About the Journal
BBG aims at offering a platform for the discussion of linguistic, literary, translatological, and didactic subject matters in German studies. The annual thematic issues may also include other articles on different topics under Varia.
Current Issue
Vol. 7 No. 7 (2025): BUKARESTER BEITRÄGE ZUR GERMANISTIK
TRANSLATION UND REZEPTION.
TRANSLATOLOGISCHE, LINGUISTISCHE UND LITERARISCHE STREIFZÜGE
Published:
2025-05-08
Full Issue
Articles
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VORWORT
Abstract
Das Department für Germanische Sprachen und Literaturen an der Fremdsprachenfakultät der Universität Bukarest veranstaltete am
10. bzw. am 11. November 2023 die wissenschaftliche Jahrestagung „Translation und Rezeption. Translatologische, linguistische und literarische Streifzüge“. Zu diesem Anlass kamen Germanisten aus dem In- und Ausland zu Wort, deren Forschungstätigkeit an Translation knüpft. Die präsentierten Beiträge lieferten einen umfassenden Einblick in den aktuellen Stand der Forschung im Bereich Dolmetschen und Übersetzen und dienten durch die vielfältige, ja zum Teil interdisziplinäre Thematik und Analysekriterien, gleichzeitig neue Forschungsperspektiven zu eröffnen. -
KRITERIEN DER EVALUIERUNG VON ÜBERSETZUNGEN
Abstract
For to define something as a "translation error" and, if necessary, to sanction it, a reference point is needed. Here the three dimensions of signs in use according to the Organon model of language (BÜHLER 1934) can be usefully applied: referent – symbol – symptom.
This means that when analyzing a translation, violations of the idiomatic target linguistic system may first be identified: orthography, syntax, semantics, stylistics, coherence. These five areas can be critically analyzed even without comparing them with the original, and
it becomes already clear at this stage whether the text has been fully understood.
Once the translation has been assessed on the basis of the five internal linguistic aspects of the text, certain so-called "manipulations" in the target text may be observed as changes to the text in comparison with the original, which can be traced back to a deliberate or
unconscious decision by the translator from a text-external perspective. Certain passages might be considered inappropriate for the target recipients. This can hardly be labelled an "error", as there is no reference point for what would be "correct". Such areas of
translational deviation from literalness include functional purpose, a particular political ideology, a time-bound interpretation, formal associations of words, or artistic adaptation. -
„ALLER AUGEN WAREN AUF IHN GERICHTET“ – EINE ÜBERSETZUNGSBEZOGENE ANALYSE SOMATISCHER AUSDRÜCKE IN JOANNE ROWLINGS HARRY POTTER UND DER STEIN DER WEISEN AUS PERSPEKTIVE DER KOGNITIVEN LINGUISTIK
Abstract
In this paper, the translation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is analysed with respect to the degree of equivalence in translating somatic expressions from the perspective of usage-based Cognitive Linguistics. Thus, it is demonstrated that translations may conceptually diverge from the source text to varying extents, provided that the target language does not encompass these cultural linguistic frame conditions. Cognitive Linguistics provides an appropriate theoretical and methodological framework for addressing phraseology-related issues in both language and translation studies. As such, sentence structures will be analysed in terms of Trajector-Landmarke relationships and conceptually-metaphorological considerations of Cognitive Linguistics.
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„WHEN HITLER STOLE PINK RABBIT” (1971, 2009) VON JUDITH KERR (1923-2019): EINE VERGLEICHENDE UNTERSUCHUNG DER IDIOME UND KULTURSPEZIFIKA IN DEN LITERARISCHEN ÜBERSETZUNGEN DIESES WERKES
Abstract
Considering the fact that the translation of literary or poetic texts is generally regarded by translation theorists as a difficult, if not impossible task, the aim of this article is to examine some of the problems of equivalence in literary translation. In this paper, practical examples will be used to illustrate the differences between the German translation Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl (1973, 2013) and the Portuguese translation Quando Hitler roubou o coelho cor-de-rosa (1992, 2022) and the original work When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (1971, 2009) by Judith Kerr (1923-2019), originally published in exile in England in 1971.2 Of particular interest is the way in which the target language is taken into account in the respective translation, not only on a lexical-semantic level, but mainly on a cultural level in relation to food, institutions, writers/novels, conventions and emotions. Finally, it is necessary to verify whether the word choice of the translation into the corresponding target languages, in this case German and Portuguese, is actually the appropriate one in each situation, taking into account the meaning given in the source language in English. The purpose of this paper is merely to illustrate the choices made by each translator. It is by no means intended to categorise a translation as wrong or right, but rather to indicate which translation deviates more or less from the original meaning.
