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List of omissions and mistakes in Dr. C. H. Clarke's translation of H.S. Chamberlain's WW1 war essays, the Kriegsaufsätze. 
Maybe Clarke was just careless, but I have the feeling that the colourless way he translated these essays proves Chamberlain's point regarding the German, as expressed in his essay "The German Language", namely, that this language is a more precise and therefore a better instrument for expressing thoughts, whereas the English language "which is richer almost than any other in poetical suggestive power, cannot follow a subtle thought into its most secret windings; at a definite point it fails, and so proves itself suitable only for sober, practical empiricism or poetical raptures" (Foundations, vol. II, p. 433). One might expect a translator to be extra careful when translating texts from a man with such an opinion. Not so Charles H. Clarke, Ph.D.: he boldly ignores all subtleties Chamberlain has cunningly woven into his German war-essays. For instance: Clarke doesn't know how to handle a word like "verschmelzen", meaning "to melt into one another" (as my dictionary helpfully suggests), which, when translated back into German, wouldn't give the same result. Clarke knew, of course, that the "ver"-part points to a state of transition, in this case two separate things, becoming one. So he has chosen to translate it with "unite" (Ravings, p. 87 / Kriegsaufsätze, p. 34): "German music [...] united so completely etc."), which is o.k. of course — but now the idea of a time-consuming process is lost. The same trouble with "schimmeln" and "verschimmelen" — both mean "to go mouldy", but here again the "ver"-part is needed to express the thought of decay over some time. Clarke invokes the help of the French language to avoid the problem, and translates thus: "Of what use would a Moltke have been if he had been sent "planter ses choux" in some provincial town?" (Ravings, p. 95 / Kriegsaufsätze, p. 37). Planter ses choux: to grow himself cabbages. I like that expression, I had never heard it before — but it's not what Chamberlain wrote. "Anschnautzen"? Clarke translates this with a pallid "to stop". I'm sure the English language has better to offer, but Clarke couldn't find it. "Kriegführend" is down-sized to "military". "Militärisch" is also translated with "military" — as if there is no difference between the two words. Clarke translated both "hochheilig" and "heilig" with "sacred" — but Chamberlain needed "hochheilig" to emphasize his sarcasm (Ravings, p. 99 / Kriegsaufsätze, p. 39). And there are more examples. Again: maybe Clarke was just careless, and a better translation might be possible, disproving Chamberlain's idea, at least when it comes to translations of his own work, but I believe Chamberlain was right when he wrote that Immanuel Kant can only be read and fully understood in German (Ravings, p. 86 / Foundations, vol. II, p. 434). Here under you will find a list of omissions and mistakes Clarke has made; mostly minor ones, but some of them important. The important ones are marked in red, minor flaws are in green. I'll try to give translations for omitted or misinterpreted text, but please note that nor German nor English is my native tongue. That I was able to recognise Clarke's mistakes is because they're so darn obvious. Enough talking. Here they are: p. 1 (D):
Goethe's motto omitted: "Nur
Waffen
schafft! Geschaffen habt ihr Alles dann! (Goethe)"
p. 2 (D): The "Kriegsaufsätze" were respectfully dedicated to privy councillor Max Koch, Commanding Officer of the 1st battalion of the 6th Regiment of the Landwehr, Knight of the Iron Cross. p. 33 (E) / p. 9 (D): Luther-quote is missing: "Siehe an die rechten Krieger, die zücken nicht bald, trotzen nicht, haben nicht Luft zu schlagen; aber wenn man sie zwingt, daß sie müssen, so hüte dich vor ihnen, so scherzen sie nicht." I would translate it with something like: "See the real warriors, they are not eager to draw [a sword], do not defy, are not interested in striking air; but if one forces them, so that they must, then beware, for they do not joke." p. 34 (E) / p. 9 (D): "Ens imaginarum" should be "ens imaginarium", as Chamberlain wrote. p. 36 (E) / p. 10 (D): Between "English people" and "The chief agitator" the translation of the following is missing: "Eine Handvoll Männer waren es, die, bei kaltem Blute, zur Förderung materieller Interessen, vor etlichen Jahren dies beschlossen." May I suggest: "It was a handful of men who decided this a few years ago, in cold blood, for the sake of material interests". p. 40 (E) / p. 12 (D): Between "all three?" and "I will now only" the translation of the following is missing: "Ich überschreite den mir zugemessenen Raum, übergehe