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German translation for play

 
 
Reply Thu 21 Feb, 2008 11:36 am
I have a friend who is putting on a school play that centers on the children at the Terezin (Theresianstadt) concentration camp. She asked me to translate two phrases that she wants to use in the play. These are lines that, obviously, the German guards will be saying:
    Now then, men to the left, women carry on! Hurry, hurry! Did you not hear what I said?

My own inexpert translations:
    "Also jetzt, Männer am links, Frauen arbeitet mal! (I'm assuming that this order is addressed directly to a group of people, so the second person plural should be used. I can get that point clarified if necessary) "Schnell, schnell! Hörst du nicht, was ich hab' gesagt?" (am I right that "beeilst du dich" would be a bit too formal in this context?)

These are, I think, literally accurate, but I would prefer to have something that better captures the tone of arbitrary command that is more appropriate to the setting. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
View Profile urs53
 
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Reply Thu 21 Feb, 2008 02:42 pm
Hey there, Joefromchicago. Your translations are not bad but not quite correct, either. Here are my suggestions. Since this is spoken by a guard, they should probably not be polite...

Los jetzt, Männer nach links, Frauen weiter machen!

Beeilung, Beeilung! ('Schnell, schnell' also works well here) Habt ihr nicht gehört, was ich gesagt habe?
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Reply Thu 21 Feb, 2008 02:57 pm
urs53 wrote:

Los jetzt, Männer nach links, Frauen weiter machen!

Beeilung, Beeilung! ('Schnell, schnell' also works well here) Habt ihr nicht gehört, was ich gesagt habe?



I agree.

Perhaps a more military tone would be " Männer nach links, marsch, matsch! ... ...

And I'm somehow reminded of bad American B-movies when I hear "Beeilung ..."

My suggestion would be "Hopp, hopp! Habt ihr nicht gehört ... ..." - but actually urs' is perhaps better.
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Reply Thu 21 Feb, 2008 03:01 pm
in the context of the situation my interpretation would be :

"hurry , hurry ! " = "na wird's bald "

this is a somewhat threatening phrase ; i would guess that those guards did not care as much for proper german as for being obeyed quickly .

even in the army "na , wird's bald" was a common phrase to get recruits to respond "on the double" .

"Did you not hear what I said?" = "ihr koennt wohl nicht hoeren , was ? "

again a somewhat threatening phrase , but likely used in the situation .

perhaps walter will join us .
ACHTUNG !
hbg
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View Profile urs53
 
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Reply Thu 21 Feb, 2008 03:03 pm
Good points, hamburger. I agree.
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Reply Thu 21 Feb, 2008 03:04 pm
all the militarists united on one thread Shocked
hbg
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Reply Thu 21 Feb, 2008 03:08 pm
urs53 wrote:
Good points, hamburger. I agree.


Ditto.
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Reply Thu 21 Feb, 2008 03:22 pm
Thanks all, I knew I could count on you.

I think I'll go with:

"Los jetzt, Männer nach links, Frauen weiter machen!"

"Schnell, schnell! Hast du nicht gehört, was ich gesagt habe?"

I think that last phrase is directed to an individual, not a group, so it's second person singular (I'll have to check that out). Also, "schnell" is just going to be easier to pronounce for the kids than "beeilung," and probably more familiar to an audience raised on "Hogan's Heroes."

Again, many thanks!
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Reply Thu 21 Feb, 2008 03:27 pm
i couldn't resist ...

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/4206/simplihq3.jpg

from SIMPLICISSIMUS - EIN RUECKBLICK

yes, the good old days Shocked
i'm reading some of my old books again to remind me of those days -
a great shocktherapy

in case it's difficult to read :

Th. TH. HEINE 1900

durchs dunkelste deutschland :
"euch professorenbande werde ich schleifen , bis ihr mich nicht mehr von einem kultusminister unterscheiden koennt ! "
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