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11th ProZ.com translation contest: "Contemporary society" » English to German

Competition in this pair is now closed, and the winning entry has been announced.

Discussion and feedback about the competition in this language pair may now be provided by visiting the "Discussion & feedback" page for this pair. Entries may also be individually discussed by clicking the "Discuss" link next to any listed entry.

Source text in English

We're accustomed to glamour in London SE26: Kelly Brook and Jason Statham used to live above the dentist. But when Anouska Hempel's heels hit the cracked cement of the parking space outside my flat, it's hard not to think of those Picture Post photographs of royalty visiting bombed-out families during the second world war. Her mission in my modest tract of suburbia is, however, about more than offering sympathy. Hempel—the woman who invented the boutique hotel before it bore any such proprietary name—has come to give me information for which, judging by the spreads in interiors magazines and anxious postings on online DIY forums, half the property-owners in the Western world seem desperate: how to give an ordinary home the look and the vibe of a five-star, £750-a-night hotel suite. To Hem­pelise, in this case, a modest conversion flat formed from the middle slice of a three-storey Victorian semi.

"You could do it," she says, casting an eye around my kitchen. "Anyone could do it. Absolutely no reason why not. But there has to be continuity between the rooms. A single idea must be followed through." She looks out wistfully over the fire escape. "And you'd have to buy the house next door, of course." That's a joke. I think.

...

It's worth pausing, though, to consider the oddness of this impulse. The hotel room is an amnesiac space. We would be troubled if it bore any sign of a previous occupant, particularly as many of us go to hotels in order to do things we would not do at home. We expect a hotel room to be cleaned as thoroughly as if a corpse had just been hauled from the bed. (In some cases, this will actually have happened.) The domestic interior embodies the opposite idea: it is a repository of memories. The story of its inhabitants ought to be there in the photos on the mantelpiece, the pictures on the wall, the books on the shelves. If hotel rooms were people, they would be smiling lobotomy patients or plausible psychopaths.

The winning entry has been announced in this pair.

There were 22 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase, 7 of which were selected by peers to advance to the finals round. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.

Competition in this pair is now closed.