darum gar vieles und beschränke mich heute auf das eine:". Absolutely unimportant, can be omitted if need be. p. 42 (E) / p. 14 (D): "Standesgenossen auf fremden Thronen" is shortly translated with "fellow-princes". "Standesgenossen" means "peers". Moreover, Clarke forgot to translate what kind of peers: "on foreign thrones". p. 43 (E) / p. 14 (D): Date is missing: "Bayreuth, 2. September 1914". I think that's ok, because Chamberlain didn't write this English version. p. 47 (E) / p. 15 (D): Kant-quote is missing: "Freiheit ist Menschenwerk": Freedom is man's work. (Transl. by Lord Redesdale). p. 47 (E) / p. 15 (D): "Scholars in England" should be "scholars in England and in France", as Chamberlain wrote. p. 47 (E) / p. 15 (D): Large piece of somewhat insulting text directed against King George V. is missing between "destruction of all liberty" and "Now when I": "Daß König Georg V. in seinem Manifest an die englischen Kolonien diese Phrase wiederholt hat, würde an sich nicht viel besagen; denn dieser Monarch fand bisher so wenig Muße für seine humanistische Ausbildung, daß er vor wenigen Jahren den Namen Goethe noch niemals gehört hatte; wir erfahren aber daraus, wie sehr diese Behauptung zu einem Gemeinplatz geworden ist." I would say: "The fact that King George V. repeated this cliché in his manifesto to the English colonies actually doesn't mean very much; for this monarch has found hitherto so little leisure time for his general education that he had never heard the name of Goethe up till a few years ago; however, we experience from this what an utter commonplace this statement has become". This is of some importance because Chamberlain refers to this lack of knowledge of the king later on (p. 59). p. 48 (E) / p. 16 (D): "Whole books" should be "An entire book", as Chamberlain wrote. There's no reason to exaggerate an already exaggerated opinion. p. 49 (E) / p. 16 (D): After "the king is a puppet." the following is missing: "— wenn er nicht, wie Eduard VII., ein Intrigant ist": "if not, as Edward VII., a plotter." p. 50 (E) / p. 16 (D): "Profits they derive". "Profits" should be "booty", "loot" or something (German: "Beute"). p. 52 (E) / p. 18 (D): Text missing after "lack of liberty": "denn die Regel ist eine für uns Bewohner des Festlandes schier unglaubliche, erdrückende Einförmigkeit". I think I would have translated thus: "For the rule is a crushing uniformity, almost unbelievable for us inhabitants of the mainland". p. 56 (E) / p. 20 (D): "Without being stopped by a policeman". The German original has: "ohne von einem Schutzmann angeschnauzt zu werden". "angeschnauzt" sounds more cynical, doggish. It certainly doesn't mean "stopped", but I find it difficult to translate. p. 57 (E) / p. 20 (D): "Desire of destruction". The German has it less pale: "blinden Zerstörungsleidenschaft". p. 58 (E) / p. 20 (D): "Foreigners in Germany". The original has "Westländern in Deutschland". Western people in Germany. Maybe an odd idea for an Englishman, but Germans are Westerners too. "What may be done and what may not be done" is a short-cut for "was man Alles, sobald man vor die Türe geht, darf und nicht darf, soll und nicht soll" My suggestion: "what may and may not, what shall and shall not be done, the moment one leaves one's home". p. 59 (E) / p. 21 (D): I don't think "horn of Pandora" is a correct translation of "Pandora's Kypsele". Kypsele (or Cypsela) is Greek for chest, box, and that makes more sense. Anyway, Goethe's Pandora-quote is omitted: "... steigend jetzt empor und jetzt gesenkt / Die Menge täuschte stets sie, die verfolgende". Goethe, Schiller and the other heroes of the intellect are always difficult to translate, and this time I won't even try it. p. 67 (E) / p. 24 (D): Schiller-quote omitted: "Das köstliche Gut, die deutsche Sprache, die alles ausdrückt, das Tiefste und das Flüchtigste, den Geist, die Seele, die voller Sinn ist: die deutsche Sprache wird die Welt beherrschen. (Schiller)": "This precious property, the German language, which expresses everything, the deepest and the most volatile, the spirit, the soul, which is full of sense: the German language will control the world. (Schiller)" p. 67 (E) / p. 24 (D): "Which will decide all future issues" is shorthand for "diejenige, die wahrscheinlich über alle weiteren Entscheidungen „entscheiden“ wird". p. 69 (E) / p. 25 (D): Schiller-quote "When once light has penetrated a man, there is no night outside" sounds better in German: "Sobald es Licht wird in dem Menschen, ist auch außer ihm keine Nacht mehr." What about "When once it is getting light in man [or "mankind". Not "a man"], there is also no more night outside"? A few sentences later "dem Menschen" is correctly translated with "mankind". p. 69 (E) / p. 25 (D): "And