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ÜBERSETZUNGEN AUS DER RUMÄNISCHEN BILDUNGSSPRACHE MATHEMATIK. RICHTIG ODER FALSCH?
Abstract
The present article deals with interferences and transferences as linguistic phenomena underlying certain formulations in a workbook for mathematics. The corpus is based on a textbook written in Romania by a German-speaking primary school teacher, which is used as an aid in mathematics classes at German minority schools in Romania. Even after a first reading of the book, one notices constructions that a Germanspeaking person from Germany or Austria would understand, but would consider unusual. The question arises as to whether these formulations are generally unusual for the text tasks or whether, because they have been translated literally from Rumanian, they are unusual in German. If they are translated and found to be incorrect, they are called interferences; if they are translated and found to be correct, they are called transfers. The focus is on translations from the everyday and technical language of mathematics.
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DIE ÜBERSETZUNG EINIGER TITEL VON JULIA ROBERTS FILMEN AUS DEM ENGLISCHEN INS DEUTSCHE UND RUMÄNISCHE
Abstract
Julia Roberts, Hollywood icon and versatile actress, has starred in several movies which have caught the attention of the public worldwide. Her movies are enjoyed all over the world and they have been consequently subtitled/dubbed in other languages. The
translation of movie titles has been a well-established subdomain of translation since the 1970s. The question that this article is trying to answer is how the titles of six movies in which Julia Roberts has the leading role have been translated into German and Romanian. Based also on the preferences uttered by some tested persons of various ages who have partaken in a poll, the author of the article aims to conclude how the titles have been translated. -
FUNKTIONALE ÜBERSETZUNG ODER REPRODUKTION? EINE UNTERSUCHUNG ZUR ÜBERSETZUNG VON NAMEN IN DEN DONALD DUCK COMICS INS DEUTSCHE UND RUMÄNISCHE
Abstract
This paper examines the challenge of translating culturally specific anthroponyms and toponyms, and the decisions that translators must make in such cases. The paper analyses the methods used in the translation of these terms into German and Romanian, and the procedures employed by translators. Both the anthroponyms and the toponyms in the popular American comic series being studied have a culturally specific reference in the source texts, and thus contribute to the creation of local colour.
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HERAUSFORDERUNGEN UND ZIELSETZUNG BEI DER ÜBERSETZUNG DEUTSCHSPRACHIGER PREDIGTEN DER BUKARESTER EVANGELISCHEN KIRCHE A.B. INS RUMÄNISCHE
Abstract
The Evangelical Church A.C. in Romania is also known colloquially as the German or (Transylvanian-) Saxon Church. Accordingly, church services are also held in German. Because of the decline of the German minority and the decrease in mothertongue language skills, particularly in the southern Part of the Carpathian arch, alternatives are increasingly being sought in order to reorganize the German-language divine service. In Bucharest, a variant was introduced that was much appreciated by the churchgoers, namely the translation of the German-language sermon into Romanian on a fortnightly basis. This article will briefly examine the history of the Evangelical-
Lutheran congregation in Bucharest and will then have a closer look at the special aspects of the translation of the German sermons from the translator's perspective. -
ROTE TAGE, WEISSE NÄCHTE, DOSTOJEWSKIJ UND DIE RUSSISCHE REVOLUTION VON 1905 IN ERIC-PAUL STEKELS OPER WEISSE NÄCHTE
Abstract
Eric-Paul Stekel’s opera Weisse Nächte (1929–1932), loosely based on Dostoevsky’s White Nights (1848), has thus far been overlooked in the context of the reception of the author’s work in the German-speaking world. Despite its limited impact and success, it stands out as a rare document of left-wing ideology in the conservative landscape of musical theatre in the late 1920s and early 1930s. In relocating the story to the first Russian Revolution of 1905, Stekel, along with libretto-authors Wilhelm Stekel and Fritz Oesterreicher, radically politicises the previously innocent novella and transforms it into a glorification of the ideals of the Russian Revolution. This transformation establishes a link between the state-governed appropriation of Dostoevsky within the Soviet Union and the widespread reception of his work in German-speaking countries. This article aims to offer an overview of the reception of Dostoevsky’s work in the German-speaking world in order to contextualise and position Stekel’s opera within the broader landscape of Dostoevsky’s influence during the 1920s German-speaking reception.