Entries (22 total; 7 finalists) Expand all entries

Entry #13441 — Discuss 0
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
11018 x411 x216 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.363.57 (7 ratings)3.14 (7 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 18 "like" tags
  • 7 users agreed with "likes" (7 total agrees)
  • 4 users disagreed with "likes" (4 total disagrees)
London-Sydenham
Good term selection
arwen2765
+1
hatten hier mal
Flows well
Judith Matz (X)
-1
+2
3
bescheidenen Vorstadtwinkel
Flows well
Judith Matz (X)
+1
Bekundung von Anteilnahme
Flows well
gut getrof​fen
Renate Hessler
Immobilienbesitzer der westlichen Hemisphäre
Flows well
Renate Hessler
Das schaffen Sie
Flows well
Petra Stephens
umsieht
Flows well
Renate Hessler
Es gibt überhaupt keinen Grund, warum es nicht gehen sollte
Flows well
Funny choi​ce of word​s. Reminds​ me of Lor​iot.
Petra Stephens
-2
1
wehmütig
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
Ich vermute, dass das ein Scherz sein soll.
Flows well
Renate Hessler
Verrücktheit
Good term selection
Renate Hessler
+1
Amnesie
Good term selection
Petra Stephens
unangenehm,
Good term selection
Renate Hessler
was manchmal vielleicht wirklich der Fall war)
Flows well
Renate Hessler
Sie speichert die Geschichte
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
grinsende
Good term selection
Petra Stephens
-1
+1
1
waschechte Psychopathen.
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
Entry #13172 — Discuss 0
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
10821 x48 x28 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.263.14 (7 ratings)3.38 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 7 users entered 7 "like" tags
  • 13 users agreed with "likes" (19 total agrees)
bescheidenen Stadtrandwohnung
Flows well
"Stadtrand​" preferre​d over "Vo​rstadt"; i​s a better​ match for​ the geogr​aphy of Lo​ndon.
Sandra W
+10
3
die Frau, die das Boutique-Hotel erfunden hat, bevor es überhaupt einen Namen dafür gab
Flows well
Judith Matz (X)
, in meinem Fall
Good term selection
Heike Behl, Ph.D.
+5
1
aufhempelt
Good term selection
My favorit​e for "hem​pelize"!
Dr. Cornelia Schmutzler
+2
Sie scherzt. Glaube ich.
Flows well
Andrea Flaßbeck (X)
+1
Raum ohne Gedächtnis.
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
+1
Die sich in Fotos auf dem Kaminsims, Bildern an der Wand und Büchern auf den Regalen spiegelnde Geschichte
Flows well
Vesna Podvorec Huric
Entry #13588 — Discuss 0
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
8912 x416 x29 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.263.13 (8 ratings)3.38 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 6 users entered 10 "like" tags
  • 6 users agreed with "likes" (10 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
+1
ist bei uns im Londoner Bezirk SE26 nichts Neues
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
+1
rissigen
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
Einsatz
Good term selection
Petra Stephens
bescheidenen Vorortgegend
Flows well
Vesna Podvorec Huric
,
Flows well
sehr gut
Roland Nienerza
+1
eifriger
Good term selection
Petra Stephens
-1
1
nach Hempels Grundsätzen
Flows well
Eva I.
+5
1
Versonnen
Good term selection
Judith Matz (X)
+1
ein Raum ohne Gedächtnis
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
+1
gehievt
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
Entry #13784 — Discuss 0
Judith Matz (X)
Judith Matz (X)
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
478 x45 x25 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.253.25 (8 ratings)3.25 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 18 "like" tags
  • 6 users agreed with "likes" (7 total agrees)
  • 5 users disagreed with "likes" (8 total disagrees)
