About the Book

Thinking German Translation is a comprehensive practical course in translation for advanced undergraduate and first-year postgraduate students of German. It focuses on improving translation quality by showing in detail the roles of clarity, method and awareness of purpose in translation, not as substitutes for creativity and flair, but as essential underpinnings. This second edition brings the course up-to-date, is much less literary in focus, has been thoroughly revised to give clearer explanations of key concepts, and features totally rewritten chapters on genre, compensation, and revision and editing.

Offering over 30 practical translation exercises, and further texts analysed in detail to illustrate the stage-by-stage presentation of the method, Thinking German Translation features much new contemporary material taken from a wide range of sources, including:

• business, economics and politics
• advertising, marketing and consumer texts
• tourism
• science and engineering
• modern literary texts and popular song.

A variety of translation issues are addressed, among them cultural differences, genre, and the challenge for the translator of producing idiomatic English from consistently more compact German structures.

Thinking German Translation is essential reading for all students seriously interested in improving their translation skills. It is also an excellent foundation for those considering a career in translation.

A Tutor’s Handbook for this course, giving guidance on teaching methods and assessment, as well as specimen answers, is available in PDF format from this site. Click here for more information.