Translation German into English

[epsylon]

Okay, so now I have written 25 stories so far...and now comes the challenge: I want to translate at least part of it into English. Thing is, although I am pretty good in English, I still do not have the rich vocabulary to translate my rather complex stories as colorful as I have written them in German.

First question: Using AI-translation and edit the text afterwards seems to be a good idea...BUT...that is using AI, isn't it?
Second question: Does anybody here know a good and free translator which does not stop translating at 10.000 words?

 

[EmilyMiller]

First question: Using AI-translation and edit the text afterwards seems to be a good idea...BUT...that is using AI, isn't it?

Yes.

This is not speculation. The site has said that using translation tools is a major cause of AI-related rejections. Most of them use LLMs nowadays.

Sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear.

 

[epsylon]

Yes.

This is not speculation. The site has said that using translation tools is a major cause of AI-related rejections. Most of them use LLMs nowadays.

Sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear.

What is LLMs?

 

[EmilyMiller]

What is LLMs?

Large language models, a type of Generative AI. Like what’s behind ChatGTP, or Claude.

 

[OralAllOver]

I'm going to ask an unrelated question (I spent time in Germany as a kid, Bad Wildungen & Bonn)

You are having a one night stand. You both engaged in very intimate, personal activities. Do you continue to use "Sie?" If not, how does that work?

 

[Writer61]

Okay, so now I have written 25 stories so far...and now comes the challenge: I want to translate at least part of it into English. Thing is, although I am pretty good in English, I still do not have the rich vocabulary to translate my rather complex stories as colorful as I have written them in German.

First question: Using AI-translation and edit the text afterwards seems to be a good idea...BUT...that is using AI, isn't it?

It is, and will likely fall foul of Lit's AI checkers (and probably not give you the richer language that you desire).

Somehow you need to involve a native English speaker, perhaps as a co-author. I am thinking of something like you write the first draft in English, and they tart it up.

 

[Blind_Justice]

I'm going to ask an unrelated question (I spent time in Germany as a kid, Bad Wildungen & Bonn)

You are having a one night stand. You both engaged in very intimate, personal activities. Do you continue to use "Sie?" If not, how does that work?

"Sie" is by now considered pretty old-fashioned and usually reserved for people you want to show respect to or authority figures in general. Most people of similar age, even strangers, usually start with the more informal "Du". As such, if you manage to score some company at a party or night club, you'd long be in "informal" territory, even before the kissing and undressing starts. And it has been like this since at least the '80s.

 

[Blind_Justice]

OP, how much text are we talking? If you're indeed using very colorful language, nothing short of a human translator fluent in both languages will do because there's enough colloquialisms and wordplay in either language which has no direct translation, so you need to be less literal and find analogues. It's not quite at the level of Japanese -> anything else but still noticeable.

-german-
Hab schon lange nichts mehr aus dem Deutschen ins Englische übersetzt aber meine ersten zwei Geschichten (Ghost in the Machine 1 und Leo and the Dragon) wurden auf Deutsch verfasst, dann ins Englische übersetzt und danach von einem liebevollen Lektor in Form geprügelt. Wenn's nicht ZU viel Material ist, könnte ich mich zur Verfügung stellen.

 

[TheLobster]

"Sie" is by now considered pretty old-fashioned and usually reserved for people you want to show respect to or authority figures in general. Most people of similar age, even strangers, usually start with the more informal "Du". As such, if you manage to score some company at a party or night club, you'd long be in "informal" territory, even before the kissing and undressing starts. And it has been like this since at least the '80s.

Goes to show that all languages with T-V distinction tend to lose it over time. English lost it centuries ago, although in the opposite way than how it usually goes (it’s the formal version that remained, rather than the informal one).

 

[FromManyOne]

Many Western Hemisphere dialects of Spanish keep ustedes as the only second-person plural pronoun. In Spain, though, vosotros (the informal pronoun) is the one retained for most uses.

 

[OralAllOver]

"Sie" is by now considered pretty old-fashioned and usually reserved for people you want to show respect to or authority figures in general. Most people of similar age, even strangers, usually start with the more informal "Du". As such, if you manage to score some company at a party or night club, you'd long be in "informal" territory, even before the kissing and undressing starts. And it has been like this since at least the '80s.

Blind:

Thank you. Your cogent explanation surprised & enlightened. You've inspired me to look into that "unfreezing" more deeply

To summarize: You say "Sie" to someone your age if it's during a job interview or after a breakup
Smile

 

[OralAllOver]

I'm intrigued by the social change implied by the change in usage. If anyone else:

https://german.stackexchange.com/questions/77231/is-german-becoming-more-informal

 

[Trionyx]

"Sie" is by now considered pretty old-fashioned and usually reserved for people you want to show respect to or authority figures in general. Most people of similar age, even strangers, usually start with the more informal "Du". As such, if you manage to score some company at a party or night club, you'd long be in "informal" territory, even before the kissing and undressing starts. And it has been like this since at least the '80s.

I remember my Gymnasium ( high school) teacher Siezting me because I was a new student to him but he Dutzed the other students whom he had known since they were very young.
I can’t remember how the little poem went but it featured the issue of if and when two people switched from Sie to Du, hopefully before they sacked out together.

 

[Duil2]

I would suggest translating it yourself and using Google Translate only for the phrases you really can't do but still put your own rhythm into those.
Highlight those in your text and ask a native English speaking volunteer editor to streamline your English.
Or the poster above who has German and English might be willing to assist with the more intricate translation.
I wouldn't use AI for the entire story because you'll certainly loose all author voice.

 

[Seurat]

-german-
Hab schon lange nichts mehr aus dem Deutschen ins Englische übersetzt aber meine ersten zwei Geschichten (Ghost in the Machine 1 und Leo and the Dragon) wurden auf Deutsch verfasst, dann ins Englische übersetzt und danach von einem liebevollen Lektor in Form geprügelt. Wenn's nicht ZU viel Material ist, könnte ich mich zur Verfügung stellen.

Holy fuck, it's been more than 40 years since I took German but I still understood a lot of that. Not enough to think that you weren't listening to a Police album, but still....

 

[millamomud]

Do I smell bratwurst?

 

[Writer61]

Do I smell bratwurst?

I live the smell of bratwurst in the morning

 

[TheLobster]

My understanding of German erotica, borne out of having read none of it, is that it's all about thrusting a thick Bratwurst deep into a moist Sauerkraut.

 

[Blind_Justice]

*sigh* If I had a Euro for every time German cuisine is reduced to "Bratwurst and Sauerkraut", I could probably buy my own Döner Kebap stand. Or Pommes & Currywurst place. Or a Schnitzel-Haus. Or a Backfisch-Grill. Just to name a few dishes you can basically get anywhere in Germany, alongside the inevitable imported fast food staples like McDonalds, Burger King or Domino's.

Yeah, yeah, I know, stereotypes exist. But reducing German food to "Bratwurst and Sauerkraut" would be like saying the US only has Hamburgers. No mention of New Orleans seafood gumbos, Texan BBQs, Philly cheesesteaks or New York-style pizzas. And I know how pissy SOME Americans can get if their particular region or fave food isn't mentioned.

Edit: Lawyer's advice to be less absolute.