the means of this enlightenment is the German language." In German it says: "und das Organ dieses Lichtwerdens ist die Sprache." "Sprache" means "speech" or "language", not "the German language", but, seeing the context, I think it's all right. p. 69 (E) / p. 25 (D): "Nothing can persuade me that this language is destined to destruction!" Destruction? Chamberlain is talking about "Sieg", i.e. "victory": "Durch nichts lasse ich mich irremachen: dieser Sprache ist gewiß der Sieg bestimmt!". I would suggest: "Nothing can confound me: this language is certainly destined to be victorious!" p. 69 (E) / p. 25 (D): "Their untranslatable idioms, nearly as accessible and familiar to my ear and understanding as Luther..." is shorthand for "den unübertragbaren Redewendungen der schillernden, aus Geschichte und Klang entstehenden Beziehungen ebenso nahe und vertraut sind, wie Luther...". I can't translate it either, but "nearly as accessible" is not a good translation of "ebenso nahe". Should have been "just as accessible". And indeed: Chamberlain spoke German, French an English fluently. p. 70 (E) / p. 26 (D): "Dem Geist, dem diese Sprache entwächst" is translated with "the development of the spirit of this language". Development of the spirit? That's not what Chamberlain said. It means: "the spirit that emerges from this language". p. 73 (E) / p. 27 (D): Omission between "or composition;" and "the ordinary man": "und das Volk, das eine solche Sprache redet, kennt dann keine Stufenleiter des Verständnisses:" p. 74 (E) / p. 27 (D): "Sondern aus dem ganzen bisherigen Leben der Nation notwendig hervorgehenden Begriff zu bezeichnen" is carelessly translated with "but has resulted from the past life of the nation." p. 75 (E) / p. 28 (D): "Come, Holy Ghost, Thou all-creator, and visit all our souls!". First of all: "Thou" should be "you", without capital. "Holy Ghost" should be "holy ghost": Goethe is not referring to God, but to the spirit of genius, the "creator spiritus". Chamberlain knew this — see his Goethe book, ch. 6 — but on this occasion the holy ghost is the spirit of the German language. In general: I wish that English translators would stop converting Goethe's simple dein's and du's into marble Thy's and Thou's. p. 75 (E) / p. 28 (D): "The revelations of the Holy Ghost". Here again: the text is not about the Big Beard in the sky. "holy ghost" will do fine. p. 76 (E) / p. 28 (D): "A kind of reinforcement behind the German lines". Chamberlain wrote "eine Art Stärkung der deutschen im Hintergrunde". Here, "der deutschen" refers to the German language — see the previous sentence. "German lines" would have been o.k. with me if only there hadn't been that war raging on; now it sounds like enemy lines, trenches. Chamberlain wrote "in the background": "a kind of reinforcement of the German language in the background". p. 76 (E) / p. 29 (D): "But their geographical position has refused an extensive and luxuriant expansion to these nations." Wrong. Chamberlain is not talking of expansion for those nations, but of the unfolding ("Entfaltung") of the spirit of those nations: "doch versagte die geographische Lage in ihrer strengen Unwirtlichkeit dem Leben dieser Nationen breite und üppige Entfaltung". Furthermore an unimportant mistake: "their geographical position" should be "their geographical position, rigorously inhospitable". p. 76 (E) / p. 29 (D): Next line: "But in Germany this expansion took place...". This expansion refers, again, not to German territory or something, but to the German spirit. Meant is: "But in Germany this unfolding took place...". p. 78 (E) / p. 30 (D): "Together with the essential properties of the language" should be "together with the essential properties of the language, as discussed above". p. 79 (E) / p. 30 (D): "Leibnitz": Chamberlain wrote "Leibniz", but I assume Clarke added a "t" for pronunciation's sake. p. 79 (E) / p. 30 (D): "The spirit has revealed itself". In the original text this part is placed between quotation marks. p. 80 (E) / p. 30 (D): Between "German conqueror" and "learnt" the following is missing: "als der weitaus begabtere". The German conquerer is way more talented. p. 80 (E) / p. 30 (D): "Und muß in Folge dessen die schwankende Wortfolge unter ein Gesetz stellen" is translated with "and was thus forced to submit to a definite rule the sequence of words in sentences which till then had been quite free". Chamberlain isn't speaking of the freedom of those sequences; they were wavering ("schwankend"). Clarke's translation suggests, between the lines, that where Germans arrive, freedom is lost. Note that in this case Clarke needed more words than the original sentence has; with him it's usually the other way round. In such cases one should be extra alert. p. 