[Ads-l] (Request help with German) Joke: Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint

[Chris Waigl]

Comments inline.

On Tue, Mar 14, 2023 at 12:49 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> Thanks for any help you can provide.
>
> Date 1817 October 18
> Periodical: Der Gesellschafter oder Blätter für Geist und Herz
> (The Companion or Pages for Mind and Heart)
> Article: Der Schluß folgt (The ending follows)
> Quote Page 683, Column 2
> Publication: In der Maurerschen Buchhandlung, Berlin, Germany.
> Database: Google Books Full View
>
>
> https://books.google.com/books?id=i1pEAAAAcAAJ&q=%22Sie+sterben%22#v=snippet&q=%22Sie%20sterben%22&f=false
>
> [Begin excerpt - check for typos]
> Zu einem Patienten, dem es zur Gewohnheit geworden war: durch
> medizinische Hülfsbücher sich selbst helfen zu wollen, sagte der
> verstorbene Dr. Herz: Nehmen Sie sich in Acht, Sie sterben einmal an
> einem Druckfehler!
> [End excerpt]
>
> [Begin translated excerpt]
> The late Dr. Herz said to a patient who had become accustomed to
> trying to cure himself with medical manuals: "Be careful, you will die
> one day from a printing error!"
> [End translated excerpt]
>

Don't see any issues with the excerpt. Translation is good, with a very
minor nuance: "Sie sterben einmal an einem Druckfehler" has a slight modal
quality. Not *quite * "you might die one day of a printing error/misprint"
but less factual than "you will..."" IMHO  "you're going to die" is a
better translation.

> The 1818 citation below is interesting because it specifies the full
> name “Marcus Herz”:
>
> Date: 1818 May 27
> Periodical: Die Leuchte: ein Zeitblatt für Wissenschaft, Kunst und Leben
> (The Lamp: A Journal for Science, Art and Life)
> Section: Ufferlei?? aus Abu Taleb's Miscellanenhefte (Offerings from
> Abu Taleb's Miscellanea Booklets )
> Quote Page 167, Column 2
> Publication: Berlin, Germany
> Database: Google Books Full View
>
> https://books.google.com/books?id=X2tEAAAAcAAJ&q=Marcus#v=snippet&
>
> [Begin excerpt - check for typos]
> „Der stirbt noch an einem Druckfehler!” sagte Marcus Herz von einem,
> der sich aus Büchern kurirte.
> [End excerpt]
>
> [Begin translated excerpt]
> “He’ll die of a misprint!” said Marcus Herz of one who cured himself from
> books.
> [End translated excerpt]
>

Excerpt is good. Translation again has a very very minor nuance, "er" vs
"der". "This one is going to die of a misprint!" would be my translation.

Chris

-- 
Chris Waigl . chris.waigl at gmail.com . chris at lascribe.net
http://eggcorns.lascribe.net . http://chryss.eu

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