OT: German Translation- "Auf Grund"
 

Hello Kaleuns,

I'm trying to translate the track names of the Das Boot soundtrack, and I've hit a snag trying to translate track 16, "Auf Grund." My super-sophisticated babelfish translator gives me the translation of "Due To," which, while it may be grammatically correct, is an awfully strange title for a track of music. Further investigation shows that the phrase "Auf Grund" is pretty versatile, and it may either mean something like "Aground" or "Stranded," which are possibilities because the track falls around the time when U96 is trying to make its disastrous Gibraltar run. I'm guessing it's just one those figures of speech that doesn't translate very well.

Does anyone with a better understanding of German than me know what the title of "Auf Grund" is referring to?

I think "Aground" would suffice.

Thanks! If anyone's interested, here's what I've got:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/Laconic/DBST.jpg

"Auf grund" could also have meant "On the basis of.. " or "Based on". But that wouldn't make sense in the context. I'm pretty sure it means they are sitting on the seabottom. In the movie the Kaleun even makes a remark about how they are blessed that God dropped a shovel full of sand underneath them.

@Laconic
You could use "Aground" or something like this.

Anyway, there are a few mistakes!
"(der) Anfang" means "(the) beginning"
"Auslaufen" means to set sail/go to sea, I dont know a good word right now.
"Warten" means "to wait", so "Waiting" would fit just perfect. ;)

And I am not sure avout Apell. An "Apell" is when a leader speaks to his men, adressing something, like orders or mission plan etc. I dont know if "appeal" means exatly this?

@Pisces
What you actually mean is "Aufgrund", it is written together. Although it is not wrong to write it "Auf Grund" but its not very common.

Hope I was of service! :salute:

Thanks for the insight. I knew "Anfang" was "Beginning," but I believe it's the music that's playing during the studio logos before the main titles, so I labeled it as such.

Good catch with "Auslaufen." The word sounds like what the SH3 crew shouts when you order surface, but after checking up on that, they're actually saying "Auftauchen." I had no idea about "Warten," Babelfish said that it means "Control Rooms," which fits the character of the movie, but "Waiting" fits the music much better. And for "Apell," "Address" does fit better; it's the music from when the men are lined up on deck preparing to disembark at the beginning of the movie.

Embark, ... disembark means leaving the ship. But they are allready on the ship, so embarking isn't the right word either. Semantics, great! :x

"Auf Grund" in this case refers rather to the U-Boot being bottomed (ie resting on the sea floor). "Aground" is not 100% correct in the context.

I meant that the boat is about to disembark from port...is that correct terminology? Re-reading it, it's pretty fuzzy as to what I was trying to say. I suppose "embark on their voyage" would have been more clear, if still not correct.

Yeah, but I can't think of a better English word to get the point across unless I want to deviate completely from the German and make my own title up (like with "Anfang"). "On the ground" doesn't really get the context across, whereas a ship can run "aground," and that's sort of what happened to them.

Embark/disembark is wrong in any case AFAIK. It means to get on/off a vehicle/ship/plane etc... Correct me if Im wrong.

By the way... why do you want to translate the titles at all? Our language is so beautiful! Just leave it alone... orrr we will come back! :stare:
:arrgh!:

I agree, it is a beautiful language. I just recently, err, acquired the soundtrack and wanted to know the translations of the track titles.

A vessel gets underway - and sets out on a voyage. People embark/disembark. So if it to set the mood as they are leaving port, I would call it "Getting Underway", "Setting Out" or "So it begins ....."

Leaving Port is also a rather laconic translation.

This should work just fine.
James Horner named one track from the Titanic soundtrack leaving port.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, apparently, you haven't heard me speak it.:damn: