I recently came across this in a text for kids' face-paints (the children could paint themselves a "klabautermann" mask). As far as I know Pumuckl is a Klabautermann and a klabautermann is some kind of ship's protective spirit (I've seen quite a few translations: from hobgoblin, to (what I eventually used for the sake of understanding - ship's imp - I considered elf) to the German word being used in English. I also feel that ship's spirit isn't quite right.
It really made me think, though ... there are quite a few cultural concepts that are rather hard to render in English. So, I was just wondering: Is there an Anglo-Saxon concept of some kind of Klabautermann - i.e. is there a proper word for Klabautermann, i.e. similar Anglo-Saxon legends, or is it something you just have to describe?
Sarah Downing (asker): 3:27pm Jul 5, 2004: I agree that the term should be left, but as this was a text for children's face paints to be understood by children, I translated it as ship's imp. I think it depends on the kind of text you're translating. Sarah Downing (asker): 3:28pm Jul 5, 2004: Also we considered using kobold, but most English-speakers don't know what it means Sarah Downing (asker): 3:38pm Jul 5, 2004: Hi Olaf!
You've got to bear in mind what kind of native speakers you're addressing - although I know the word Kobold, I've only known it since I learnt German (It is not generally known). Educated people or German-speakers might know it, but the book was for children ... Stefanie Sendelbach: 3:47pm Jul 5, 2004: Hi Sarah, how about ship's goblin then? Would that fit better? - Sarah Downing (asker): 3:56pm Jul 5, 2004:
Thank you to everyone for all your efforts. It was actually more of a theoretical question as I had already translated it for my text (and rephrased it so that kiddies will understand it - it was the title of a make-up mask).
I was more interested really in not how to translate it, but if there is an actual equivalent in Anglo-Saxon mythology - It seems to be some kind of Germanic creation, but I had never come across anything similar in Britain, etc.
However, in any case (other than kid's make-up) where it is important to convey the right meaning, I think I agree: Leave it as it is (with explanation) - it isn't looking like there is any equivalent.
I love mythology! langnet: 5:16pm Jul 5, 2004: Hallo Sarah, ich halte mich wohlweißlich zurück beim Vorschlag einer englischen Übersetzung, möchte aber eine Sache anmerken, die mir bei den gegebenen Antworten fehlt und vielleicht zur Entscheidung beiträgt. Der "Klabautermann" ist keine positive Figur, - langnet: 5:21pm Jul 5, 2004: er erscheint den Seeleuten, um den Untergang ihres Schiffes (also den Tod) anzukündigen und ist/war deshalb sehr gefürchtet. Du solltest diese negative Bedeutung unbedingt auf Englisch mit herüberbringen. Ein "Kobold" ist für mich eher ein Wesen, das - Maria Ferstl: 5:21pm Jul 5, 2004: Glaube ich auch nicht. Ich persoenlich habe noch nie eine Geschichte vom Klabautermann gelesen, aber das Wort weckt in mir negative Assoziationen. So etwas wie ein unheimliches Gesicht, das im Dunkeln auftaucht und Angst macht... - langnet: 5:28pm Jul 5, 2004: auch böse, aber relativ harmlose Streiche spielt. Für "goblin" lese ich bei leo.org dagegen auch "der Alb" ("Alp"), ein furchtbares Wesen, vielleicht ist das also eine gute Wahl. - Manfred Mondt: 9:47pm Jul 5, 2004: So schlimm wie Langnet andeutet ist die Sache auch wieder nicht. Der K ist auf dem Schiff um es zu beschützen. Siehe auch: http://www.janmaat.de/klabaut.htm http://www.oppisworld.de/poesie/philo/klabaut.htm
- Manfred Mondt: 9:54pm Jul 5, 2004: Wer erinnert sich noch:
Es weht der Wind mit Stärke zehn das Schiff schwankt hin und her
am Himmel ist kein Stern zu sehn es tobt das wilde Meer
O seht dort zeigt sich der Klabautermann
Doch wenn der l Mast auch bricht-Das kann doch einen Seemann nich - Sarah Downing (asker): 6:58am Jul 6, 2004: Funny you say that Nancy - about ship's spirit - that's what I originally used, but my agency didn't like it and changed it to kobold, which is how I ended up with imp.
Erklärung: I think the best would be to leave the word as it is and not to translate it. Just add a little explanation in brackets ("ship's kobold" should do) the first time the word occurs in your translation.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 17 mins (2004-07-05 15:34:45 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
I think the word \"kobold\" is not that unknown to English speakers - at least there is an entry for it in the Webster\'s New World Heritage Dictionary and there are plenty of google hits.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 34 mins (2004-07-05 15:52:39 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Dear Sarah, if you want to make sure that the children understand it, you could add the following description in brackets:
\"A klabautermann is a small spirit living on a ship and having supernatural powers. It is invisible to us and likes to play all sorts of jokes and tricks on people.\"
Thank you to both you - your comments and answers were really interesting. Points go to Olaf for your cute explanation. Incidentally, I also saw kobold in Merriam-Webster (before you mentioned) it, but I was really surprised, because I didn't know it even existed in English. 4 KudoZ-Punkte wurden für diese Antwort vergeben
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I agree with you that the term has quite a lot of cultural concept behind it. For a translation, I suggest you leave the German term and add a note, explaining it is some kind of sea kobold or ship's kobold (see below the two sources that I found).
Erklärung: I think the best would be to leave the word as it is and not to translate it. Just add a little explanation in brackets ("ship's kobold" should do) the first time the word occurs in your translation.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 17 mins (2004-07-05 15:34:45 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
I think the word \"kobold\" is not that unknown to English speakers - at least there is an entry for it in the Webster\'s New World Heritage Dictionary and there are plenty of google hits.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 34 mins (2004-07-05 15:52:39 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Dear Sarah, if you want to make sure that the children understand it, you could add the following description in brackets:
\"A klabautermann is a small spirit living on a ship and having supernatural powers. It is invisible to us and likes to play all sorts of jokes and tricks on people.\"
Something along those lines :-)
Olaf Reibedanz Argentinien Muttersprache: Deutsch PRO-Punkte in Kategorie: 4
Hinweis von Fragesteller an den Antwortenden
Thank you to both you - your comments and answers were really interesting. Points go to Olaf for your cute explanation. Incidentally, I also saw kobold in Merriam-Webster (before you mentioned) it, but I was really surprised, because I didn't know it even existed in English.
The translation workplace 
Zustimmung (Netto): +2
