German Translation Research Articles

The unknown letters of Marie Prittwitz, the German translator of “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin”, to the Juruli Family

The study of the Georgian noble families has always been of great importance to the Georgian historiography. Noble Georgian families can be traced to the 7th Century AD. The concept of nobility is generally linked to history, social status, and legalities. The majority of noble families received titles as a result of their intelligence, military service and close relationships to royalty. In the given article, we try to revive the history of Juruli and Makrashvili families by shedding light on the relationship of Nino Juruli and Marie Prittwitz, a translator of “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin”. For years, Juruli and Makarashvili families had been the center of Georgian literature and culture and they did their best to support and popularize Georgian culture at home and abroad.

Spazi di apprendimento virtuali per la didattica della lingua tedesca

E-learninng Spaces for Teaching German as a Foreign Language. This contribution, which takes into account the online didactic affordances in a German Language and Translation course for university students, is divided into two parts: the former focuses on the potential of the chat as a didactic tool; the latter shows the activities performed on an e-learning platform during a German Language and Translation course. Specifically, attention will focus on examples of chat interaction, error correction and concrete teaching activities – supplemented by targeted use of corpora and digital lexicographic resources – involving forms of fixation and memorization, while leaving room for reasoned, creative and conscious forms of autonomy.

Blue Cliff Record, Art of Living and Its Reception in Germany

Abstract In the encounter between the Western and Eastern Cultures in the 20th century, the Chinese Buddhist classic Blue Cliff Record (Biyanlu 《碧巖錄》) was widely translated in Europe, especially in Germany. In the first part, this paper introduces the various German translations as well as their translators’ evaluations and discussions of the book and Chan Buddhism. In the second part, this paper argues that Blue Cliff Record represents a dynamic ontology by interpreting the Highest Meaning. In the third part, this paper will present the self-understanding and freedom addressed in Blue Cliff Record. The paper shows that Chan Buddhism is characterized by its non-duality between convention and holiness and by the self-realization in this world.

The global economic burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for 204 countries and territories in 2020–50: a health-augmented macroeconomic modelling study

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide and imposes a substantial economic burden. Gaining a thorough understanding of the economic implications of COPD is an important prerequisite for sound, evidence-based policy making. We aimed to estimate the macroeconomic burden of COPD for each country and establish its distribution across world regions. In this health-augmented macroeconomic modelling study we estimated the macroeconomic burden of COPD for 204 countries and territories over the period 2020-50. The model accounted for (1) the effect of COPD mortality and morbidity on labour supply, (2) age and sex specific differences in education and work experience among those affected by COPD, and (3) the impact of COPD treatment costs on physical capital accumulation. We obtained data from various public sources including the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, the World Bank database, and the literature. The macroeconomic burden of COPD was assessed by comparing gross domestic product (GDP) between a scenario projecting disease prevalence based on current estimates and a counterfactual scenario with zero COPD prevalence from 2020 to 2050. Our findings suggest that COPD will cost the world economy INT$4·326 trillion (uncertainty interval 3·327-5·516; at constant 2017 prices) in 2020-50. This economic effect is equivalent to a yearly tax of 0·111% (0·085-0·141) on global GDP. China and the USA face the largest economic burdens from COPD, accounting for INT$1·363 trillion (uncertainty interval 1·034-1·801) and INT$1·037 trillion (0·868-1·175), respectively. The macroeconomic burden of COPD is large and unequally distributed across countries, world regions, and income levels. Our study stresses the urgent need to invest in global efforts to curb the health and economic burdens of COPD. Investments in effective interventions against COPD do not represent a burden but could instead provide substantial economic returns in the foreseeable future. Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Science, Chinese Academy of Engineering project, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College project, and Horizon Europe. For the Chinese and German translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

An Unknown German Translation of Toledot Yeshu by Franz Ferdinand Engelsberger, a Seventeenth Century Christian Convert from Judaism

In this article, I focus on a hitherto unknown version of the polemical text Toledot Yeshu published in 1640 by a convert from Judaism named Franz Ferdinand Engelsberger. Following a short biography of Engelsberger, I describe the text and focus on a number of its unique features, that do not appear in other versions of the narrative. In addition, I demonstrate that the text includes certain narrative elements that were known thus far only from the later Huldricus’ version of the story from 1705. These elements indicate that the boundaries between the three main families of the texts identified by Di segni are not as strict as previously thought and that there was much fluidity between the different versions.

