must be very analytical too (as a students' adviser I always had people with brain take to music/philosophy/sometimes math added). So: congratulations! <br />As to Medusa: I understand your fascination. I'm (at the moment) collecting cupids with my camera. Fun! Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10688373434576442657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-46234612932303729012014-05-25T23:21:32.483+01:002014-05-25T23:21:32.483+01:00Your opening to "Berlin thirdly" capture...Your opening to "Berlin thirdly" captures Gernhadt's homage to Heraclitus --the Greek who used a river as a similar metaphor. Nicely done!Geo.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16221314320558128986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-66378912861532808952014-05-25T23:19:11.960+01:002014-05-25T23:19:11.960+01:00I do have a bit of an obsession with Medusa ……. sh...I do have a bit of an obsession with Medusa ……. she fascinates me …… and, our son got A* for GCSE German and A for his A-level German and his degree was in German and Music and he has pursued a wonderful career in music. That was a bit of a diverse comment Britta …… a son who was very good at German and a but of an obsession with Medusa ….. what can I say !!!!! XXXXJacqueline @ HOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06154045482594773377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-30214062506180805392014-05-25T21:14:12.444+01:002014-05-25T21:14:12.444+01:00Dear Joanne,
so you know German! I think one seme...Dear Joanne, <br />so you know German! I think one semester gives one a feeling and the basics of a language (and insight into another country). Your grandchildren must have loved it! <br />I remember a scene when my son and a friend, then both about 5 years old, couldn't stop laughing when I translated "Wieviel?" into "How much?" - which sounds identically equal to "Hau Matsch" - meaning: "Hit the mud!"Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10688373434576442657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-79330125560948082032014-05-25T21:05:52.514+01:002014-05-25T21:05:52.514+01:00Dear Sue,
she really is a beauty - one longs to t...Dear Sue, <br />she really is a beauty - one longs to touch her. Sad and sullen in her face - depends on the angle from which one looks at her. As everything :-) <br />And you are right about the hay days! Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10688373434576442657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-20895597779748485562014-05-25T20:47:04.307+01:002014-05-25T20:47:04.307+01:00I told grandchildren today how to handle pronounci...I told grandchildren today how to handle pronouncing "ie" and "ei" in German. They were so impressed I did not confess how little I recall from my one semester of German.<br />You are so light hearted in spite of all your hard work! Joanne Noragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09834682329952369721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-79011051605725086392014-05-25T20:39:11.013+01:002014-05-25T20:39:11.013+01:00I love that Medusa. I do see your posts in German,...I love that Medusa. I do see your posts in German, which is fun. I think you've got the right attitude about translating: got to make hay while the sun shines!Susan Scheidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09250142489341777926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-63841002530895339422014-05-25T19:18:52.120+01:002014-05-25T19:18:52.120+01:00Dear Tom,
I love Bernini's Medusa because she...Dear Tom, <br />I love Bernini's Medusa because she is really beautiful (even with her snake-hair) - and that is what she originally has been: a ravishing beauty, As so often it was sheer jealousy (in this case by Pallas Athene: she found Poseidon with Medusa in one of her temples making love), that prompted the misfortune - and made her turn the poor girl into a monster. <br />Now: What are you (s)thinking about? German engineers translating for Google? I always met English men who are able to speak fluently (Queen's) German. Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10688373434576442657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-67958163669976971742014-05-25T19:02:45.187+01:002014-05-25T19:02:45.187+01:00Dear Pondside,
wow, to be able to speak German is...Dear Pondside, <br />wow, to be able to speak German is impressive, and when you have toddlers one can't sit in evening-classes reading absurd grammar constructions. <br />Of course I am bursting with curiosity which books your sister writes. If it is too private, please tell me in an email! <br />It is very difficult to bring authentic style and voice into a translation. And 'machines' might take jobs away from office secretaries (sad enough that they do that), but not easily from literature translation - though those jobs are badly paid, one couldn't make a living by that. Brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10688373434576442657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-21167025637597436162014-05-25T18:52:25.429+01:002014-05-25T18:52:25.429+01:00I've only just found this out from a different...I've only just found this out from a different classical blogger, but Medusa was a protective being - she turned enemies into stone, apparently. My hair used to look like that.<br /><br />Did you ever see the advert (on You Tube) which features the young, German Coastguard left in charge of the radio for the first time? "We are sinking..."Tom Stephensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05979590950587415840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594057670762283940.post-18937221619964699072014-05-25T18:39:53.896+01:002014-05-25T18:39:53.896+01:00I will have a look at your new blog. I am rusty i...I will have a look at your new blog. I am rusty in reading German, and completely unable to write in German. Big regret! I should have spent more time on that, but we lived in Germany when I had babies and toddlers. Google translate does a terrible job!!!<br />I imagine that the job of translating, especially a piece of literature, is a minefield! When I had a look at one of my sister's books in German I could see that the translator had truly 'got' the flavour and the voice of the Cape Breton narrator.Pondsidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02407539138546412482noreply@blogger.com