Could anyone please help me with a translation?

As you may know, I'm doing a website for someone, and I'm also translating the page. It's a page about a garden, and I find some text passages very difficult to translate from German into English.

The first one is about a waiting area for her vet's office, which is part of the garden. I translated it like this:


"The waiting area for the vet's office was built as a semicircle, framed with natural stones. Benches were integrated in the stone walls."

(Page with pictures is here)




The second one is much more difficult. You have to know that sentence structures in German are often very complicated, with lots of subordinate clauses, as we like to put many things and details in one sentence. Anyway, I found it impossible to translate the German sentence she gave me. What I wanted to say is something like this:

"The driveway up to the house is made of a waterbound surface. It is framed by cobblestones made of sandstone, one side is bordered by a flower bed."
(but actually it's not a real flower bed, there are also bushes in it; you can see it in the photos).

The next sentence is especially bad. It says in German that there's a big lawn area framed by roses and rhododendron. and that when you look across this lawn, you'll see the house. Any suggestions how to put this in words? :)

The last sentence should be something like:
"An old tree population provides a park-like flavor."

(Page is here, seeing the pictures may help a bit.)


As you can see, this is really complicated! (LOL at least for me! ;))

Would be great if anyone here could help me with this. :)

Thanks in advance,
Kirsten

Kirsten I cannot even understand it in German. "Wassergebundene Decke and Sandpflaster" that sounds like very technical terms. Not knowing exactly what it means I could never translate it. I hope someone of the practical people here can help.

LOL; yes, it IS indeed very technical - my vet's hubby loves all this landscape gardening stuff and is very good at it! LOL You should really see the garden they have! It's huge, and it is so beautiful with all its Art Nouveau style...

Kirsten

I'll give it a try: (Is all the text in the present tense?)

"The waiting area for the vet's office was built as a semicircle, framed with natural stones. Benches were built right into the stone walls."

"The driveway up to the house has a waterproof surface. It is framed by sandstone cobblestones, and one side is bordered by flowers and bushes."


The large lawn is framed by roses and rhododendron. Just across the lawn is the house.

"Old trees remind one of a park."

Here's my attempt to help :)

"The driveway up to the house is made of a waterbound surface. Framed by cobblestones made of sandstone, bordered on one side by a row of bushes.
Roses and Rhodeodendron's frame the lawn area. A breath taking view looking across the lawn, you see the house."

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Originally Posted by Kirsten

"The waiting area for the vet's office was built as a semicircle, framed with natural stones. Benches were integrated in the stone walls."

I might change the last sentence to "Benches were built into the stone walls."

"The driveway up to the house is made of a waterbound surface. It is framed by cobblestones made of sandstone, one side is bordered by a flower bed."

I might chance the word "waterbound" to water proofed (but, is that what you mean by waterbound?). And, I would said sandstone cobblestones, rather than cobblestones made of sandstone.

The next sentence is especially bad. It says in German that there's a big lawn area framed by roses and rhododendron. and that when you look across this lawn, you'll see the house. Any suggestions how to put this in words? :)

I would leave the first part alone, and say, "and as you look across the expansive lawn, one has a wonderful view of the home (I like the word home instead of house)".

The last sentence should be something like:
"An old tree population provides a park-like flavor."

"A mature tree population provides a park-like setting"

(Page is here, seeing the pictures may help a bit.)


As you can see, this is really complicated! (LOL at least for me! ;))

Would be great if anyone here could help me with this. :)

Thanks in advance,
Kirsten

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I think you did a wonderful job!

I think waterbound is not waterproof but they way the material is bound ... so no chemicals involved or so.

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Originally Posted by Barbara

Kirsten I cannot even understand it in German. "Wassergebundene Decke and Sandpflaster" that sounds like very technical terms. Not knowing exactly what it means I could never translate it. I hope someone of the practical people here can help.

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My translator translates that as; Water bandage cover and sand pavement.

Sorry, that's not very helpful is it.

I think you all should only communicate in English. We have simple language. :D

Thank you everyone, that helps a lot! :)

So do you think I can write:

The waiting area for the vet's office was built as a semicircle, framed with natural stones. Benches were built into the stone walls.


and

The driveway up to the house is made of a waterbound surface. It is framed by sandstone cobblestones, one side is bordered by a herbaceous bed. (this is the term my sister found in her dictionary)

As you look across the expansive lawn which is framed by roses and rhododendron, one has a wonderful view of the home (or house or Art Nouveau Villa). A mature tree population provides a park-like setting.

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I think you all should only communicate in English. We have simple language.

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LOL, great idea!! :D

Kirsten

Kirsten, I would correct the tenses to agree...... other than that....the other's have given you good suggestions.

Maybe you could reference a few cats?

The cats sit on the expansive lawn or the cats sit on the benches. LOL.

"Mature tree population" is rather unenglish. Just mature trees would do! Even a grove of mature trees...or a canopy of mature trees.

Thank you everyone for all your suggestions, that helps a lot! :)

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I would correct the tenses to agree

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How?

Quote:

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The cats sit on the expansive lawn or the cats sit on the benches. LOL.

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LOL! :D Well, actually we thought about placing some people with their dogs on the benches in the waiting area! :D

Kirsten

change "was" to "is".....or use "was" throughout to discribe when..... I am goofy when it comes to mixing tenses.

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Originally Posted by Edwina's Secretary

"Mature tree population" is rather unenglish. Just mature trees would do! Even a grove of mature trees...or a canopy of mature trees.

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HEY! Back off. That was MY suggestion, and I am VERY English. LOLOLOLOL.... :D

It really should ALL be present tense because as you can see from the pictures, the stones are there right now :P

So instead of "there were benches" you need to say "there are benches" etc etc..

:eek: I didn't want to recreate her passages.....why, I don't know. But, yes, I would elect to use present tense throughout - just didn't say it! :) Thanks for saying it the correct way! :D

Thank you everyone, your help is really appreciated! :)

I will change the sentences to present tense. :)

Kirsten