Since 2004, I have been translating the quarterly bulletin of Ebenezer Emergency Fund International into German.

Previously, I spent 2 years in Russia and 15 months in England. On various trips, I spent 4 months in Israel als delegate or interpreter (simultaneous) on tours and conferences.

Besides that, I visited the Ukraine several times.

In 2008, I started translating and etiting books in my own office; yet my favorite is ‘translating’ German scripts or raw translations into best German – that is, good ideas deserve an excellent presentation: correct, understandable, interesting. Whatever the original language, I seek to make the book easy-to-read and easy to understand. Therefore, I seek to make rather short and clear sentences; I care for good grammar and correct spelling, appropriate language and plausibility.

 

A good translation makes the reader think, feel and see the same like the reader of the original. So, due to cultural differences, at times it even finds other words putting the author’s thought, his intent first. So I constantly ask myself how the author would have expressed it in German if she or he were a native German speaker?

The English 5-lines clause without a comma may be translated correctly into a German seven-liner, supported by ten commas. However, such a sentence would be quite hard to comprehend so I seek to crack it into short portions; that often takes quite some thought. Translating is hard work indeed and mostly requires linguistic reworking in the editorial office which I love to do, even on my own translation.

If I myself cannot understand a concept, a statement, a clause, although in the editorial office I am dealing intensely with the book – how then should the reader (probably reading in the evening after long hours of hard work)? No single sentence should remain misunderstood.

 

A good book usually offers new impulses the reader may not be used to; so the appearance should be as trustworthy as possible. Of course, the same standard applies to translations! Appearing questions I would discuss with the author or the editor.

 

Paper and printing-ink, a good position in the catalogue and a colored cover do not grant a book the expected success. For to be read and understood, further recommended or even becoming a standard birthday present for the following year, the linguistic presentation of a book should be excellent, too. Otherwise all effort may be in vain; that book serves as a gift and then just fills the book-shelf. I would love to contribute to good thoughts becoming readers’ pleasure and so finding real wide spreading and success.

I'll be glad to serve God in co-operation with you.

God bless you,

Gabriele Pässler

 

German Translations I have been working on

• Werner Oder, Battling with Nazi Demons – Mein Kampf mit dem Fluch der Nazis
  Vom Antisemitismus zum Zionismus: Die erstaunliche Geschichte des Sohnes eines österreichischen Kriegsverbrechers
• Winfried Bauer, Back into Our Future – Understanding the Five-fold Ministry
  Zurück in unsere Zukunft – Den Fünffältigen Dienst richtig verstehen, 2010
• Joice Samuel, I am healed – Confess and Possess Your Healing
  Geheilt –Proklamiere deine Heilung und halte sie fest, Durchbruch-Verlag 2011
• Ruth Ruibal, Unity in the Spirit
  Einheit im Geist – Lektionen aus der Heiligen Schrift
  und aus Cali, einer Stadt in Kolumbien, GB Verlag 2009