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ASPEKTE ZUR ÜBERSETZUNG DER FERNSEHWERBUNG AUS DEM DEUTSCHEN INS RUMÄNISCHE
Abstract
In the current globalized society that we live in, many international brands advertise their products or services via television commercials, which still represent the most popular advertisement channel in the 21st century. In doing so, brand companies must
translate their commercials into the target language of a specific country. Certain cultural barriers may appear throughout this translation process (based on the Skopos Theory in Translation) between the language of the commercial’s country of origin and the language of the target country, in which the commercial has been translated into. The translator should, therefore, demonstrate great linguistical, pragmalinguistical and stilistic knowledge in that foreign language, in order to avoid such cultural and/ or language barriers, be persuasive and attract potential clients who are willing to buy their product. The purpose of this research is to analyse the extent to which the marketing techniques of the two company brands Red Bull and Merci have been fulfilled through their television commercials, in terms of addressing a key audience, as well as considering both cultural aspects of the country of origin and the target country in its translation process from German into Romanian and thus maintaining the communicative essence of the original advertising text. -
(UN)TREUE ZUM ORIGINAL? VOM SCHWEDISCHEN REITER (1936) ZUM CĂLĂREȚUL SUEDEZ (2006)
Abstract
It is the year 1700. Two men are on the run. One of them is a young nobleman and deserter, the other – a nameless vagabond and petty criminal. People are after them, and time is not on their side. What is the salvation for them both? To quickly become friends and exchange identities. Fear and betrayal, tradition and modernity populate the world of the novel The Swedish Cavalier by Leo Perutz. For the translation into Romanian, the archaic style is a special kind of challenge. This article pursues the following questions: Which translation strategies should be used for conveying the very particular historical tone throughout the translation process? In other words: How can the translation do justice to two languages and two cultures, especially when the action is placed in a timewise far away universe? What gets lost in the process and how does one compensate the losses? Where is the middle ground between fidelity to the original and the liberties of translation? How much scope does the literary translator have? Where does translation It is the year 1700. Two men are on the run. One of them is a young nobleman and deserter, the other – a nameless vagabond and petty criminal. People are after them, and time is not on their side. What is the salvation for them both? To quickly become friends and exchange identities. Fear and betrayal, tradition and modernity populate the world of the novel The Swedish Cavalier by Leo Perutz. For the translation into Romanian, the archaic style is a special kind of challenge. This article pursues the following questions: Which translation strategies should be used for conveying the very particular historical tone throughout the translation process? In other words: How can the translation do justice to two languages and two cultures, especially when the action is placed in a timewise far away universe? What gets lost in the process and how does one compensate the losses? Where is the middle ground between fidelity to the original and the liberties of translation? How much scope does the literary translator have? Where does translation end and where does adaptation begin? The author of this article and translator of the novel from German into Romanian hopes to find answers to these dilemmas.
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„DAS VERZAUBERTE SCHWEIN“ – VOM RUMÄNISCHEN MÄRCHEN ZUM DEUTSCHEN LIBRETTO. MÄRCHENREZEPTION ALS MEDIEN-, GATTUNGS- UND KULTURTRANSFER
Abstract
The aim of the present work is to examine the reception of fairy tales in the focus of medial and related (genological and cultural) transformation processes using the example of the opiated Romanian folk tale Porcul cel fermecat (The Enchanted Pig). Even if the sole aim is to investigate the textual preparation of the pretext for the purposes of another (literary) genre, namely how certain content is transferred from one textual world to another, the use of intermedial approaches seems indicated here. The following examination is based on the concepts and terminology of literary studies and “libretto studies” on the one hand, and intermedial translation on the other.