Variated Cultural Imagery of the Daodejing in the German-Speaking World Based on “Foreignization”: The Case of Dao and De

“Foreignization” (taguohua, 他国化) is an important concept in the Variation Theory of Comparative Literature. Through the collision, fusion and heterogeneous absorption of cross-heterogeneous cultural exchanges, the culture and discourse principles of one country are adapted through localization by the receiving country, resulting in what this theory calls “foreignization”. Global Laozegetics continues its traditional interpretive-oriented stance by examining translations of the Daodejing from a Laozegetics perspective, demonstrating a new development in the study of Laozi’s doctrine. Thus, there is a need to explore new perspectives in the research on the German translations of the Daodejing. Taking the cultural imagery Dao and De as examples, this paper explores the background and causes of “foreignization” in German translations of the Daodejing and its impact on the dissemination of Laozi’s doctrine in the German-speaking world, summarizing its formation path and possible problems, with the goal of shedding light on the overseas dissemination of Chinese classics represented by the Daodejing.

The German version of the brief affective neuroscience personality scales including a LUST scale (BANPS-GL).

This study presents the German version of the Brief Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (BANPS), which includes an additional subscale for the dimension LUST. The BANPS represents a shortened version of the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS), a self-report instrument to assess individual dispositions toward primary emotional systems as proposed by Jaak Panksepp. In a large sample (N = 926), the reliability and various facets of validity of the German translation of the BANPS were examined together with the newly included LUST scale. The BANPS-GL was related to the Big Five Inventory (BFI) and Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale (SSSS) and analyzed via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Overall, the BANPS-GL exhibited reliabilities ranging from McDonald's ω = 0.70 (CARE) to α = 0.86 (SADNESS) and plausible correlations with external criteria. For CFA a correlated 7-factor model demonstrated good fit [TLI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.04 (90% CI: 0.04, 0.05); SRMR = 0.06]. A similar fit was demonstrated for a 2-higher-factor model [TLI = 0.93; RMSEA = 0.05 (90% CI: 0.05, 0.06); SRMR = 0.07]. In broad agreement with the results of the original English version, the BANPS-GL showed good reliability and acceptable factorial validity, and overall improved the psychometric properties of the original long form. Finally, the inclusion of the dimension LUST allows for a complete coverage of the primary emotion dispositions as originally conceptualized by Panksepp.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF STYLISTIC DEVICES IN THE GERMAN TRANSLATIONS OF THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTS

The article presents a comparative analysis of stylistic devices in the German translations of the "Books of Ecclesiastes", which is a text of the Old Testament, typical of biblical didactic and prophetic books, and whose purpose is to encourage people to think about the meaning of life. The book raises the issues of transience and futility of human existence especially acutely. The relevance of the study lies in the comparison of modern German translations of the book of Ecclesiastes with the aim of demonstrating translation trends and different approaches to the reproduction of artistic means in these translations. The research material consists of translations of the book of Ecclesiastes from different years, made by translators from the ancient Hebrew language into German. The article examines the stylistic means of the biblical text and their reproduction in modern translations, compares and comments on some problematic fragments of the book of Ecclesiastes, the translation of which, despite a large number of scientific works, still needs clarification. Particular attention is paid to fragments of the text, the interpretation of which has a double meaning. The research material allows analysing the diachronic trends in the translation of the book of Ecclesiastes and drawing conclusions about the possibility and purpose of reproduction by the translator’s content and means of artistic imagery in translations of different years. According to the conducted analysis, the authors came to the conclusion that, despite centuries of discussion, an attempt to make a single universal translation of the book of Ecclesiastes is impossible. From a methodological point of view, we should emphasize that in recent years there has been a negative trend toward a recipient-oriented understanding of the text, which, in turn, pushes the translator to omit stylistic devices and form a translation of the holy book that is more understandable for today, which unfortunately leads to the loss of artistic stylistics of the archaic poetic text.

Post-acute (long) COVID-19 quality of life: validation of the German version of (PAC19QoL) instrument.

