For a game on an unrelated forum, Ba needs approximate translations of the names of two characters into German. The characters are named Big Jim Dawg and Billy Bob Katt. Would Grosse Jeckel Hünd (umlaut added for effect) and Willi Rab Katze be approximately the same?
Give me a minute. Let's see if I can't make this one complicated enough to write a whole essay about it...
I find name translation tricky. I’d say I build a few sets of fitting words and you just take what you like. Where do you know “Jeckel” from? It’s great actually, although in Cologne dialect, where I know it from, it suggests a person that is somehow smart in a way but not exactly educated… The "Jeck" (spelled "Yeck") is the carnival fool. I don’t know about adding the umlauts. It makes the word sound very, very different in my head, and well, wrong. Don’t forget how different an ü sounds from an u. And now, to the translation itself… Maybe you know that the German language doesn’t like lining up lots of small words for describing one thing or person, and clashes the words together into one long word rather than that? Makes it very inventive, it does. But let’s first take a look at the single words. Clumsily, and word for word, the translation would be: Großer-[Jim]-Hund and [Billy Bob] Katze. Sounds stupid of course, that is what Babelfish might spit out. Actual equivalents for Jim, if it were a German, might be Jakob, Jeckel (cool finding), Koos, Köbbes (all dialect, you won’t find these versions on any birth certificate). Say, that Jim guy might be called Großer Hundeköbbes, Großer Hundejeckel, Jeckel der große Hund, Langer Hundekoos, Großer Hundejakob…. Take the bit parts and make somthing of them that sounds fine for you. Billy Bob Katt…. Wilhelm Robert Katze… Willi Robert Katze... Willi Rob[by]… I don’t quite know where to put two given names without having it sound like the standard –given name- given name- family name in German. It just doesn’t sound as it should, as two given names aren’t used as fluently in German as they often are in English. Given, yes, but only occasionally pronounced out. Katzenwilli, Katzenrob[by], Willi Rob Katze, Willi Katzenrob… Or make it a male cat: Katerwilli, Kater-Robby, Kater Rob, Kater Wilhelm… take your pick. [FONT="]Hope this helps you.[/FONT]
Well, Dawg and Katt are, in this case, surnames rather than nicknames. Sorry. Should have made that clear. Koos and Köbbes are both pretty cool, though Ba still kind of likes Jeckel (reminds him of Heckel and Jeckel, a cartoon from his youth). He got Jeckel from Wikipedia, where it was listed as a nickname for Jakob.
Was there anything you could use, or should I give a translation keeping in mind the family names -thing and all?
Well now, that depends on whether or not Hsing thinks these work in German. Looking back, Ba should have been more clear on the connotations these names have in English. Ba apologizes for this. It was late when he wrote the initial post. He probably should have posted when he was more alert and communicative. He should also have made it clear from the beginning that Dawg and Katt were surnames. Typically, the two are just called Big Jim and Billy Bob. The last names are primarily used for introductions. They're really just puns tacked on (Big Jim is an anthropomorphic bloodhound, Billy Bob is an anthropomorphic bobcat). These are redneck style names. Yokels. Big Jim and Billy Bob are not the sort of names one would expect of, say a doctor and a lawyer. Big Jim is a big working man. A farmer sort. Billy Bob is his none-too-bright sidekick. In the stories these two are used in, they serve as clowns. Anything that reinforces the idea that they are yokels is welcome. So, any of those Hsing gave could work fine, if they seem like appropriate nicknames given to someone in German. Ba actually kind of likes Langer Hundekoos. It sounds funny to American ears. Ba just wants to be sure that it sounds like someone named Jakob [Dog] might be called.
In that case "Langer Köbbes" Hund, and Willi (Rob) Katze (Willi should have the desired effect on its own alone, too), might indeed be more accurate. Although someone in a funny mood, as in making fun of the characters, might give them any of the names I've suggested above. You could also change the "family" names to make them look more like actual family names, but not too much so they are still recognizable. Make Hundt of Hund, and Katzer of Katze, something like that - if you want them to sound more... realistc, if that is the right term in these cases... Just to round it up, a few actual family names with Hund and Katze: Hund, Hündling, Hundeck, Hundehege, Hundeborn, Hundrup, Lange Hundfeld (which means "Long Dogfield" and is an actual name...) Katz, Katzer, Katzgrau (Catgrey), Katzenmeier...