+1
über den rissigen Beton
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
klappern
Good term selection
Petra Stephens
+1
bevor es zu einer Marke wurde
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
-1
1
Fotostrecken
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
-1
+1
1
bangen Fragen
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
-2
+1
1
stinknormalen Haus
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
lai
Good term selection
Ewelina Rockenbauer
Sprich:
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
Es spricht absolut nichts dagegen.
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
Da muss ein roter Faden durchgehen.”
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
Witz
Good term selection
Barbara Wiebking
Dieser seltsame Gedanke ist jedoch ein Innehalten wert
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
-2
amnesiekranker
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
+1
verstört
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
+1
penibel
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
+1
gehievt
Good term selection
Erik Freitag
hievt
Good term selection
Erik Freitag
Entry #14050 — Discuss 0
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
446 x47 x26 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.253.25 (8 ratings)3.25 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 7 users entered 14 "like" tags
  • 12 users agreed with "likes" (23 total agrees)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (3 total disagrees)
-1
+6
2
im südöstlichen Londoner Stadtteil Sydenham
Other
Kann der L​eser so gu​t verorten​.
Judith Matz (X)
+3
kein Fremdwort
Flows well
Judith Matz (X)
-1
+4
1
Illustriertenfotos
Flows well
Judith Matz (X)
Vorstadtwinkel
Good term selection
Andrea Flaßbeck (X)
+1
zu suchen
Flows well
sinnvolle ​Ergänzung,​ um das Ga​nze im Deu​tschen aus​zudrücken
Renate Hessler
+2
Optik und Flair
Good term selection
Renate Hessler
+3
während sie ihren Blick durch meine Küche schweifen lässt
Flows well
Andrea Flaßbeck (X)
Alles muss von einem einzigen Grundgedanken durchzogen sein.
Flows well
Michaela Müller
+3
1
Versonnen
Good term selection
Judith Matz (X)
Witz
Good term selection
Barbara Wiebking
Es lohnt sich allerdings, innezuhalten und darüber nachzusinnen, wie merkwürdig doch dieser Impuls ist.
Flows well
Renate Hessler
+1
ein Ort ohne Gedächtnis
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
-1
1
Interieur
Good term selection
Carmen Grabs
erzählen
Flows well
Renate Hessler
Entry #13924 — Discuss 0
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
345 x46 x22 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.403.13 (8 ratings)3.67 (9 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
  • 3 users disagreed with "likes" (4 total disagrees)
-2
2
Glanz und Glamour
Good term selection
Constanze Rouyer
wohnten früher über der Zahnarztpraxis
Flows well
Vesna Podvorec Huric
-2
+1
1
hempelifizieren
Flows well
NatM
„Es wäre machbar
Flows well
Thomas Pfann
einchecken
Good term selection
Maximilian Heeger
Entry #12557 — Discuss 0
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
71 x41 x21 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.443.00 (8 ratings)3.88 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 2 users agreed with "likes" (2 total agrees)
haben über der Zahnarztpraxis gewohnt
Flows well
Vesna Podvorec Huric
+1
1
Das ist ein Witz. Glaube ich zumindest
Good term selection
Trude Stegmann
Witz
Good term selection
Barbara Wiebking
+1
Raum ohne Gedächtnis
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
Dort soll die Geschichte seiner Bewohner in den Fotos auf dem Kaminsims, den Bildern an der Wand und den Büchern in den Regalen gegenwärtig sein
Flows well
Maximilian Heeger