The aim of our study was to validate a German translation of the post-acute (long) COVID-19 quality of life (PAC-19QoL) instrument among German patients with long COVID-19 syndrome. The PAC-19QoL instrument was translated into the German language and administrated to patients with long COVID-19 syndrome. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to analyze the internal consistency of the instrument. Construction validity was evaluated by using Pearson's correlation coefficient and Spearman's rank correlation. Scores of patients and controls were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test. A total of 45 asymptomatic and 41 symptomatic participants were included. In total, 41 patients with long COVID-19 syndrome completed the PAC-19QoL and EQ-5D-5L questionnaires. PAC-19QoL domain scores were significantly different between symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. All items achieved a Cronbach's alpha >0.7. There was a significant correlation between all domains on the test (p < 0.001), with the highest correlation between total (r = 0.994) and domain 1 (r = 0.991). Spearman's rank correlation analysis confirmed that the instrument items correlated with the objective PAC-19QoL examination findings. The German version of the instrument is valid and reliable and can be a suitable tool for research and daily clinical practice among patients with long COVID-19 syndrome.

Cognitive Symptoms Link Anxiety and Depression Within a Validation of the German State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA).

In the present study we aimed to develop a German version of the State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA) and evaluate the psychometric properties. Associations of cognitive and somatic anxiety with other measures of anxiety, depression, and stress, elucidating possible underlying functional connections, were also examined, as symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress often overlap. Two samples (n1 = 301; n2 = 303) were collected online and in the lab, respectively. Dynamic connections between somatic and cognitive anxiety, other measures of anxiety, depression, and stress, were analyzed using a network approach. Psychometric analyses were conducted using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. We replicated and validated the two-factorial structure of the STICSA with the German translation. Network analyses revealed cognitive trait anxiety as the most central node, bridging anxiety and depression. Somatic trait anxiety exhibited the highest discriminant validity for distinguishing anxiety from depression. The central role of cognitive symptoms in these dynamic interactions suggests an overlap of these symptoms between anxiety and depression and that differential diagnostics should focus more on anxious somatic symptoms than on cognitive symptoms. The STICSA could therefore be useful in delineating differences between anxiety and depression and for differential assessment of mood and anxiety symptoms. Additional understanding of both cognitive and somatic aspects of anxiety might prove useful for therapeutic interventions.

Niezwykłe dzieje pierwszych edycji Kitāb Ibn Faḍlāna. Orientalistyka i polityka w połowie XX w.

The article is devoted to the political circumstances that influenced certain decisions regarding the first two editions of the travel report of the Arab traveler Ibn Faḍlān from Baghdad to the Volga Bulgars (921–922). The now-famous text of the voyage account, known as the Mashhad manuscript, was discovered in 1923 by a Turkish orientalist of Bashkir origin, Ahmed Zeki Velidi Togan (1890–1970) and formed the basis of his doctoral dissertation defended at the University of Vienna in 1935. Due to various problems, the German translation (in book form) was only published in print in 1939. The same year saw the publication of a Russian translation of the voyage description by a Soviet Arabist – Andrei P. Kovalevskiy (1895–1969). Both scholars conflicted with the USSR authorities: Togan had fought with the Soviet Army in 1920–1923, while Kovalevskiy was sentenced to five years in the gulag in 1938 on (as it later turned out) a wrongful charge of counterrevolutionary activity. These circumstances unexpectedly influenced the scholarly study of Ibn Faḍlān’s medieval work, incorporating it into the USSR’s domestic and foreign policy at the time.

Mild behavioral impairment checklist : English-German translation and feasibility study assessing its use in clinical practice

The mild behavioral impairment (MBI) syndrome is defined by the emergence in later life of persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms. The MBI checklist (MBI-C) can be used for systematic detection and documentation of such symptoms. Development of aGerman version of the MBI‑C and assessment of its application in aclinical setting. The MBI‑C was translated from English into German in collaboration with the main author of the original version, and its practical application was then tested on astudy population (n = 21) in agerontopsychiatric inpatient clinic. Patient compliance, understanding of questions, time effort, evaluation procedure and possible discrepancy between patient and family member evaluations were assessed. The German translation of the original MBI‑C obtained certification as an official version and can be downloaded at https://mbitest.org . All 34questions were fully completed by the study population, the level of understanding of questions was good, with the mean time effort being 16 min. In some cases, significant differences between patients' and family members' responses were found. The presence of MBI may indicate the development of an otherwise presymptomatic neurodegenerative dementia syndrome. Hence, the MBI‑C could aid in the early detection of neurodegenerative dementia. By means of the translated version of the MBI‑C presented in this study, this hypothesis can now be tested in German-speaking countries.

