Verpflichtung covers the English senses of obligation (something externally imposed) and commitment (something internally resolved). I had never really thought about it, but I'm retranslating a Website at the moment - changes have been made, but we have the translation of the old text - and realized that commitment is a pretty good translation for Verpflichtung in a corporate mission statement.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Alap
Hungarian: alap
"Alap" is a word I always thought was just "base" or "basis" - but it turns out that it also means fund. Seriously! But then I thought about it: "fund" also means "basis" (foundation). How cool is that? Just another Latin obscurity.
So while translating a document about the European Regional Development Fund, I ran across the European Union's legal text site. Very useful!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Ringschäle
German: Ringschäle
Shake (a crack that follows the curve of the rings in lumber)
I found a handy-dandy timber engineering dictionary. Very useful!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Lamellenkamm
German: Lamellenkamm
Today I have learned a new thing: that you can straighten the fins on a condenser unit, using a condenser fin comb, or "Lamellenkamm". And it's nice to find a mysterious-looking fanlike thing in a product list in Germany, then find a reassuringly English-speaking guy showing me how to use one.
The word Lamellen is actually one of those that's tricky to translate, as "lamellae" is always waiting there to clobber any more sensible alternative that might occur to you.
Now pardon me while I go buy a condenser fin comb, because I have some condenser fins that could use one, actually.
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