thefourthvine: Two people fucking, rearview: sex is the universal fandom. (Default)
Keep Hoping Machine Running ([personal profile] thefourthvine) wrote2008-03-22 12:36 pm

Help, friends list?

I need translations (in any language - I will totally welcome things like Elvish and Klingon, too) for the following five words:

Welcome

Read

Listen

Create

Explore

Any bilingual/multilingual people out there who like to help me out? You'll get - okay. You'll just get thanks. But they will be very sincere thanks.

[identity profile] vienna-waits.livejournal.com 2008-03-22 07:57 pm (UTC)(link)
German (I'm assuming the first word is a greeting, and I'm just using infinitives for the other four, not direct-address imperatives--if you want those instead, they're longer):
Willkommen
lesen
hören
schaffen
erkunden

If you provided more context about what you're doing with this (where you are posting this and for what target audience, what topic is being discussed, etc.), I might be able to give you a better translation. (Disclaimer: I am a professional translator. People's requests for all-purpose translations of words without context are probably why you end up with so many laughable translations on signs and the like. Translation without context often ends in tears. [/professional rant])

[identity profile] thefourthvine.livejournal.com 2008-03-22 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much!

I hear you on the professional translator frustration (although, hey, you have an awesome job!), but, sadly, my knowledge of the intended context is limited. I'm assuming it will be for signs, you know, ones that say "Welcome!" (which is, indeed, intended to be a greeting) or "Read!" or whatever. Except in many languages.

[identity profile] vienna-waits.livejournal.com 2008-03-24 08:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Fair enough, but where will the signs be posted? A library? A sports stadium? A zoo? This could make a difference in the words suggested as well as the forms used (formal vs. informal/singular vs. plural direct-address imperative). I know I am being a bit churlish and I hope you will forgive me, but knowing the target audience and context is 90% of the battle in many cases.