"The word 'homosexual' is not a noun"

Although James Baldwin’s recent revival in popular culture to a large extent has been informed by Baldwin’s essayist output, his contemporary popular reception is also closely intertwined with his queer identity, which is markedly absent from these texts. As a world literary figure, Baldwin enjoys far greater circulation in continental Europe through translations of his novels – writings in which queerness features much more prominently. However, Baldwin’s writings offer a complicated understanding of queerness and its representation through language, with Baldwin even claiming that “the word homosexual is not a noun.” This essay consists of a comparative analysis of the Danish, Dutch, French, and German translations of Baldwin’s sophomore novel, the queer classic Giovanni’s Room. The essay discusses the plurality of translation strategies that have been applied to the novel, and traces how these diverging strategies exemplify, transmit, transfigure, and distort the novel’s inherent destabilizing queer qualities.

“Migration Background” versus “Nazi Background”: (German) Debates on Post-Nazism, Post-Migration, and Postcolonialism

The politics of history and memory culture have recently been the topic of increased discussion again—and this discussion has by no means been cool-headed, but hot, with a high potential for conflict. An argument is ongoing in the public sphere over which (hi)stories are present and visible and which are not, who is being recognized and who is not, as well as what is being forgotten, repressed, or tacitly accepted in this context. Corresponding to this general development, a debate is currently ongoing in the German press that has been dubbed “Historikerstreit 2.0,” or “the historians’ debate reloaded.” The controversy was initially sparked by a discussion about the Cameroonian intellectual Achille Mbembe, his position toward the State of Israel, and his involvement with the BDS movement, before continuing on to a discussion about Michael Rothberg's book Multidirectional Memory when it was published in a German translation. Finally, the debates deepened with the controversy surrounding Dirk Moses's polemics concerning an ostensible “German catechism” with regard to Holocaust commemoration.

Holocaust Memory and Postcolonialism: Transatlantic Perspectives on the Debate

German commemorative culture is clearly in flux. Over the last year or so, a series of seemingly never-ending controversies have made it abundantly clear that, more than seventy-five years after the end of the Second World War, the memory of National Socialism and the Holocaust is not only very much present in contemporary Germany but also remains deeply contested. The list of controversies is familiar to everybody who has followed German public debates over the last three years: first the debate over the planned appearance of the Cameroonian philosopher Achille Mbembe at the 2020 Ruhr-Trienale in the spring of 2020; then the publication of the German translation of Michael Rothberg's book Multidirectional Memory in March 2021 and the heated controversy around A. Dirk Moses's “catechism” blog article a few months later; and finally, the recent debate about antisemitism at the documenta art exhibition curated by an Indonesian artist collective.

German translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the Person-Centred Practice Inventory—Staff (PCPI-S)

BackgroundThe person-centred practice framework represents the cornerstone of a middle-range theory. Internationally, person-centredness has become an increasingly common topic. The measurement of the existence of a person-centred culture is complex and subtle. The Person-Centred Practice Inventory—Staff (PCPI-S) measures clinicians’ experience of a person-centred culture in their practice. The PCPI-S was developed in English. Therefore, the aims of this study were (1) to translate the PCPI-S into German and to cross-culturally adapt and test in the acute care setting (PCPI-S aG Swiss) and (2) to investigate the psychometric properties of the PCPI-S aG Swiss.MethodsThe two-phase investigation of this cross-sectional observational study followed the guidelines and principles of good practice for the process of translation and cross-cultural adaptation of self-reporting measures. Phase 1 involved an eight-step translation and cultural adaptation of the PCPI-S testing in an acute care setting. In Phase 2, psychometric retesting and statistical analysis based on a quantitative cross-sectional survey were undertaken. To evaluate the construct validity, a confirmatory factor analysis was implemented. Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the internal consistency.ResultsA sample of 711 nurses working in a Swiss acute care setting participated in testing the PCPI-S aG Swiss. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good overall model fit, validating the strong theoretical framework, which underpins the PCPI-S aG Swiss. Cronbach’s alpha scores demonstrated excellent internal consistency.ConclusionThe chosen procedure ensured cultural adaptation to the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The psychometric results were good to excellent and comparable with other translations of the instrument.

Abstracts for a wider audience: promoting linguistic diversity in JBI Evidence Synthesis.

Abstracts for a wider audience: promoting linguistic diversity in JBI Evidence Synthesis.

