A brief case study

A BRIEF CASE STUDY OF MY WORK PAST AND PRESENT

I have found the time to work on a new case study project related to my career as a professional translator, and have now included it in my business marketing. I didn’t even have to hire someone this time.

This German text is a piece of tourism marketing which I actually translated for someone years back (333 words).

Was Kinder im Familienurlaub brauchen? Spiel, Spannung und Überraschung…

Das alles bietet Ihnen das Grünwald Resort Sölden und das Erlebnistal Ötztal im Sommer. Ob nun bei einer Familienwanderung die direkt am Haus vorbeiführt, im Kinderfunpark in Huben oder auf dem Spielplatz im Grünwald Resort – Ihre Familie hats bei uns gut!

Unsere Vorteile für einen Familienurlaub im Tiroler Ötztal

Selbstverpflegung: Im Grünwald Resort Sölden geht es Ihrer Familie so richtig gut. Unsere Selbstverpflegungsobjekte bieten Ihnen einen stressfreien Familienurlaub. Im Hotel heißt es meistens Kinder fertig machen fürs Frühstück oder Abendessen, dann schmeckt das Essen nicht usw. der Stress fängt erst so richtig an. In einem Selbstverpflegungsobjekt können Sie getrost das kochen was Ihre Kinder mögen, wann und wie Sie möchten. Ob Sie nun mit Jogginganzug am Frühstückstisch sitzen oder die Haare noch nicht gemacht sind in Selbstversorgerobjekten spielt das keine Rolle.

Unser Spielplatz: Mit Rutsche, Sandkasten und Schaukeln ist unser Spielplatz klein aber fein. Vom Balkon aus ist der Spielplatz auch immer ersichtlich sodass sich gestresste Eltern mal bei einem Buch zurücklehnen können.
Familienwanderung: Wir liegen direkt an den Familienwanderwegen zu den schönsten Hütten im Tiroler Ötztal, die auch noch in kurzer Zeit und mit Ihrer Familie leicht zu erreichen sind.

Für die ganz Kleinen: Damit auch die ganz Kleinen Gästen in Ihrer Familie nicht zu kurz kommen lassen Sie Hochstuhl und Kinderbett doch einfach zuhause – denn das gibt’s bei uns kostenlos (Bitte bei Buchung anmelden).

Keine Langeweile und richtig Geld gespart, mit der Ötztal Premium Card

Wir sind Partner der Ötztal Premium Card und damit steht Ihrer Familie eine große Anzahl von Leistungen im Ötztal kostenlos zu Ihrer Buchung im Grünwald Resort zur Verfügung: Seilbahnen, Kinder-Funpark, Minigolf, Schwimmbäder usw. Eben all dies damit Ihren Kinder gar nicht langweilig wird. Daneben sparen Sie mit der Ötztal Premium Card so richtig viel Geld – eine Familie (2 Erwachsen und 2 Kinder) spart über € 100,- pro Woche und das auch noch ohne Spaßverlust für Sie und Ihre Kinder – das ist der Grünwald Resort sorglos Familienurlaub.

I have kept it, and the translation of it that I did for the client, in my records all this time as one of many samples of past work to show potential new clients. To give you an idea of how long ago I did the work in question: my software says that the date on which the file I store this work on was last modified was 15/11/2011! And yes, I have got my own English translation of it in my records already, but I have translated it once again in this project, without looking at my original translation of it until I had finished this one. There follows my new translation of this German text that I did for this project, followed by the English translation I provided for someone who paid for it so long ago. I didn’t expect it to be exactly the same – would you? In short, this article is about the changing translation work and verbal expression inclinations over time of an individual i.e. me – I expect you to agree that, while the earlier work I did was in no way truly “bad” or “wrong”, the later work shows some sort of fine / polished improvements over the earlier one that I would hope to see acknowledged and appreciated. But it’s still not the same as me looking at the earlier translation product as I proofread it in the creation of an altered work aka the “four-eyes policy” in the translation industry (since this normally requires more than one person).

