Can somebody please help me with a translation?

[Kirsten]

I've built a website for someone, and today, I worked on the English translation of it. It was hard work, not easy to translate, but it has to be perfect, so I was wondering if anyone here could do the proof reading for me and make some suggestions how to express things better.

Here's the link:
http://www.inderwiesen.de/engl/garden/index.html

It's not much text on each page, but there are many pages.

Would be great if someone could help me!

Kirsten

[sirrahbed]

"The garden is the last luxury of our days, because it demands that, which is the most precious for our society: time, affection and space“

no need for the first two commas...
"The garden is the last luxury of our days because it demands that which is the most precious for our society: time, affection and space“

or...
"The garden is the last luxury of our days because it demands things most precious for our society: time, affection and space“

I like the last wording best - Ok for translating a quote?

[Kirsten]

Ah, thanks! I found this Kienast quote on the internet, didn't even translate it myself, only copied it. Same goes for the Tagore quote on the rose page.


Edit:
about the second version: I'm not sure, I found this quote (the first one) on the net several times, so I figure that is the "official" translation - except for the commas, I removed them.

Kirsten

[sirrahbed]

At the beginning, there was the purchase of the old Art Nouveau villa, and it's renovation required the full strength of the house owner. First, Dr. Folkhard Maas-Inderwiesen spent his time with the interior fittings of the building, alongside with his job in the vet clinic that he shares with his wife.

Around the villa, there was a huge garden site of 2,500 square meters, which had not been cultivated for many years. The couple, Dr. Folkhard Maas-Inderwiesen and Dr. Sylvia Inderwiesen, who were already interested in gardening, sensed how Art Nouveau gardens may have looked like at the turn of the century.

As soon as their time allowed, they started planning, arranging and putting things into practice. With his own hands, Dr. Folkhard Maas-Inderwiesen built dry stone walls, pavilions, water basins, fountains, pergolas, lawn seats and planting tubs. The floral emphasis is on rhododendron and old roses.

Since 2004, the garden has been open on one Sunday in June during the rose-blooming season.

[Kirsten]

Thank you very much! Just edited!

I was also thinking it should be "The couple, Dr. Folkhard Maas-Inderwiesen and Dr. Sylvia Inderwiesen, was already interested..." (not "were",), right? Because "the couple" is singular.

Kirsten

[sirrahbed]

I was also thinking it should be "The couple, Dr. Folkhard Maas-Inderwiesen and Dr. Sylvia Inderwiesen, was already interested..." (not "were",), right? Because "the couple" is singular.

Kirsten

Yes, the verb refers to couple which is singular....you are right. But, it sounds awkward since the couple is then broken up in to the two names...plural...hmmm...
How about adding the wife's name to the first paragraph and then using couple..was

[Kirsten]

How about adding the wife's name to the first paragraph and then using couple..was

That's a good idea. It's not like that in the German version (the text that my vet gave to me), but I will edit the english version. Guess that sounds much better.

Kirsten