Viewing 32 posts - 1 through 32 (of 32 total)
  • Anyone fluent in German
  • pb2
    Full Member

    I have a one page letter to Canyon CEO that I have put through an online translator but feel should be double checked before i fire it off. If there are any kind souls out that who spare me 10 mins that would be much appreciated, thanks Paul

    perchypanther
    Free Member

    “Achtung!”
    “Schnell!, Schnell!”
    “Gott in Himmel”
    ” For you, Tommy, ze war is over..”

    Sorry mate, that’s all I’ve got 😳

    darthshearer
    Free Member

    😆

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    rocketman
    Free Member

    Ein bisschen.
    Well, why not?
    Bitte.
    Little bit tricky, would you mind saying it again?
    Please?
    Could you repeat, amplify you know, reiterate yes?
    Wir Wir
    Yes, we’ll come back to that.
    Wollen
    Wollen? Voluntary?
    Ein auto mieten.
    Out to…Out to…Oh, I see, you’re volunteering to go out to get some meat. Not necessary. We have meat here. Vee haff meet hier in ze building.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Do you think that nobody over there speaks English?

    bongohoohaa
    Free Member

    I would just leave it as English, as what happens when they reply to you in German?

    cokie
    Full Member

    I’d also say that you should write it in English.
    If you do want me to check I’d be happy to. I’ve lived there most of my life and went to school there.

    40mpg
    Full Member

    “Ich Habe keine beine”

    Useful for explaining yourself later on at beerfests.

    Interestingly, or maybe not, teh only other German i can recall from my GCSE (grade 5) is “Das ist ein eichornchen”

    giantalkali
    Free Member

    I can see how spotting a squirrel could be helpful, if you were a jet setting Terry Nutkins

    Scapegoat
    Full Member

    I wouldn’t bother with online translators, they’re often so inaccurate that it would be better to send it in English and let them work it out.

    For the German speakers out there, I noticed a warning sign in my son’s Suzuki Jimny warning that failure to follow safety instructions may lead to “ernsthafte Verletzung” 🙂

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    Went to the World Cup when it was in Germany. A set of useful phrases given to us at the airport included:
    “Kann ich meinem zelt im ihren garten aufstellen”

    To this day, I am unsure if it’s a euphemism or a handy phrase for campers…

    LeeW
    Full Member

    Aber beklecker nicht das Sofa

    DezB
    Free Member

    See here 😆

    (I do have a German colleague who would help if you needed it- address in profile)

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    Is this what google translate has given you?

    Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!

    cokie
    Full Member

    Aber beklecker nicht das Sofa

    😆

    molgrips
    Free Member

    but feel should be double checked before i fire it off

    It’s mandatory. IME Google Translate is a disaster with German.

    Just write it in English, with an apology if you feel ashamed. There’ll almost certainly someone in their office with better translation skills than Google.

    Maybe stick some salutations/words in there if you want to make a good impression.

    iolo
    Free Member

    If you don’t speak German, it’s probably best you don’t give them a false idea that you can.
    I have C1 German but, am not completely amazing in grammar so wouldn’t be confident enough in translating yours.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    If you don’t speak German, it’s probably best you don’t give them a false idea that you can.

    As if Google would do that 😆

    pb2
    Full Member

    Thanks for the replies (even the daft ones). I am seeking a resolution to a problem with Canyon and don’t want to come over as some Imperialist Johnny English type. I have started the letter by acknowledging that I got a “friend” to translate it speed the resolution up.

    Cokie, big thanks for your offer, there is a PM coming your way, thanks Paul

    nealglover
    Free Member

    I am seeking a resolution to a problem with Canyon and don’t want to come over as some Imperialist Johnny English type.

    Opening line….

    “Please accept my apologies for writing in English, but I do not speak German, and did not trust an online translator to be accurate.”

    bongohoohaa
    Free Member

    Wow. People really have baggage.

    Why would they think you are being an ‘imperialist’? You live in the UK, you speak English and they have an English website. I really don’t think they would care how you wrote to them, and fairly sure the CEO can speak better English than most of us.

    This is not quite barging into a Indian deli and demanding sausage egg and chips, and then kicking off when they haven’t got any brown sauce.

    Rorschach
    Free Member

    fairly sure the CEO can speak better English than most of us.

    The bin does’nt care what language it’s written in.

    wanmankylung
    Free Member

    Just write the thing in English. Your current approach risks insulting them by insinuating that they, a leader in business, doesn’t have fluent English.

    welshfarmer
    Full Member

    Aber beklecker nicht das Sofa

    🙂 good album

    If it helps I am pretty fluent in German and my missus is Bavarian so she has the basics too 😉

    aracer
    Free Member

    Somebody I worked with took a job in Germany. No requirement for him to know German for the job as their working language was English. I’d expect (not in an arrogant imperialist sense) somebody doing a professional job in Germany – particularly an engineering one, which would include a lot of people working at Canyon – to have very good English. You translating it is utterly pointless.

    bongohoohaa
    Free Member

    The bin does’nt care what language it’s written in.

    scotia
    Free Member

    pb2:

    I live and work in switzerland. In mainland europe its remarkable the level of languages here.. you really should write the letter in english and forget the apologies.. and especially forget the ‘i have a friend who translated it into german for you..’

    As aracer says, it is more offensive to them..

    They are a competitor in the bike business – they will have grade A english.

    RoterStern
    Free Member

    I can also translate it for you but as aracer says alot of companies in Germany actually use English as their lingua franca as they export most of their products. A company like Canyon have regular contact with factories in Taiwan in English. I actually think your letter will have more gravitas if it was written in English.

    pb2
    Full Member

    Opinions are just that, they are opinions not facts but I am swayed by the more thoughtful ones so English it will be. To those kind enough to offer to translate my letter big thanks.

    Finally as for big Franks romantic lyrics well I guess if you take enough drugs the lyrics make sense 🙄

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    9

    aracer
    Free Member

    neun?

    docrobster
    Free Member

    But late to this but just to echo the “write it in English” advice
    My sister in law works for a multi national based in Austria. They speak English in the office.

Viewing 32 posts - 1 through 32 (of 32 total)

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