Anglicisms in everyday life and how they pose a challenge for translators
Anglicisms have now become firmly established in numerous specialist fields as well. This is particularly evident in medicine, pharmacy, engineering and the legal sector. In commercial law, for example, the term ‘compliance’ is frequently discussed. Whilst German equivalents such as ‘Regelkonformität’ or ‘Einhaltung von Vorschriften’ do exist, none of them fully captures the meaning of the English technical term.
This development is of particular significance for specialist translators. They must have a precise understanding of not only the linguistic but also the technical usage of such terms and keep abreast of developments on an ongoing basis. After all, only those who have a command of the latest terminology and take the relevant specialist context into account can produce translations that are precise, comprehensible and tailored to the target audience.
In many cases, these Anglicisms do not even have an equivalent in German - is this an issue for translators and interpreters?
Especially in recent years, the English language has spread more and more in the German-speaking world. This poses a challenge for translators and interpreters in particular.
The marketing and media sector is particularly “affected” by Anglicisms. English is ubiquitous and German can hardly “beat” it. In the news, for example, you hear that a "whistleblower" has "leaked" secret documents and this "story" then makes waves. Perhaps Hollywood will also hop on board and the whole thing will become the "blockbuster" of the year. On social media, the "trailer" is then diligently shared and "liked". That's also how the actors of the movie get more attention and "followers". Social media particularly promote the further spread of English in the German language. As a result, many young people pick up on short English words, such as "cute", "random", and "weird", and use them in everyday life and on other platforms. Translators must recognize this distinct trend especially in the field of marketing and implement it accordingly whenever the target audience are "teenagers".
Anglicisms are not only prevalent in media and marketing - they can also be found in sport
In boxing, Germans no longer say "kämpfen", but "fight". Competitions and contests are now "challenges" and no longer “Wettbewerbe” or “Herausforderungen”. There are "shooting stars" in football and "newcomers", who of course regularly train in the "gym" and no longer in the “Fitnessstudio”. And even the “Mannschaftsgeist” has become "team spirit". When translating, linguists must always ask themselves what would best suit the target audience. When translating for trade journals, for example, they tend to refrain from using Anglicisms, unless they are already well established in the German-speaking world - especially in the respective industry itself. However, when it comes to shorter, more informal messages and news that are "posted" on social media, for example, Anglicisms are often used as a kind of stylistic device. For our translation agency, AP Fachübersetzungen in Nuremberg, striking the right tone is particularly important. Our young but highly experienced team is always up to date, and we are happy to take the time to ensure that our technical or certified translations precisely match the style our clients require. Our proofreading and editing services are also on hand to help you achieve the best possible result and improve existing texts and translations, because for us, only the best is good enough.
Information technology has a language of its own - challenges for specialist translators
However, the situation is somewhat different in the field of computer science and information technology ("IT"). Words such as "user", "account" and "interface" are by far not the only Anglicisms that have established themselves in the German language. The overwhelming majority of IT-specific terms are English and thus also widely used in the sector-specific literature. This often poses a particular challenge for technical translators, as in many cases it is not obvious which terms remain English or have a German equivalent that is also preferred by experts.
Pseudo-Anglicisms in German: What do specialist translators and interpreters have to do with that?
Last but not least, there is also the group of pseudo-Anglicisms. These are English terms that have been adopted into German, but have taken on a completely different meaning here. For example, the English "old-timer" (long-established; old hand) becomes the German "Oldtimer" (vintage car). The same applies to "Handy" (German: cell phone), "Beamer" (German: projector) and even "Happy End" is actually supposed to be "happy ending". These pseudo-Anglicisms usually do not pose too much of a problem when translating texts, since in most cases, they have already been Germanized to the point where they are generally known and frequently used.
Anglicisms in the German language - boon or bane for interpreters and translators?
Anglicisms are now an integral part of the German language and play a particularly important role in the fields of marketing, media and information technology. This presents a particular challenge for translators and interpreters, as they often have to carefully weigh up whether an English term should be retained or replaced with a suitable German equivalent.
Professional translations are therefore guided not only by linguistic correctness, but also by the target audience, the specialist field and the specific purpose of the text. Whilst English terms and slogans are often deliberately used in marketing texts to achieve an international or modern feel, technical translations prioritise precision, terminological consistency and clarity.
Ultimately, it is a matter of finding the right linguistic solution for each context. Only in this way can content be conveyed accurately and the desired effect achieved with the target audience.
Image: Markus Winkler, unsplash.com
