Translators’ slogans / Sprüche für Übersetzer

Sprüche für Übersetzer, aufgeschrieben:
Kevin Hendzel: Es ist leichter, jemandem beizubringen, wie man ein F-15 fliegt, als ihm Arabisch zu lehren. (Oder: Ein F-15 Fliegen ist leichter als Arabisch lernen?)
Mike Ellis: Der Stift ist teuerer als das Schwert.

Written down in the past from FLEFO at CompuServe, I presume:

Kevin Hendzel: It’s easier to train somebody to fly an F-14 than to speak Arabic.
Mike Ellis: The pen is more expensive than the sword.

I write these, like many other things, in this weblog so I can find them again if I need them. The first one is intended to convey to others how difficult translation and interpreting are. The problem with it is the association of Arabic, flying and September 11th, suggesting: But if they can already speak Arabic…

The second one has a certain something but is probably untrue.

Are there others?

2 thoughts on “Translators’ slogans / Sprüche für Übersetzer

  1. Margaret
    My favourite one is “if in doubt, leave it out” – a maxim followed by many if some of the reference material I occasionally receive is in any way indicative of average translation quality.

    Paul

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