For the next few LLJs, I will be translating an article from Der Spiegel entitled Der Spekulant. Below are the second two paragraphs (the first two I worked on with Vera last week), with my translations afterwards. I would be grateful for feedback!
Damien Hirst ist einer jener “Young British Artists”, die in den neunziger Jahren des vergangenen Jahrhunderts lärmend die Bildfläche betreten hatten. Er war unter ihnen der bei weitem cleverste. Heute gilt er als reichster Künstler der Gegenwart. Mit einem geschickten Spiel aus An- und Verkauf eigener Werke hat er ihren Marktwert beeinflusst wie ein gewiefter Broker. Dank Hirst wurde der Künstler endgültig zum Spekulanten.
Tod und Vergänglichkeit sind seine zentralen Themen, die er als mundane Schaustücke zu präsentieren versteht, Museumskunst mit Irrationswert. Aufstehen erregte er mit seinen in Formaldehyd präparierten Tierkadavern, einem Hai, einer in mehrere Stücke zersägten Kuh, die in Riesentanks ausgestellt wurden wie in einem Naturkundemuseum. Apothekenschränke filgten sowie große Tableaus mit dekorativ angeordneten Schmetterlingsflügeln.
Damien Hirst is one of those “Young British Artists” which, in the 1990s, at the end of the century, noisily entered the scene. He was by far the cleverest among them. Today he is the richest contemporary artist. With a skillful game of buying and selling his own work, he has influenced his market value like a crafty dealer. Thanks to Hirst the artist has ultimately become a speculator.
Death and transience are his central themes, which he presents to art museums as chic showpieces for an irrational price. He caused a sensation with his animal cadavers prepared in formaldehyde, a shark, a cow sawn into pieces, which were exhibited in giant tanks and became like a natural history museum. Pharmacy shelves followed, as well as large paintings with decorative flying butterflies.
Great overall! - Some comments here:
AntwortenLöschen1. For the sentence : "Today he is the richest contemporary artist", the german version says something more of "He is considered to be...." instead of "is..."
2. In the sentence - "he has influenced his market value" it should actually say "their" market value ("ihren Marktwerk" in the original). Also, note that the German version puts "wie ein Broker" beyond the scope of the sentence (beyond the past participle of the past tense) - this is done for stylistic purposes, the final phrase stands out exactly because it is not where it should be according to all the grammar rules.
3. I the German sentence: "die er als mundane Schaustücke zu präsentieren versteht", the "versteht" is also important because they want to say that he knows how to do it. So, if you add something like "skillfully" to your translation there, it would be closer to the original.
4. I would get Niko's input on the phrase "Museumskunst mit Irrationswert" - just to make sure you get the exact meaning of what the German sentence says.
5. 'which were exhibited in giant tanks and became like a natural history museum" could be just "which were exhibited in giant tanks like at a natural history museum".
6. "as well as large paintings with decorative flying butterflies" - what the author means is "as well as large art pieces/canvases with butterfly wings arranged in a decorative manner".
Good job! This text actually does break some of the rules for work order - which makes it sound livelier, I guess, but makes it harder to translate.