85 (E) / p. 33 (D): (Speaking of Shakespeare): "does not the German language possess in Luther an incomparable treasure": "incomparable" should be "comparable" (vergleichbaren). p. 86 (E) / p. 33 (D): "Er lehrte uns, im deutschen Volk und im deutschen Staatswesen ein von Gott Gewolltes, Heiliges erkennen" is translated with "He taught us to see in the German people, in German politics, divine institutions". Chamberlain didn't say that those institutions themselves are divine. I would have translated thus: "He taught us to see in the German people, in German politics, God-willed, sacred institutions". p. 86 (E) / p. 34 (D): Grimm-quote: "Without him we can hardly imagine ourselves Germans,". The rest of the sentence also belongs to the quote: "so strong is this mystic power of native language and poetry". p. 89 (E) / p. 35 (D): Translation of "und auf jedem möglichen Wege" is omitted after "schools" in "schools must do their uttermost". The entire sentence should be rewritten to make it fit in. p. 89 (E) / p. 35 (D): "And we need have no compunction as to the means by which we force it on him." Objection! Maybe Clarke wanted Chamberlain to say that, but he didn't: "daß wir uns kein gewissen über die Veranlassung zu machen brauchen", meaning "and we need have no compunction as to the causes". Those causes are mentioned in the previous sentence ("Foreign nations will learn German forced by envy, avarice, duty, ambition. All causes are the same to me..."). Note that in this part "Veranlassung" is correctly translated with "causes". p. 89 (E) / p. 35 (D): Chamberlain ends with place and date: "Bayreuth, 22. September 1914." p. 93 (E) / p. 36 (D): Shakespeare-quote omitted: "There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune". That Clarke has chosen to ignore Schiller and Goethe I can understand. Untranslatable Krauts. But Shakespeare? p. 95 (E) / p. 37 (D): "Of what use would a Moltke have been if he had been sent "planter ses choux" in some provincial town?". "Planter ses choux" — who does not recognise this famous phrase? — means litterally "to grow cabbages". Chamberlain didn't use a French saying, but said, in plain German, "Was hätte ein Moltke genutzt, wenn man ihn als „abgesägten“ General in einer Provinzstadt hätte verschimmeln lassen?" p. 100 (E) / p. 39 (D): "Sie rationalisiert durch ihr Hin- und Hergerede und entseelt durch ihr Gezänk alle großgedachten Pläne" is translated with "It stultifies by its debate and nullifies all great plans by its disputes". "Rationalisieren" = "to stultify"? "Hin- und Hergerede" = "debate"? "Gezänk" = "disputes"? "großgedacht" = "great"? This is what I mean by a "colourless translation". p. 103 (E) / p. 41 (D): Omission between "political life" and "Away with English and French patterns!": "(hat es auch zum Teil schon getan)." "(Partly it has already done so)". p. 105 (D) / p. 42 (E): "Delclassés" should be "Delcassé's", as Chamberlain wrote. p. 105 (E) / p. 42 (D): "So kam wenigstens e i n deutscher Zug..." is translated with "Thus, at least, a German trait...". In this case "ein" should be translated with "one": "at least one German trait". Clarke must have known this. p. 105 (E) / p. 42 (D): Omission between "so Germany must do it now" and "A great policy": "— aber auf welchem höheren Plan! Und wie unvergleichlich ausgerüstet zu diesem Behuf! Nichts darf dem Zufall überlassen bleiben": "— but on such a higher level! And how incomparably equipped for this purpose! Nothing must be left to chance". p. 105 (E) / p. 42 (D): Omission between: "carry out a policy" and "There is much talk": "und nun gar jene Politik, zu der einzig Deutschland befähigt ist und die ihm allein ziemt" p. 106 (E) / p. 43 (D): "Ohne irgend ein Dreinreden von schwatzhaften volksvertretenden und volkszertretenden Advokaten" is translated with "without having to submit to any interference by lawyers representing, or rather misrepresenting, the people". "Zertreten" means "treading upon" or "trampling". The representatives tread upon the people they "represent". Furthermore "Advokat" does indeed mean "lawyer". Most of the times. But not in this case: Chamberlain meant, of course, "advocate", someone who talks for someone else, a representative. And above all, those advocates are "schwatzhaft", talkative. p. 106 (E) / p. 43 (D): Chamberlain ends with place and date: "Bayreuth, 8. September 1914". p. 109 (E) / p. 44 (D): Two quotes omitted: "Cromwell, 1658: Auch wenn ihr Geschäfte treibt, schätzt ihr euern kaufmännischen Vorteil nicht höher als Gottes Gnade, vielmehr haltet ihr die göttliche Gnade für den größeren Gewinn. Ruskin, 1880: Der Engländer bekennt heute nicht mehr: Ich glaube an Gott, den allmächtigen Vater, Schöpfer Himmels und der Erden, sondern: Ich glaube an Vater Dollar, den alles Bewirkenden." The Ruskin-quote is probably Chamberlain's interpretation of: "The creed of the Light Ages has become, ‘I believe in Father Mud, the Almighty Plastic; and in Father Dollar, the Almighty Drastic.’ ". In English it sounds much better: it rhymes. I couldn't find the original Cromwell-quote. p. 110 (E) / p. 45 (D): "Daß die gleiche geschichtliche Wendung bei einem abweichend gearteten Charakter sicherlich zu anderen Ergebnissen geführt hätte" is translated with "that the same historic course would certainly have had quite a different effect on a character moulded on other lines". That's not what Chamberlain wrote, namely "that the same historic turning point would certainly have resulted in a different train of events, had the character [of the people] been different". p. 116 (E) / p. 47 (D): "One of the contemporaries of the family" is actually an improvement. Chamberlain wrote "einer der Lebenden", which I didn't quite understand at first. p. 116 (E) / p. 47 (D): "Ancient régime" is not really wrong; it's half English, half French. Chamberlain wrote French: "ancien régime". p. 117 (E) / p. 48 (D): "Nur Fürsten und Edle hielten sich geschieden und waren zahlreich genug, diese Inzucht lange Zeit durchführen zu können" is translated with "only princes and nobles held aloof, and they were not numerous enough to maintain their position long". In German it says almost the opposite: "only princes and nobles held aloof, and they were numerously enough to be able to maintain this in-breeding for a long time". And now the next line makes more sense too: "On the other hand, the number of noble families who followed the first kings from Normandy and Anjou to England was relatively small". Group A was numerous, on the other hand, Group B was not. p. 120 (E) / p. 50 (D): "Who have all acquired their knowledge in Germany". Chamberlain wrote "almost all". p. 122 (E) / p. 50 (D): "Men belonging to a different class". Chamberlain has it much stronger: "men from another world". p. 123 (E) / p. 51 (D): Maybe "excellent descriptions" is the best translation there is for "köstlichen Schilderungen" — but "köstlich" (lit.: "delicious") is in this case excellent and hilarious. p. 123 (E) / p. 51 (D): "The Venetian ambassador". Meant is: "The English ambassador in Venice". Moreover, Chamberlain gave his name: "Sir Henry Wotton". p. 126 (E) / p. 53 (D): "Lust und Leben" is a standing expression, comparable with the English "it's meat and drink to sb." Clarke has chosen for "pleasure and power". Seen the context and because of the alliteration I think that's very good, but one cannot use it as a standard translation. p. 127 (E) / p. 53 (D): "One of the richest talents England ever produced" is shorthand for "eine der reichsten Begabungen an Geistesschärfe, Wissen, Gedächtnis, Federkraft, die England je hervorgebracht". p. 127 (E) / p. 53 (D): "Refused to submit to the dictates"? Another colourless translation. German: "sich [...] nicht wollte dreinreden lassen". "Dreinreden" means, according to my dictionary: "to talk sb. into believing sth." True, and yet one cannot translate it with "to persuade" or "to convince", because of the negative connotation "dreinreden" has. Try to persuade a stubborn kid that he should eat his string beans: "They're healthy. And delicious! And we know what's good for you. You should try it. Yummy". That's "dreinreden". The English language must have a word for that, but Clarke couldn't think of one. p. 128 (E) / p. 53 (D): Chamberlain explains to his German audience what "roughs" are: "rohe Männer, unheimliche Kraftgestalten mit frechen oder verbrecherischen Physiognomien", i.e. "rough men, uncanny bruisers with impudent or criminal physiognomies". A British audience doesn't need such a description, but to me as a foreigner it was helpful. p. 128 (E) / p. 53 (D): Omission: "ein Jeder mit einem gewaltigen Knüppelstock versehen". Every one of them was armed with a huge cudgel. p. 128 (E) / p. 54 (D): "Fortunately, the liberal committee had not been remiss". This is a difficult one: "Ausschuß" indeed means "committee". But it also has an entirely different meaning: "cull". I find it hard to imagine the gentlemen of the liberal committee fighting off 400 roughs, so I assume Chamberlain meant "liberal riffraff". p. 129 (E) / p. 54 (D): "Gewalttat" is translated with "coup de main". Act of violence. p. 132 (E) / p. 56 (D): "Forcing the English to eat fish on Fridays and Saturdays". It's of absolutely no importance, but Chamberlain wrote "Fridays and Sundays". p. 134 (E) / p. 57 (D): "Sofort [...] fällt England wie ein Geier auf das nichts ahnende spanische Jamaica" is translated with "Immediately [...] England attacks Jamaica, which belonged to Spain". Chamberlain