The Use of Directive Speech Acts in Piratengold, A German Translated Donald Duck Comics

This study aims to describe (1) the form of directive speech act, and (2) the function of directive speech in a German-translated comic Donald Duck by Carl barks. The subject of this research is a German translation comic Donald Duck by Carl Barks with the sub-title Piratengold story. The object of this research is all forms and functions of directive speech act contained in Piratengold. This research design is descriptive qualitative, data collection techniques in this research with reading and note techniques, while data validity testing with repeated reading and expert judgement. The method used to analyze directive speech act in Piratengold comics is padan pragmatis method. The results of this study show that (1) the form of directive speech in Piratengold comic has three forms of speech, namely literal direct speech with 111 data, literal indirect speech with 25 data, and non-literal direct speech with five data. (2) There are six functions of directive speech act in Donald Duck comic, namely the request function with 12 data, the question function with 17 data, the command function with 89 data, the prohibition function with 7 data, the permission function with 7 data, and the advice function with 8 data.

Bronchiectasis in Europe: data on disease characteristics from the European Bronchiectasis registry (EMBARC)

Bronchiectasis is a heterogeneous, neglected disease with few multicentre studies exploring the causes, severity, microbiology, and treatment of the disease across Europe. This aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of bronchiectasis and compare between different European countries. EMBARC is an international clinical research network for bronchiectasis. We report on a multicentre, prospective, observational, non-interventional, cohort study (the EMBARC registry) conducted across 27 European countries and Israel. Comprehensive clinical data were collected from adult patients (aged ≥18 years) at baseline and annual follow-up visits using electronic case report form. Data from individual countries were grouped into four regions (the UK, northern and western Europe, southern Europe, and central and eastern Europe according to modified EU EuroVoc classification). Follow-up data were used to explore differences in exacerbation frequency between regions using a negative binomial regression model. Between Jan 12, 2015, and April 12, 2022, 16 963 individuals were enrolled. Median age was 67 years (IQR 57-74), 10 335 (60·9%) participants were female and 6628 (39·1%) were male. The most common cause of bronchiectasis in all 16 963 participants was post-infective disease in 3600 (21·2%); 6466 individuals (38·1%) were classified as idiopathic. Individuals with bronchiectasis experienced a median of two exacerbations (IQR 1-4) per year and 4483 (26·4%) patients had a hospitalisation for exacerbation in the previous year. When examining the percentage of all isolated bacteria, marked differences in microbiology were seen between countries, with a higher frequency of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and lower Haemophilus influenzae frequency in southern Europe, compared with higher H influenzae in the UK and northern and western Europe. Compared with other regions, patients in central and eastern Europe had more severe bronchiectasis measured by the Bronchiectasis Severity Index (51·3% vs 35·1% in the overall cohort) and more exacerbations leading to hospitalisations (57·9% vs 26·4% in the overall cohort). Overall, patients in central and eastern Europe had an increased frequency of exacerbations (adjusted rate ratio [RR] 1·12, 95% CI 1·01-1·25) and a higher frequency of exacerbations leading to hospitalisations (adjusted RR 1·71, 1·44-2·02) compared with patients in other regions. Treatment of bronchiectasis was highly heterogeneous between regions. Bronchiectasis shows important geographical variation in causes, microbiology, severity, and outcomes across Europe. European Union-European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations Innovative Medicines Initiative. For the Arabic, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Irish, Russian and Spanish translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Validity of the German Menière's Disease Patient-Oriented Symptom Severity Index

The MD POSI is a disease-specific questionnaire to determine the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with Menière's disease (MD). Validity and reliability of the German translation of the MD POSI. Prospective data analysis of a patient group with vertigo (n = 162), which was treated in the otorhinolaryngology of a University Hospital from 2005-2019. A clinical selection was made according to the new Bárány classification in a "definite" and "probable" Menière's disease. HRQoL was assessed using the German translation of the MD POSI, the Vertigo Symptom Score (VSS) and the Short Form (SF-36). Reliability was measured by Cronbach's α and test-retesting after 12 months and again 2 weeks later. Content and agreement validity were examined. Cronbach α values greater than 0.9 indicated good internal consistency. There was no statistically significant difference from baseline to 12 months, except for the subscore "during the attack". There were significant positive correlations between the VSS overall/VER/AA and the overall index of the MD POSI and negative significant correlations with the SF-36 domains physical functioning, physical role functioning, social functioning, emotional role functioning, mental well-being. There were low SRM (standardized response mean) values below 0.5. The German translation of the MD POSI is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate the impact of MD on patients' disease-specific quality of life.