Friday, May 2, 2014

2014 Harvill Secker Young Translators’ Prize

Harvill Secker Young Translators' Prize

The annual Harvill Secker Young Translators' Prize, first held in 2010, "aims to recognise the achievements of young translators at the start of their careers." Harvill Secker, a publishing company, is partnering with the British Centre for Literary Translation and the Goethe-Institut London.

Each year, the prize focuses on a different language, and the chosen language for this year is German. Competitors for the prize will translate the short story "Der Hausfreund" by German author Julia Franck.

Winners will receive £1000 and a selection of Harvill Secker titles, and is also invited to participate in the BCLT mentorship scheme and in the Crossing Border festival in November.

The deadline for this contest is Friday, August 1, 2014.

The entry form and rules can be found here, and a copy of the short story can be found here.

The contest to open to entrants from any country, but an entrant must be between the ages of 18 to 34 as of the contest deadline.

For residents of the UK or Ireland:
The Stephen Spender Prize focuses on translation of poetry; to enter, submit a translation of a poem from any language, classical or modern, into English. The due date is May 23, 2014. There is no age limit for this competition, but entrants 18 years of age or older must pay a £5 submission fee.

Monday, April 14, 2014

German-American Friendship Garden Rededication Ceremony

Last Friday, April 11, 2014, was the Rededication Ceremony of the German-American Friendship Garden on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. German Ambassador Peter Ammon and Superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks Robert Vogel led the ceremony.

Keep reading for information about the garden and my photos from the Rededication Ceremony!

About the Garden

The German-American Friendship Garden was originally built in 1983. It was dedicated by President Ronald Reagan and Chancellor Helmut Kohl to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the settlement of Germantown, Pennsylvania, the first organized immigration of Germans.

The Garden was originally designed by the late German landscape architect Wolfgang Oehme, who emphasized common elements in United States and German cultures by using only plants indigenous to both countries.

A joint initiative was launched last year between the German Embassy, the National Park Service, and the Association of German-American Societies of Greater Washington, D.C. for a much-needed restoration of the garden. Oehme van Sweden, a landscape architecture company of which Mr. Oehme was a founding partner, assisted in an advisory capacity. Over the past year, perennials and other native plants were planted, a new irrigation system was installed and the central square panel of the garden was restored.

The German-American Friendship Garden is on the grounds of the Washington Memorial and across the street from the Ellipse (in front of the White House). Check it out on the map below:


More information about the German-American Friendship Garden and its restoration can be found at the following webpages:
Photos of the Rededication Ceremony

Here are some of the photos that I took while attending the Rededication Ceremony:

Orchestra playing at the ceremony.
An orchestra provides music. The orchestra played the national
anthems of Germany and the United States before the ceremony.
The Ellipse and the White House are in the background.

Superintendent Vogel speaks
Superintendent Vogel makes a statement at the Rededication Ceremony.
Ambassador Ammon speaks at the ceremony.
Ambassador Ammon makes a statement at the Rededication Ceremony.
Volunteers are recognized.
Ambassador Ammon recognizes key volunteers.
The volunteers received a plaque and a medal from the German Embassy.
The Ambassador and the Superintendent plant the last plant to finish the garden.
Ambassador Ammon and Superintendent Vogel plant the
last flower to finish the restoration of the garden.
The Ambassador and the Superintendent finish the planting.
Ambassador Ammon and Superintendent Vogel finish the planting.
Afterward, the two men shook hands.
Two shovels in the ground; the planting is done.
The restoration is complete!
Banner at the ceremony with a quote from President Reagan.
A banner at the ceremony displays a quote from President Ronald Reagan.
The Ambassador and the Superintendent cut the friendship cake together.
Ambassador Ammon and Superintendent Vogel cut the friendship cake.
The friendship cake is cut and shared with visitors.
A staff member from the German Embassy cuts the friendship cake
and passes out slices to attendees.
The Ambassador speaks with a National Park Service member.
Ambassador Ammon chats with another National Park Service member.
The Washington Monument is in the background.
View of the garden.
A view of the German-American Friendship Garden.
As the plants mature, the garden will look more full.
Another view of the garden.
Another view of the garden and the water fountains.
View of the garden from the opposite direction.
A view of the garden from the opposite direction.
The ceremony location is to the left.
View of Rededication Ceremony.
A view of the Rededication Ceremony.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Will German become Gender-Neutral?

According to an article published Monday in The Guardian, the German federal justice ministry is encouraging state agencies should try to use gender-neutral language in their documents. Here are some quotes from the article:
Changing attitudes to gender are increasingly transforming the German language, and some theorists argue that scrapping the gendered articles altogether may be the most logical outcome.
Now, with the federal justice ministry emphasising that all state bodies should stick to "gender-neutral" formulations in their paperwork, things are changing again. Increasingly, job ads use the feminine form as the root of a noun, so that even a male professor may be referred to as der Professorin. Lecturers are advised to address their students not as Studenten but Studierende ("those that study"), thus sidestepping the gender question altogether.
Many linguists question whether language can be changed through human will. "It's hard to transform grammar through legislation, and even if so, such changes often happen over centuries," said Anatol Stefanowitsch, a linguist at Berlin's Free University.
Read the full article here:  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/24/germans-get-tongues-around-gender-neutral-language. For more information on gender-neutral language issues in German, see this Wikipedia article: Geschlechtergerechte Sprache.
One response can be found here: "Can language ever be gender neutral?", Eurotalk.com.

What do you think? How will the German language change? Post your opinions below! (Also, if someone can find the original statement from the German federal justice ministry, please post a link to it below!)