wrote that England attacked "like a vulture", and that Jamaica didn't see that coming. p. 135 (E) / p. 57 (D): "Und hetzt die Inder gegen die Franzosen, die dort friedlich ihren Handel trieben" is translated with "and incites the natives against him". Chamberlain wrote: "incites the Indians against the French, who were peacefully doing their business over there." p. 138 (E) / p. 59 (D): "It is impossible, and also unnecessary, to describe how etc.". Chamberlain wrote: "It is impossible, within the scope of an essay, and also unnecessary, to describe how etc.". p. 139 (E) / p. 59 (D): "Gibbons" should be "Gibbins", as Chamberlain wrote. Henry de Beltgens Gibbins. Furthermore Chamberlain mentions a 5th edition, not a 4th. p. 140 (E) / p. 60 (D): "Wo es zwischen Karikatur und melancholischer Einsicht in das eigene unwirkliche Schattendasein hin und her flackert, dem Tode entgegen" is translated with "where, hovering between caricature and melancholy insight into their own unreal existence, it passes on to definite decease." "Schattendasein" means "shadowy existence". "Hin und her flackert": "flickers between". This light/shadow contrast is lost in translation, but is of some aesthetic importance, because in the previous sentence Chamberlain is melancholically speaking of "merry old England" that is "still to be seen like the uncanny glare of a sultry sunset." p. 143 (E) / p. 61 (D): "mammon" should be "Mammon", as Chamberlain wrote. p. 143 (E) / p. 62 (D): "All civilisation, religion, education, army, art, legislation, customs, presupposes etc." should be "All civilisation — religion, education, army, art, legislation, customs — presupposes etc." p. 150 (E) / p. 65 (D): That's what one gets when one translates an English speech into German and then back into English again. Burke's original words: "But if, by conniving at these frauds, you once teach the people of England a concealing, narrow, suspicious, guarded conduct, if you teach them qualities directly the contrary to those by which they have hitherto been distinguished, if you make them a nation of concealers, a nation of dissemblers, a nation of liars, a nation of forgers — my Lords, if you, in one word, turn them into a people of banians, the character of England, that character which, more than our arms, and more than our commerce, has made us a great nation, the character of England will be gone and lost. [...] We know, I say, and feel the force of money; and we now call upon your Lordships for justice in this cause of money. We call upon you for the preservation of our manners, of our virtues. We call upon you for our national character. We call upon you for our liberties; and hope that the freedom of the Commons will be preserved by the justice of the Lords." p. 153 (E) / p. 66 (D): "Grey had the military convention between France and Belgium in his pocket". The German original makes clear that Grey had a convention with both France and Belgium, a detail that is lost in translation; now it sounds as if there was a convention between France and Belgium — and Chamberlain didn't say that ("...die Militärkonvention mit Frankreich und Belgien für den Einfall in Deutschland etc."). Chamberlain also tells us what kind of military convention: for the invasion of Germany from the north. p. 153 (E) / p. 67 (D): Another down-sized translation: "Just at the time of the assassination of Francis Ferdinand". Chamberlain wrote "Just at the predetermined time of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand" ("der festgesetzten Zeit"). And the reader may guess by whom the date of the murder was predetermined. p. 154 (E) / p. 67 (D): Chamberlain ends with place and date: "Bayreuth, 9. Oktober 1914." p. 157 (E) / p. 68 (D): Goethe-quote omitted: "Ich kann wohl sagen, daß ich von Allem dem, was seit fünfzig Jahren gegen mich gewirkt wird, großen Nutzen gezogen (Goethe)". "I think I can say that I have had great benefit of everything that has worked against me, the last fifty years". p. 157 (E) / p. 68 (D): "This question, coming from the mouth of a real German can, in such times, have a touching effect" is a short-cut for "Kommt diese Frage aus dem treuherzigen Munde eines echten Deutschen, sie kann in diesen schweren Zeiten erschütternd wirken". "Such times" for "schweren Zeiten" will do, but where did "treuherzigen Munde" go? p. 158 (E) / p. 68 (D): "Franctireurs". Chamberlain wrote "Franktireurs", which is even worse. Any Frenchman would have written "Francs-tireurs". p. 159 (E) / p. 68 (D): "Braven deutschen Soldaten" is translated with "brave German soldiers". German soldiers are of course very courageous, but "brav" in German means good-hearted, well-behaved. Not brave. Beware of false friends! "Fabrik" doesn't mean "fabric", "Bad" isn't "bad" and "After" is in German a dirty word. p. 160 (E) / p. 69 (D): "The German is called barbarian, incendiary, murderer". Clarke forgot to translate "Vergewaltiger". Rapist. p. 161 (E) / p. 70 (D): "Not a single Frenchman have I met who stated that...". Chamberlain wrote: "nicht einen einzigen Franzosen habe ich angetroffen, der auch nur geflunkert hätte...". "Flunkeren": "to fib", "to tell a tall story". p. 161 (E) / p. 70 (D): "Cruelty [...] or even excessive harshness". Excessive? Chamberlain wrote "überflüssige". Needless. p. 165 (E) / p. 72 (D): "Questions concerning Germany". Should be "questions concerning Germandom". p. 166 (E) / p. 72 (D): Omission between "about to criticise" and "Carlyle had the great advantage": "Sehr wahrscheinlich kennt z. B. ein Herr Jaques-Dalcroze von Deutschland nicht viel mehr als die freigebig geöffneten Geldbeutel und vermeint allen Ernstes, mit seiner musikalischen Gymnastik dem Vaterlande Dürer's, Bach's, Kant's und Goethe's die ersten Elemente der Kultur beizubringen". "For instance: a Mr. Jaques-Dalcroze very probably knows of Germany not much more than the generously opened purses, and believes in all seriousness that he can teach, with his musical gymnastics, the principles of culture to the fatherland of Dürer, Bach, Kant and Goethe". The next line should be: "Carlyle, on the other hand, had the great advantage etc." p. 168 (E) / p 74 (D): "Im Halbtraume" means "in his half-dream", not "between his dreams". Is of some importance: there are more places with a mystical appearance in Chamberlain's writings, and this is one of them. Should shine through in translation. p. 170 (E) / p 74 (D): "Und als er einmal, einem Schema zulieb, Napoleon preisen wollte" is translated with "and when he once, for the sake of a system, wished to write on Napoleon". "Wished to write on" should be "wished to praise". p. 170 (E) / p 75 (D): "The true hero grows out of the community as a condensed expression of all the forces divided in individuals". The original text is more precise: "der wahre Held entspringt einer Gesamtheit, gleichsam als verdichteter Ausdruck Aller an Einzelne und in Einzelnen zerstreuten Kräfte". For what it's worth: may I suggest "the true hero grows out of the community as a condensed expression of the whole to the individual and of forces divided in individuals". p. 171 (E) / p. 75 (D): "And a few had sought, groping their way, but what only one divine genius was capable of giving". Chamberlain wrote "God-sent" in stead of "divine genius". "Giving" should be "finding", as Chamberlain wrote. It's Searching — Finding; not Searching — Giving. p. 171 (E) / p. 75 (D): Part of Carlyle-quote missing, between "can not be" and "Nations who have lost this quality": "Human Merit, do you really love it enough, think you; — human Scoundrelism [...], do you even abhor it enough? Without that reverence and its corresponding opposite-pole of abhorrence, there is simply no possibility left. That, my friend, is the outcome and summary of all virtues in this world, for a man or for a Nation of men". And now the next line makes more sense: "Nations who have lost this quality..." I have to admit that Chamberlain rephrased (but not distorted) this passage, compressing it into one line of text — and maybe that's why Clarke has chosen to ignore it. p. 172 (E) / p. 76 (D): Carlyle-quote is maybe not a Carlyle-quote. In the original text there are no quotation marks. Furthermore, in the German text this part is not a paragraph, as it is in English; therefore it is unclear where the quotation, if it is one, ends. I assume it's Chamberlain's interpretation of Carlyle's view regarding Prussia. p. 173 (E) / 76 (D): "Und weil sich nun Deutschland [...] wehrt, eisern wehrt, mit ungeahnten Riesenkräften wehrt..." Three times "sich wehrt" (defends herself), each time in a stronger setting. Clarke translates: "and because Germany [...] sets up an iron defence, fights with gigantic forces..." I would try something like "and because Germany [...] defends herself, firmly defends herself, defends herself with unexpected gigantic forces..." p. 174 (E) / p. 77 (D): "Revanchegeschrei" is translated with "cry of revenge". In this case the French word "revanche" should not have been translated — Chamberlain deliberately used a French word here. See his own remarks on the difference between "revanche" and "revenge" in his essay Grundstimmungen in England und in Frankreich, p. 23—24. p. 176 (E) / p. 78 (D): "Carlyle has a beautiful expression for it: 'Like the stars, always steady at his work.' ". "his" refers to Frederick the Great, as is made clear in the German text ("von Friedrich sagt er: “Like the stars etc."). p. 176 (E) / p. 78 (D): Clarke wrote "Dschengis Khan" — the way the Germans spell it. p. 179 (E) / p. 79 (D): "the main feature of Frederick William I.'s character and of his son's". Chamberlain wrote: "great son's", referring to Frederick the Great. p. 180 (E) / p. 80 (D): "hinein mit ihnen Allen in ein Massengrab ewigen Vergessens" is translated with "let us sweep them all into a common grave". How now? Did Chamberlain really say that Lord Haldane and other slanderers should be massacred? Of course not: he wrote "away with all of them, into a common grave of eternal oblivion". He wanted Germany to forget them, not to kill them. p. 180 (E) / p. 80 (D): Chamberlain gave the original quote in mediaeval German, and explained to his readers the word "tiuschiu", i.e. "German". p. 181 (E) / p. 81 (D): "Genau die Eigenschaft, die auch heute das deutsche Volk als Ganzes — und von wenigen, hoffentlich bald auszutilgenden Ausnahmen abgesehen" is translated with "Exactly the quality which to-day distinguishes the German people as a whole, with a few exceptions which will, it is to be hoped, now be exterminated". Chamberlain wrote: "soon be exterminated". He was talking of something that will happen somewhere in the future — and don't ask me what exactly he meant. The extermination of Tango-dances, as the next line suggests? p. 185 (E) / p. 83 (D): "If we review in thought the whole of this time, commencing soon after the time of Montaigne's pleasant journey, at a time when the confessions dwelt peacefully side by side and mixed marriages were of daily occurrence in Augsburg, up to the moment when Bismarck set his hand to the task, we shall be surprised at the Divine guidance, thanks to which there proceeded from the seemingly chaotic important consequences working one upon each other, and step by step the fragments of dissolution were collected, and once more united, again increased in essence and strength." What proceeded from the "seemingly chaotic important consequences"? I had to read this sentence twice before I understood what went wrong: "Chaotic" is a noun in this case, which is quite obvious in the German original. Maybe Clarke should have added a few extra comma's? "Thanks to which there proceeded, from the seemingly chaotic, important consequences". p. 190 (E) / p. 85 (D): "And no one knew — nor do they know to-day — how the transformation took place". In the original text is made clear that "they" are the ones who dislike Germany: the "Liebelosen". p. 195 (E) / p. 88 (D): Omission after "from the Vosges to the Carpathians!": "Wenn sich Eduard VII., der tückische Ränkeschmied, nur hätte träumen können, wozu die Vorsehung ihn und seine Bosheit brauchte! zu welchem hohen Werke des Zusammenschmiedens „in Blut und Eisen“! ": If only Edward VII., the sly plotter, could have dreamt, to what end Providence needed him and his maliciousness! To what noble work the forging "in blood and iron"! I'm not very happy with "forging" for "Zusammenschmiedens", but can't do any better, I'm afraid. By the way: it seems to me that Clarke censored all insults directed against British royalty. p. 196 (E) / p. 88 (D): Omission after "The policy of Germany [...] cannot be overlooked from the village steeple": "der weltgeschichtliche Blick muß geübt werden". I would say: "The policy of Germany [...] cannot be overlooked from ones own village steeple; one has to practice the world-historical view". p. 205 (E) / p. 93 (D): "We have seen it in regard to certain men who owed Germany everything". Chamberlain wrote "certain artists", referring to Dalcroze and others. p. 206 (E) / p. 94 (D): "The disgust at the worthlessness of men." Carlyle wrote: "Human Merit, do you really love it enough, think you; — human Scoundrelism [...], do you even abhor it enough?" It should have been a part of the Carlyle-quote on p. 171, but Clarke didn't incorporate it there, and had completely forgotten where this quote came from. So he translated Chamberlain's translation back into English. p. 207 (E) / p. 94 (D): Chamberlain ends with place and date: "Bayreuth, 21. Oktober 1914." Thus ends the lesson. Sometimes I wondered if Clarke used another source text, so I checked both the first and the eleventh edition of the Kriegsaufsätze, but couldn't find any differences. Theoretically speaking it is possible that Clarke translated not the Kriegsaufsätze-book but the original newspaper articles, and that Chamberlain himself has made corrections and alterations to his original essays before allowing a reprint. This could account for at least some of the differences. On the other hand: the introduction to the Ravings clearly mentions the 7th reprint of the Kriegsaufsätze, and assures the reader that the translation conveys the spirit of the original... |
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