Dear Language Enthusiast,
Welcome to the German Monthly, the free Internet newsletter
from Transparent Language. It's our way of helping you practice your language
skills, as you learn about the culture of Germany.
This month, we examine two elements of German that are absolutely indispensable
if you want to speak like a native: slang and idioms. These are colorful words
and expressions that cannot be translated literally (Imagine a German speaker
trying to make sense of English idioms like "he has a screw loose" or
"it's a piece of cake"!). Yet, learning these is the secret to achieving
true fluency ... it's the difference between "textbook" and
"real-world" language. If you're not yet familiar with any German slang
words or idiomatic expressions, prepare yourself. You may be surprised at how
fascinating-and fun-they can be to learn and to use. Best of all, learning about
slang and idioms will add a whole, new dimension to your language skills!
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
CLARIFICATION:
In our January GermanMonthly Newsletter, Nikola Tesla was listed as a Hungarian
Scientist. Tesla was born in Smiljan, Croatia in 1856, which was then a part of
the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was of Serbian descent and lived in the United
States after 1884.
Auf deutsch:
Ohne Hand und Fuß
Mein erster Tag in Amerika, dem Land der unbegrenzten Möglichkeiten, war durch
verschiedene Merkwürdigkeiten geprägt. Ich sprach ganz gut Englisch und fühlte
mich schwer auf Draht, aber zunächst war ich schwer von Begriff. Meine
Übersetzungen waren keineswegs das Gelbe vom Ei. Dennoch entschloss ich mich, in
den sauren Apfel zu beißen und in einem Supermarkt einkaufen zu gehen. Die
Zahlen auf den Preisschildchen schienen in der Tat sehr niedrig. So dachte ich,
dass ich da alles für einen Apfel und ein Ei bekommen könnte.
Ein gefundenes Fressen
Es wurden mir allerlei Häppchen angeboten, klein aber fein. Mir lief das Wasser
im Munde zusammen. Gierige Kunden stürtzten sich auf die Probierstände,
grapschten und mampften Leckereien. Dem stand ich nicht nach, jedoch an einem
nicht so vollen Stand. Neben dem Pröbchen stand das im Angebot erhältliche
Produkt mit den Zutaten drauf. Einer drehte die Dose um - es waren weiße,
nierenförmige Dinger darauf abgebildet. Ich ließ den lieben Gott einen guten
Mann sein und schluckte runter.
Eine Stunde später war mein Einkaufswagen proppenvoll und ich begab mich sodann
zur Kasse. Wie das der Zufall so will war mein Geldbeutel voll von Geldscheinen,
aber in DM. Da fiel mir der Groschen. Ich hatte total vergessen, Geld zu
wechseln. Äußerst beschämt und gleichzeitig auch amüsiert schaute ich an die
Decke und sah das Schild für den Notausgang. Sollte das guten Rat oder die
Ironie meines Schickals symbolisieren? Nicht mein Bier, dachte ich mir, nahm
meine Beine in die Hand und rannte nach Hause.
Ich wollte zwar keinen blinden Alarm schlagen, aber das Essen war mir auf den
Magen geschlagen und ich erlebte mein blaues Wunder. Jetzt, wo ich wieder auf
dem Damm bin, werde ich nicht lange um den heißen Brei herumreden: Man sagt,
probieren geht über studieren, doch die Ausnahme bestätigt die Regel.
In English:
(literal translation)
Without hand and foot
My first day in America, the land of unlimited opportunity, was characterized by
many curiosities. I spoke pretty good English and I was heavy on wire, but at
first I was slow with concepts. By no means were my translations the yolk of the
egg. Yet, I decided to bite into the sour apple and go shopping at a
supermarket. The numbers on the little price tags seemed low indeed. So I
thought that there I could get everything for an apple and an egg.
A found feast
All sorts of small food samples were offered to me, small yet tasty. The water
in my mouth ran together. Avaricious customers crowded the sample tables,
snatched up samples and munched away. I followed suit, but at a not so crowded
table. Next to the sample was the sale item with a listing of ingredients.
Someone turned the can around - white, kidney-shaped things were pictured on the
label. I let dear God be a good man and swallowed.
An hour later my shopping cart was packed to the hilt, and I proceeded to the
cash register. As coincidence would have it my wallet was full of bills, but in
German marks. That's when the penny dropped. I had completely forgotten to
change money. Fully embarrassed and amused at the same time I looked up at the
ceiling and saw the sign for Exit. Was that to symbolize good advice or the
irony of my fate? Not my beer I thought. I took my legs in my hand and ran home.
Not that I wanted to sound a blind alarm, but the food had hit me on the
stomach, and I experienced my blue wonder. Now that I am back on the dam I don't
want to talk long around the hot mush: it is said that trying something is
better than studying it, but the exception proves the rule.
In English:
(English idiomatic translation)
Without Rhyme or Reason
My first day in America, the land of unlimited opportunity, was characterized by
many curiosities. My English was pretty good and I felt equal to the task, but
at first I was a bit slow on the uptake. By no means were my translations
perfect. Yet, I decided to take the plunge and go shopping at a supermarket. The
numbers on the little price tags seemed low indeed. Thus I figured that there I
could get everything for a song.
Handed to me on a plate
All sorts of food samples were offered to me - small, tasty morsels. I could
feel my mouth watering. Avaricious customers crowded the sample tables, snatched
up samples and munched away. I followed suit, but at a not so crowded table.
Next to the sample was the sale item with a listing of ingredients. Someone
turned the can around - white kidney-shaped items were pictured on the label. I
just bit the bullet and swallowed.
An hour later my shopping cart was packed to the hilt, and I proceeded to the
cash register. As it happened, my wallet was filled with bills, but with German
Marks. At that point something clicked. I had completely forgotten to change
money. Fully embarrassed and amused at the same time I looked up in exasperation
and saw the Exit sign. Was this to symbolize advice or the irony of my fate? Not
to worry I thought, took to my heels and rushed back home.
Not that I wanted to cry wolf, but the food gave me an upset stomach, and then I
didn't know what hit me. Now that I'm back to normal, I won't beat around the
bush: it is said that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, but there is
always an exception to the rule.