Saturday, May 11, 2013

"Let's Get Specific:" 6 German Compound Words Borrowed by English

Dictionary.com recently had a slideshow on its front page entitled Let's Get Specific: 6 German words you won't believe.

The slideshow comprises six German compound words that arose to describe "very specific ideas," which English subsequently borrowed.

Click on the slideshow above to see the meanings of Weltschmerz, Schadenfreude and more.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Einen Clown frühstücken?

Haben Sie heute einen Clown gefrühstückt?

Yes, the question above translates into English as "Did you have a clown today for breakfast?"

Of course, the phrase "einen Clown frühstücken" is an idiom and has a figurative meaning.

But the phrase can have several different meanings. It can refer to someone who isn't known to be funny but just made a joke. It can mean someone who is being inappropriately or unusually funny or silly.

More information can be found here:
Also, Axel Hüpfer, a company who makes other funny products, made Clown zum Frühstück honey, so that you can eat a clown for breakfast every morning. See Axel-huepfer.de: Clown zum Frühstück Honig and Youtube.com: Hier wird ein Clown zum Frühstück verspeist.

Are you going to use this phrase today? Post your comments below!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Check Your Library for Language-Learning Resources

If you are looking for language-learning software, check out your local library!

A lot of libraries offer access to digital databases and other online resources to their cardholders. Many of them also offer free access to language-learning software, like Mango Languages or Powerspeak Languages. Depending on the library, these resources can be accessed at the library, online through any computer, or both.

To see if your library offers free language-learning software, check its website, or call or visit the library directly and ask. Check out Libcat for help finding the website of your local library.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Some Quick Updates

Some updates:

Comments
If you tried to comment on this site before and your comments haven't shown up yet, please check again. Commenters who included a link back to their own site had their comments automatically flagged as spam, and I just went through and un-flagged those comments that weren't spam. I also responded to a few comments.

GLO Originals Page
I noticed that the "GLO Originals" page wasn't coming up for some reason, but that should be fixed now. I'll have to create some new original content to put there!

Layout
One commenter informed me that there was some compatibility issues when viewing this site in IE. It's coming up fine on my computer now, so if anyone else is having this problem let me know (and tell me what device you're using to view the blog).

Also, thank you for reading this blog! Danke!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The Advent Season (2012)

The Advent Season

The Advent Season officially started this year on Sunday, December 2nd.

What is "Advent"?

Christmas is a major holiday in Germany. Advent is the season leading up to Christmas. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which can be as early as November 27th and as late as December 3rd (although Advent calendars usually start on December 1st - see more below). This year, the Advent season begun on Sunday, December 2nd.

While traditions can vary from area to area (and from town to town!), below are some general German Advent traditions.

German-way: Advent
Wikipedia: Advent
Wikipedia: Advent (German)

Adventskranz

In Germany, the four Sundays in Advent - the Adventssonntage - are often counted using an Adventskranz. The Adventskranz is a wreath, ususally made from evergreen, with four candles The candles each represent one of the four Sundays in Advent. Often, the candle representing the fourth Sunday will be a different color.



Each Sunday in Advent, one of the candles is lit while the family (or church congregation) sings Christmas carols.

German.about.com: Advent Wreath
Youtube: How to Make a German Advent Calendar (by GermanEmbassyPress)
Wikipedia: Advent wreath
Wikipedia: Adventkranz (German)

Adventskalendar

The Advent calendar, or Adventskalendar, is a definite favorite among children. The calendar comes in many shapes and forms, but generally there are 24 compartments or pockets. Although the date of the start of Advent changes every year, most Advent calendars just begin on December 1st, 24 days before Christmas. Each day during Advent, one may be opened, revealing a message, chocolate or other small gifts.

The German city of Hünfeld made its town hall into
a giant Advent calendar by using the windows.




Some people handmake their Advent calendars, but there are also many Advent calendars commercially available.
  
 

If you made an Advent calendar, take a picture of it and submit it for a chance to win an iPad or Kindle Paperwhite. Enter here before December 24th, 2012 (contest run by Goethe-Institut New York).

There are also many "virtual" Advent calendars that feature information about Christmas in Germany, recipes, prizes, and more:
You can also create your own online advent calendar using your photos, and send it to your family and friends. Check out Advientos.com.


Image Credits:
Advent Wreath: Andrea Schaufler, via Wikipedia
Hünfeld Advent Calendar: Wikipedia Contributor Hesse1309
House Advent Calendar:  Harry London Chocolates, via Google Affliliate Ads

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Update on the Telenovela - "Lena - Liebe meines Lebens"

Here's an update on the telenovela "Lena - Liebe meines Lebens," which was covered in an earlier blog post:

ZDF, a major German TV channel, launched the telenovela on September 20, 2010. It was adapted from an Argentinian telenovela.  "Lena" ran for 180 episodes, and ended on June 21, 2011. Click here or here to get a list and description of each episode (in German).

I haven't been able to find any of the episodes online, besides some short clips on YouTube. If you know where to view full episodes online, you can post the link in the comments below.

If you are looking for another German soap opera on ZDF, try one of these:
  • Herzflimmern - Liebe zum Leben, a soap opera taking place in a clinic in the fictitious lake-side town of Sonnenberg. This show stopped filming in February 2012, but the ZDF is still showing episodes of it online.
  • Herzkino (Not really a soap opera, but this series shows a new made-for-TV romantic movie every Sunday).
If you know of any German soap operas with full episodes available online, post it in the comments below!



Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! German Birthdays

With GLO turning two, I thought I'd do a post on birthdays - I've created a list of sites so you can know what to say, learn German birthday customs, and even send free birthday e-cards in German!

Birthday Greetings / Vocabulary:

Birthday Songs & Customs:

More: