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Translation - German-English - Sehr geehrter Herr Professor

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Title
Sehr geehrter Herr Professor
Text
Submitted by HansHeineken
Source language: German

Sehr geehrter Herr Professor, herzliche Grüße an dich, mit Schnee aus dem deutschen Winter. Ich habe mit Schnee geschrieben.
Remarks about the translation
I want to say it to my ex-teacher, he speaks Latin.

Title
My Dear Illustrious Professor, ...
Translation
English

Translated by merdogan
Target language: English

My Dear Illustrious Professor, warm greetings to you, with snow on the German winter. I wrote with snow.
Last validated or edited by lilian canale - 4 September 2012 19:41





Latest messages

Author
Message

1 September 2012 23:11

Lev van Pelt
Number of messages: 313
May I suggest a couple of minor improvements (even if the original German text is a bit awkward)?:

herzliche => hearty, effusive.

Sehr geehrter => Distinguished.

2 September 2012 00:09

HansHeineken
Number of messages: 63
My goal was to get it in Latin, so I was trying to say just like it would be in Latin.

I don't know how many words one can use, so I wanted to avoid wasting words.

And yeah, without context it may sound awkward.

2 September 2012 00:10

HansHeineken
Number of messages: 63
You can improve it, kein Problem.

Thanks

2 September 2012 00:55

Lev van Pelt
Number of messages: 313
Hi, HansHeineken!
I'd be sorry if I have seemed somehow impolite; this was not at all my aim. Just being sincere; but I understand perfectly your intention to save some words.
Best regards!

2 September 2012 00:24

merdogan
Number of messages: 3769
"herzliche Grüße" means "best wishes" and "Sehr geehrter" means " Dear" in English.

2 September 2012 00:54

Lev van Pelt
Number of messages: 313
Of course, these words mean also what you say, Merdogan.
But that is just a poll; and I was giving my honest opinion; not changing or intending to change anything at all.
About "Sehr geehrter Herr Professor", I've received myself quite a few letters with those same opening words, trying to be very formal --and even posh-- in the very sense I've pointed out.

2 September 2012 01:12

Lev van Pelt
Number of messages: 313
... And, strictly, "herzliche" means "hearty", "cordial" or "effusive" more than "best". In Germany and in U.K. and other English speaking countries.


2 September 2012 02:51

HansHeineken
Number of messages: 63
Hello Lev van Pelt,

It didn't seem impolite to me, please don't feel sorry for that ;-)

I agree with you, I could say "beste Grüße" instead of "herzliche Grüüße" wich was not my intention.

Thank you for your attention! Have a nice day.

3 September 2012 00:12

ja.goris
Number of messages: 15
'Best wishes' does not quite match the translation 'herzliche Grüße'. Moreover, when you address someone with 'Herr Professor' you don't say 'dich' but 'Sie'.

3 September 2012 01:02

Lev van Pelt
Number of messages: 313
Sicher, ja.goris; but, with respect to your last point, and as far as I've understood HansHeineken, the contrast between formality and friendliness --even colloquialism- would be deliberate.

3 September 2012 07:42

HansHeineken
Number of messages: 63
Thank you again, Lev van Pelt, it seems that you understood the point here.

I must admit that it's embarrasing when one tries to interpret your text, specially when after doing that he points out how you must say something.

My ex-professor, he is very intelligent, and older than me and always makes me learn something interesting.

After being his pupil we became friends, and I usually greet him saying "magister" (latin for master, teacher)and "Herr Professor".

When we are talking I also say things like: "spinnst du, Herr Professor?" or "hahaha sehr lustig, Herr Professor, aber erzähl mir keine Geschichte".

I have the intention to be pleasant, so it shows the respect that a person must have with teachers, even if they became your friends. It's a mix of respect + cordiality.

3 September 2012 08:00

Lev van Pelt
Number of messages: 313
Do not please thank me at all, HansHeineken! It has been a pleasure to take part in this "chat", and to know you all (even if I did not understand your intention well enough at the beginning, taking your text too literally.

My best regards!

[Of course, I cannot help you with Latin, but regarding this English translation, you could perhaps consider to write: "My Dear Distinguished Professor"; as a sympathetic --and a little ironic-- mixture of respect and cordiality, in the line that you're telling me. Just an idea...]

3 September 2012 15:06

lilian canale
Number of messages: 14972
Hi guys,

I wonder if:

"My Dear Illustrious Professor, warm greetings (kind regards) to you, with snow on the German winter. I wrote with snow." would please everyone.

3 September 2012 15:31

Lev van Pelt
Number of messages: 313
I would say that "My Dear Illustrious Professor" is Very good ; I like it; and the rest as well (those "warm greetings... with snow" ).
But, of course, this is not my text, and HansHeineken and Merdogan have to decide.

3 September 2012 20:33

Mats Fondelius
Number of messages: 153
= with (Snow) from (the) German (Winter). (My comment: Capital letters - even though it's not grammatically correct but underlines the subtle message in the text!)
= I have with Snow been writing. (My comment: Capital letter as above & an alternative sentence that's more in line with the "poetry" iin the original. OK, otherwise!!

4 September 2012 09:26

merdogan
Number of messages: 3769
Dear Lilian,
Thanks for your help. I agree with you.

4 September 2012 22:22

Lev van Pelt
Number of messages: 313
@Lilian

Maybe you should have waited for a final opinion from HansHeineken to edit this...?
I don't know, but I was really interested to know what he was thinking about this new headline --good as it was--.