Hello! I am Leila Doerfler, a German Major at Hunter College, who is enrolled in a German translation course. As someone who grew up in a bilingual household, I have always been fascinated by the process of translation. It is not only my words that change when I switch from one language to another, but my intonation, the pitch of my voice, and the phrases I use change too. Over the course of a semester, I will take a close look at the art of translation as I work to translate several German pieces into English. This website is an outlet for my work and my reflections on this process. In the next few months I will translate a newspaper article, a text on tourism, a piece of prose, and a poem, each of which will focus on a specific aspect of translation. By the end of this semester, I will have a deeper understanding of what it means to translate, and you - the viewer of this website - will be able travel with me through this process.
A specific goal for this semester will be to improve my German reading comprehension by (1) finding the more exact meanings of words and (2) doing more grammatical analysis of complex sentence structures. Reading German was something I struggled with as a child and young adult. It always seemed like such a daunting task, with so many capitalized letters and umlauts striding across the page. The German Department at Hunter College has entirely changed that. I feel ever more secure, and knowledgeable, reading whole novels in German and discussing the subtler meanings of texts. However, there is still room for improvement. I will add to my vocabulary (and make reading easier) by knowing the exact meaning of different words. By analyzing grammar, I will not only improve my day-to-day use of grammar, but be better able to understand those numerous long German sentences. Having not grown up with any German grammar lessons, how to conjugate verbs and which case to use are things that I am always playing catch-up with.
Looking Back...
Looking back, I can gladly say that I have reached my goal. I not only feel incredibly comfortable reading in German, but my grammar and my vocabulary have improved. I now know that the subtle subjunctive 1 can be used to indirectly refer to what someone has said. Needless to say, it is a beloved tool of reporters and is something that we lack in the English language. I have also learned quiet a few technical vocabulary, aside from adding to my general list of words. For instance, I can now talk about "Ankunftsländer" or knowledgeably muse about what a "Grube" could entail. The intense scrutiny of words, phrases, texts and structure have made me more aware of the German language, but also of the English language. I try to pick my words wisely, in either language, and am more critical of poor writing. Translation is an ongoing process, and while this course has taught me so much, I am eager to continue broadening my understanding of what it means to translate something.
A specific goal for this semester will be to improve my German reading comprehension by (1) finding the more exact meanings of words and (2) doing more grammatical analysis of complex sentence structures. Reading German was something I struggled with as a child and young adult. It always seemed like such a daunting task, with so many capitalized letters and umlauts striding across the page. The German Department at Hunter College has entirely changed that. I feel ever more secure, and knowledgeable, reading whole novels in German and discussing the subtler meanings of texts. However, there is still room for improvement. I will add to my vocabulary (and make reading easier) by knowing the exact meaning of different words. By analyzing grammar, I will not only improve my day-to-day use of grammar, but be better able to understand those numerous long German sentences. Having not grown up with any German grammar lessons, how to conjugate verbs and which case to use are things that I am always playing catch-up with.
Looking Back...
Looking back, I can gladly say that I have reached my goal. I not only feel incredibly comfortable reading in German, but my grammar and my vocabulary have improved. I now know that the subtle subjunctive 1 can be used to indirectly refer to what someone has said. Needless to say, it is a beloved tool of reporters and is something that we lack in the English language. I have also learned quiet a few technical vocabulary, aside from adding to my general list of words. For instance, I can now talk about "Ankunftsländer" or knowledgeably muse about what a "Grube" could entail. The intense scrutiny of words, phrases, texts and structure have made me more aware of the German language, but also of the English language. I try to pick my words wisely, in either language, and am more critical of poor writing. Translation is an ongoing process, and while this course has taught me so much, I am eager to continue broadening my understanding of what it means to translate something.