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KINDER- UND JUGENDLITERARISCHES ÜBERSETZEN ALS HERAUSFORDERUNG
Abstract
Literary translation faces significant challenges. The ‘complications’ in relation to translation increase as soon as the texts to be translated belongs to the children’s and youth literature. With a view to the approaches in translation studies, this article aims to
examine whether, in the case of children’s and young adult literature translation, literary translation, which attempts to achieve a complete reproduction of the original text in its aesthetic complexity, is also possible. On the other hand, the model of the implicit
translator in children’s and youth literature should be critically reflected and modified. The effectiveness of the model is then tested on two children’s and youth historical narratives. These are The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2005) and Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin (2011). The close reading method is used as an analytical method. -
AM ANFANG STEHT DER ÜBERSETZUNGSAUFTRAG. MÖGLICHKEITEN FÜR PRAXISBEZOGENE SEMINARE IN DER PHILOLOGISCHEN AUSBILDUNG ANHAND EINES KONKRETEN BEISPIELS
Abstract
One of the most common expectations of students relates to the practical relevance of the courses they are offered as part of their German studies program. On the one hand, they are willing and happy to acquire academic information and develop their linguistic
skills, on the other hand, they want practice-oriented recommendations for their professional careers. Since many graduates must act as translators from time to time in their careers, it is also advisable for philological degree programs to work minimally on the theoretical aspects of translation studies by using a simple example to illustrate in a practical way how an exemplary translation process can take place. The emphasis is placed on the relevant steps of a translation process and the resulting translation strategies. A practical course with advanced students is used to show what such an approach could be like, which not only meets the wishes of the students, but also promotes the visibility of the institution, thus uncovering potential opportunities for the future. In this way, a minimal component of theory can be taught and consolidated in a practice-orientated way with the aim of making translation work more competent and qualitative in practice. -
DIE ÜBERSETZUNGEN DER WERKE VON ERICH MARIA REMARQUE INS RUMÄNISCHE – EIN ÜBERBLICK
Abstract
All of Erich Maria Remarque's works have been translated and republished in Romanian, the first translations were published in the late 1920s and the most recent republication of an older translation dates back to 2024. However, there is a very unequal relationship in this country between the number of translations, or rather the numerous editions of these translations, and the literary-critical or literary-scientific analyses of Remarque. In the first part of this article, I would like to provide an overview of Remarque translations in Romania, whereby I intend to show the extent to which there are also reviews or other academic or non-academic commentaries and opinions on these texts. In the second part, I would like to present the perspective of a passionate Remarque translator, because there is hardly anyone who has dealt more intensively with Remarque's texts in recent decades than Sanda Munteanu, with whom I conducted an interview in 2020. In doing so, I am not undertaking an exhaustive analysis of Remarque's reception in Romania, but rather trying to demonstrate that the interest of publishers and readers in Erich Maria Remarque in Romania has hardly diminished after so many decades.
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SPRACHLICHE BESONDERHEITEN IM HERMANN HESSES ROMAN UNTERM RAD (1906) AM BEISPIEL DER RUMÄNISCHEN ÜBERSETZUNG
Abstract
This article aims to highlight some linguistic particularities in the novel "Unterm Rad" (1906) by Hermann Hesse, which are also reflected in the Romanian translation. These are, first and foremost, enumerations of compound adjectives. These constructions are sometimes difficult to translate, mainly because they are not typical in Romanian. Another feature is the repetition of the conjunction "und" in the descriptions. The author's intention is to investigate whether these linguistic peculiarities also occur in other novels by Hermann Hesse. Since these novels (Peter Camenzind, Demian, Der Steppenwolf) have also been translated into Romanian, the author investigates which translation methods other translators chose.
Book Reviews
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DRAGANOVICI, MIHAI und VICTORIA WAGNER. 2022. Translatorii ororilor naziste. Procesele de la Nürnberg și începuturile interpretării simultane. București: Editura Universității din București. 178 p.
Abstract
Das Buch geht auf eine exemplarische Zusammenarbeit an einer Abschlussarbeit zurück, die später zu einer Publikation reift. Mihai Draganovici, Dozent und Leiter der Übersetzerabteilung der Fremdsprachenfakultät an der Universität Bukarest, betreute vor Jahren eine Abschlussarbeit über einen Wendepunkt in der Geschichte des Dolmetschens, aus der zusammen mit der damaligen Studentin, die heute als sehr erfolgreiche freiberufliche Dolmetscherin tätig ist, ein interessantes Buch über die Anfangsgeschichte des Simultandolmetschens entsteht.