Non-finalist entries

The following entries were not selected by peers to advance to finals-round voting.

Entry #12965 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.953.00 (10 ratings)2.90 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 6 "like" tags
  • 2 users agreed with "likes" (4 total agrees)
+2
klappern
Flows well
NatM
Markennamen
Good term selection
Renate Hessler
begierigen
Flows well
sehr gut, ​hier haben​ viele nic​hts Passen​des gefund​en
Renate Hessler
hempelisiert
Flows well
Renate Hessler
+2
Das ist ein Scherz. Glaube ich.
Other
Manchmal i​st eine wö​rtliche Üb​ersetzung ​einfach di​e beste :)​.
Andrea Flaßbeck (X)
offensichtliche
Good term selection
Renate Hessler
Entry #14015 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.942.75 (8 ratings)3.13 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 6 "like" tags
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (2 total disagrees)
ja eigentlich
Flows well
Good prepa​ration for​ the next ​sentence.
Dr. Matthias Schauen
-2
2
wissbegierigen
Good term selection
Erik Freitag
einem gewöhnlichen Heim
Good term selection
Andrea Flaßbeck (X)
Es muss ein roter Faden da sein.
Flows well
Erik Freitag
Ein Scherz. Glaube ich jedenfalls.
Flows well
Andrea Flaßbeck (X)
Hort
Good term selection
sehr hübsc​h
Roland Nienerza
Entry #13304 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.822.75 (8 ratings)2.88 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 2 users agreed with "likes" (2 total agrees)
klackern
Good term selection
Carmen Grabs
+1
1
Hempel-Manier
Flows well
Constanze Rouyer
+1
während ihr Blick durch meine Küche wandert.
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
Das ist ein Witz. Glaube ich…
Flows well
Finde die ​Lösung mit​ ... gut, ​allerdings​ gehört ei​n Leerzeic​hen davor.
Andrea Flaßbeck (X)
Witz
Good term selection
Barbara Wiebking
Entry #13015 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.762.88 (8 ratings)2.63 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 2 users agreed with "likes" (2 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
-1
+1
1
stöckelt
Good term selection
Erik Freitag
+1
Illustriertenfotos
Flows well
Judith Matz (X)
Gehen würde es
Flows well
NatM
Witz
Good term selection
Barbara Wiebking
Hüterin von Erinnerungen
Good term selection
Ralf A. Schumacher
Entry #12805 — Discuss 0
Peter Zauner
Peter Zauner
Australia
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.692.50 (8 ratings)2.88 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 2 users agreed with "likes" (2 total agrees)
durchaus
Flows well
God prepar​ation for ​next sente​nce
Dr. Matthias Schauen
das ein Markenname war
Flows well
Anne Schulz
einem gewöhnlichen Heim
Good term selection
Andrea Flaßbeck (X)
+1
1
Da wäre schon was zu machen
Flows well
Anne Schulz
+1
Das ist als Scherz gemeint. Glaube ich.
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
Entry #13982 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.602.63 (8 ratings)2.57 (7 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
+1
Das ist jetzt ein Witz. Glaube ich jedenfalls.
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
Witz
Good term selection
Barbara Wiebking
Entry #13006 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.582.33 (6 ratings)2.83 (6 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
einem gewöhnlichen Heim
Good term selection
Andrea Flaßbeck (X)
Witz
Good term selection
Barbara Wiebking
Entry #13100 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.552.50 (10 ratings)2.60 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 9 "like" tags
  • 2 users agreed with "likes" (2 total agrees)
wohnten über der Zahnarztpraxis
Flows well
Renate Hessler
Mitgefühl
Good term selection
Renate Hessler
+1
noch bevor es diese Bezeichnung offiziell überhaupt gab
Flows well
Renate Hessler
umzuhempeln
Good term selection
great idea​ because i​t plays on​ "umkrempe​ln". Well ​done.
Johanna Timm, PhD
Ein Gedanke muss konsequent durchgezogen werden
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
Hier ist es angebracht, eine kleine Denkpause einzulegen, um über die Absurdität dieses Vorschlags zu reflektieren.
Flows well
Renate Hessler
Es würde uns nicht gefallen
Good term selection
trifft das​ schwer zu​ übersetze​nde "troub​led" hier ​gut
Renate Hessler
was manchmal ja auch passiert
Flows well
Renate Hessler
+1
Fundgrube an Erinnerungen
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
Entry #13162 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.062.00 (9 ratings)2.11 (9 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 4 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (2 total disagrees)
-1
1
st ihren Blick über meine Küche schweifen
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
Idee, die sich wie ein roter Faden überall hindurchzieht
Good term selection
Ralf A. Schumacher
+1
ein Ort ohne Gedächtnis
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
-1
1
Friedhof der Erinnerungen
Good term selection
Interessan​ter Ausdru​ck, der al​lerdings a​uch ein bi​sschen neg​ativ nach ​(gerade no​ch aus dem​ Hotelbett​ beseitigt​en) Tod ri​echt... :/
Ralf A. Schumacher
Entry #13516 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.001.89 (9 ratings)2.11 (9 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 4 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (2 total disagrees)
-2
+1
2
sind wir Glamour gewöhnt:
Flows well
Johanna Timm, PhD
pflegten über dem Zahnarzt zu residieren
Good term selection
fits the s​tyle
Renate Hessler
Doppelhaushälfte
Good term selection
Renate Hessler
zum Ausdruck kommen
Flows well
Renate Hessler
Entry #13934 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.971.56 (9 ratings)2.38 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 4 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
Kelly Brook und Jason Statham haben mal über dem Zahnarzt gewohnt.
Flows well
Erik Freitag
brüchigen
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
Witz
Good term selection
Barbara Wiebking
+1
Raum ohne Gedächtnis.
Good term selection
Johanna Timm, PhD
Entry #12826 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.671.33 (9 ratings)2.00 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
einem gewöhnlichen Heim
Good term selection
Andrea Flaßbeck (X)
Witz
Good term selection
Barbara Wiebking
Entry #14051 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.631.25 (8 ratings)2.00 (8 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
Idee muss durchgezogen werden
Good term selection
markusg
Witz
Good term selection
Barbara Wiebking
Entry #13393 — Discuss 0
Sarah Willer (X)
Sarah Willer (X)
United States
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.311.17 (12 ratings)1.45 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 2 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
"Und," fügt sie hinzu, "es ist doch klar, dass Sie auch das Haus nebenan kaufen müssten." Was ein Scherz sein sollte. Hoffe ich.
Flows well
Michaela Pschierer-Barnfather
+1
1
überhaupt erst ins Hotel gehen
Good term selection
Much bette​r than "Di​nge tun, d​ie ..."
Carmen Grabs
Entry #12620 — Discuss 0
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry1.291.18 (11 ratings)1.40 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 1 user entered 1 "like" tag
Witz
Good term selection
Barbara Wiebking