So compare the two at your leisure – maybe it could help to stimulate discussion about language / linguistics, who knows? They say music by Mozart is good for listening to when studying… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df-eLzao63I

Anyway, the “new” English translation of this German text I did for this project is as follows:

What do children need when on a family holiday? Games, excitement and surprise…

All these things are waiting for you at the Grünwald Resort Sölden and the Ötztal valley of experiences in the summer. Whether it’s a family hike passing right by your house, at the children’s fun park in Huben or in the playground area at the Grünwald resort – your family can certainly expect good times with us!

The benefits we offer with a family holiday in Ötztal, Tyrol

Self-catering: your family will be so happy at the Grünwald Resort Sölden. Our self-catering properties will allow you to have a stress-free family holiday. In the hotel, it is mostly etc. getting the kids ready for breakfast or dinner, or the food will lose its taste, which is when the stress really kicks in. In a self-catering property, you can confidently cook what your children want, when and how you want it. It doesn’t matter in self-catering properties if you are sitting at the breakfast table in a jogging suit or if you have not done your hair yet.

Our playground: Our playground, with a slide, a sandbox and swings, is small but fine. The playground can also always be seen from the balcony, allowing stressed parents to lean back with a book.

Family hike: We lie directly along the family hiking trails leading up to the most beautiful huts in Ötztal, Tyrol, which are also easy to reach in a short time with your family.

For the really young ones: in order that even the really young guests in your family aren’t forgotten: you can simply take a high chair and a cot back home – these are free with us (please ask for them when making your booking).

No boredom and a lot of money saved with the Ötztal Premium Card

We are partners of the Ötztal Premium Card, and with this your family have access to a large range of services in Ötztal, available for free, when you make your Grünwald Resort booking. Cable railways, the children’s fun park, crazy golf, swimming pools etc. – all these things, so that your children will indeed not be bored. In addition, you will save a lot of money with the Ötztal Premium Card – a family (2 adults and 2 children) will save more than € 100 per week, all without any loss of fun for you and your children – that is the Grünwald Resort carefree family holiday.

Compare this with the version I did for the client all that time ago:

What is it that children need in a family holiday? Fun, excitement and surprise…

The Grünwald Resort Sölden and the valley of experiences Ötztal (in the summer) offer you it all. From a family walk that heads directly back to your house, the children’s funpark in Huben or the playground in the Grünwald Resort – your family will have it good with us!

The advantages we offer with a family holiday in Ötztal, Tirol region

Self-catering: your family will be in very good hands in the Grünwald Resort Sölden. With our self-catering items, you will be able to enjoy a stress-free family holiday. In a hotel, the stress merely begins when it comes to getting the children ready for breakfast or dinner – then the food is not as good as it could be. In a self-catering property, you can cook with confidence: what your children want, when and how they want it. And in self-catering properties it doesn’t matter if you sit at the breakfast table wearing a jogging outfit and you still haven’t tidied your hair up.

Our playground: with a slide, and a sandpit and swings, our playground is small but fine. Also, the playground is always visible from the balcony; stressed parents can lean back reading a book.

Family walk: we lie directly along the family walking routes to the most beautiful cabins in Ötztal (Tirol), which can also be easily reached in a short time and with your family.

For the very young: In order to ensure that even the very young guests in your family don’t get neglected, you will find a high chair and a cot available at your home – and with us, it’s free (please mention that you require these, if necessary, when you make your booking).

With the Ötztal Premium Card, there is no boredom and plenty of money saved

We are Ötztal Premium Card partners and as such we are able to offer your family a large range of services in Ötztal for free when you make your booking in the Grünwald Resort: cable cars, children’s funpark, crazy golf, swimming baths etc.; all so you know things will not be boring for your children. With an Ötztal Premium Card you will also be saving a lot of money with this – a family (2 adults and 2 children) saves more than € 100 a week, all with no loss of fun to you or your children – such is the carefree Grünwald Resort family holiday.

Evaluation comments:
Refer to these bits in the “new” English translation:
“All these things are waiting for you…” and “Our self-catering properties will allow you…” – in both cases, the main verb used is something other than “offer”.
“Whether it’s a family hike passing right by your house…” – I decided to use rather “your” rather than the definite article, like there is in the original German version.
“The benefits we offer with a family holiday” – “Unsere Vorteile” in the original German version literally means “our benefits”, but I made a point of not using those exact words.