Learning From Angry Clients in German Translation Services
Professional German and English translators are well aware of the similarities of the two languages, especially when it comes to certain vocabulary words. Students of German Translation would agree that this can be both good and bad.
English and German language learners need to be apprised of this situation. However, new German translation graduates often plunge ahead without fully understanding that words can be deceptive. “False friends,” which exist in many languages, are cognates that are false, and having nothing in common with the words you would expect them to mean. The translation profession regularly deals with the challenge of avoiding falling prey to false cognates. To reiterate, “false friends” appear or sound like a word you know but there is really no connection. Incorrectly using false cognates can cause embarrassment at best and lawsuits in the worst case scenario.
False cognates are prevalent in German and English because the two languages are both Germanic languages. Experts will readily confirm that English and German have many words that sound alike. Brother / Bruder, auto / Auto, house / Haus, glass / Glas, etc. are just a few examples of the numerous true cognates that exist between the two languages. Many such true cognates exist between the German and English languages, and these should be differentiated from the many false cognates between the two languages.
Regardless of whether you are translating into English from German or into German from English, your translation process will go much more quickly if the text contains true cognates. However, translations can go bad when translators do not take care to learn all they can about potential issues with false cognates. Translation service workers must avoid making translation mistakes because they do not recognize these “false friends,” also known as “falsche Freunde,” “faux amis” in French, or false cognates.
After (After) the objective (Objektiv) act (Akt) of translation, the target document must be reviewed. In reference to the German words in parentheses, this statement is a good example of how false friends can completely change the meaning of a sentence. The German words, “After,” “Akt” and “Objectiv” actually mean “rectum,” “nude,” and “lens” respectively in English. Many such false cognates also exist in medical translations. These include words like “Weh” which really means pain. True professional medical translators are wary of false cognates like “kosten”, which means to taste.
Similar difficulties are found in legal translations, which false cognates popping up frequently. These often include words like “Rathaus,” which means “City Hall,” and not a home for a rodent. Some other false friends that can be found in inaccurate German Legal Translation Services include words like “Akt,” which really means “nude” (in artwork).
Unfortunately, this is only a sampling of the numerous false cognates that exist between English and German. For example, the word “drogerei” refers to what Anglophones know as a drugstore, but it does not carry medications. What it does sell are personal hygiene items such as shampoo, hairspray, deodorant, toothpaste and the like. Those who speak fluent German know that the “Apotheke” is the shop where medications are sold. To get your prescription filled at the “Apotheke,” don’t forget to take your “Rezept,” but if you need a receipt, you should ask for a “Quittung.”What all this comes down to is the fact that professional German translators must be aware of the pitfalls and challenges of providing a highly accurate translation that conveys the true meaning of a text without compromising readability. Mistakenly using false cognates always results in gross errors that reflect poorly on the German translator, the German translation and on the organization or person who uses the translation for official purposes.