Nach Mitternacht by Irmgard Keun Sequence Using the

Nach Mitternacht by Irmgard Keun

Sequence! Using the film stills, try to find the original order of the story

What is translation? ● Literal translations can be meaningless. ● So we have to be creative to make our translations easy to understand in English. ● Translation is about meaning, not just changing the language of the words.

Literal Translation ● Using the glossary, go through the text putting each word into English. Once you have finished: ● Does anything unusual stand out? ● Think about what the author is trying to tell us and how.

Nach Mitternacht - This novel was published in 1937, in the Netherlands. What was happening in Europe at the time? How is this important for our passage?

1930 s Germany 1927 1933 1931

What’s happening? In your pairs, think about: ● What’s happening in your images? ● How do these images make you feel? ● Is there anything you didn’t expect? Choose 3 words to sum up your picture. Be ready to explain why you have chosen your three words. E. g. bizarre, daring, teamwork.

The literal translation 1. Write the English word above the German words using the glossary. 2. Try to form English sentences using those words.

Mood - Creating a concept for your translation - What is mood? What is the mood in this passage? What features in the text help create mood? How do you want the reader to feel when they read your translation?

The Creative Translation 1. Devise your concept - what mood are you trying to create. 2. Take your literal translation and, based on your concept, translate it again. 3. Read through your translation without looking at the German text.

Over to you!

Literal Translation „Give your address, woman”, said the official, “it will itself all find, quiet yourselves. ” The woman is also really quiet and hard. “Where is my husband? ” And always more people come flocking, the Gestapo-room seems the purest Pilgrimage site. Mothers report their step-daughters, daughters their step fathers, brothers their sisters, sisters their brothers, friends their friends, pub regulars their pub regulars, neighbours their neighbours. And the writing machines rattle, all is recorded, all people reporting to the police are good and friendly treated.

So. . . 1. Which parts were most difficult to translate? 2. What choices did you have make? 3. Did you have to make any compromises? 4. How accurate do you think your translation is? 5. If you did the translation again, would you do it differently?

The published translation "Give us your address, my good Woman, ” says the officer, "it will be all right, just calm down. " But the woman is perfectly calm and firm. "Where is my husband? " And more and more people keep coming in. This Gestapo room seems to be a positive place of pilgrimage. Mothers are informing on their daughters-in-law, daughters on their fathers-in-law, brothers on their sisters, sisters on their brothers, friends on their friends, drinking companions on their drinking companions, neighbours on their neighbours. And the typewriters go clatter, all the statements are taken down, all the informers are treated well and kindly. (Translated by Anthea Bell)

Plenary questions 1. What have you learned about translation from this workshop? 2. Did you enjoy translating ‘creatively’? If so, which aspects did you enjoy the most and why? 3. Would you like to translate more in the future? Why not?