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November 04, 2008
Online Translation of Amazon.de Email to Me
Since we've been living here in German-speaking Switzerland, I've taken to ordering books via Amazon.de (the German counterpart of Amazon.com). It's always intrigiung trying to make sure what their emails to me are saying. Here's an example of some excerpts from a recent email, translated from German to "English" via an online translator. I have to admit that I took out all the bits that actually made sense...cheeky of me, I know:
We are still trying, leave the following articles you on 04 October 2008... have ordered..., to perform:
John Flanagan (Author) "Ranger's Apprentice: The Sorcerer Of The North (Ranger's Apprentice) " http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/0399250328
Is your interest in this article? We are attempting, yet the item for you to relate... If you wait too long, you can order anytime reverse course, as long as they are not located in the shipping process.
...If your order is further article, we will, as also the "My Account" that you send.
... It is therefore not possible that you already before this e-mail a Versandbestaetigung received. In this case, Your item already on its way to you and this message about the delays meaningless.
If your order contains more articles are the stocks to Article automatically. Gladly we can also stock items have already been losschicken now...
The product is delayed Its immediately, as soon as they arrived for us is. You will then receive an e-mail with all information on the shipment of us.
Should also have questions, please contact our customer service gladly available.
I do understand what they are saying - it's helpful that all the emails are the exact German replica of the anglo ones I am already familiar with. But I am amused by the translations.
November 4, 2008 | Permalink
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Comments
Ha, the funny thing is I know exactly what this message is about as well even in your edited version! My only question is: what's a loss chicken??? ;-D
Posted by: randall | Nov 4, 2008 9:34:55 PM
Yeah, losschicken was what stood out to me, too!
Posted by: Sami | Nov 4, 2008 11:44:13 PM
Hope you find that chicken soon, before it's too late, I mean! Love you, Mom!
Posted by: Patricia | Nov 5, 2008 3:54:43 AM
"losschicken" is a compound word (los + schicken). "Schicken" means to send, and "los" means rid of or free from, so together they mean "to send off." See my favorite German-English translator site at http://www.ego4u.com/en/dictionary . "Los" is also the prefix in verbs with meanings such as disengage (lösen), unfasten (losmachen), sail away (lossegeln), unscrew (losschrauben), unbuckle (losschnallen), relinquish (loslassen), etc.
Posted by: Katherine | Nov 5, 2008 11:15:04 AM
Sorry, I meant the "What's a loss chicken" to be a joke (and why I separated the words). You did an excellent job of explaining the roots of the words though K! I have always enjoyed German for its descriptive compound words such as Schraubenzieher = screw puller (rather than our screwdriver), Fernsprechgeräte = far-speaking machine, Fahrvergnügen (sorry, just kidding, made up advertising word ;). You can also substitute "ab" for "los" in many cases such as abmachen (to take off, remove or sort out), abschnallen (unbuckle), abschicken (chicken breast... oops, I mean submit or send off ;) and even ablösen (remove/detach). Hmm, "ab" and "los" combined. Isn't that redundant? Jetzt habe ich Kopfweh!
Posted by: randall | Nov 5, 2008 2:55:35 PM
Some days, Katherine, I get as much fun out of the commentators you have writing to you as I do from what you, yourself, have written! You do have a lovely bunch of readers/friends. We are all part of His family and did He not make an interesting group of folks!?! Love you, Mom (on Jessica's 16th birthday, we have Mark coming for dinner again!!!!)
Posted by: Patricia | Nov 6, 2008 9:33:50 PM
We still need humans, don't we.
Posted by: Martin LaBar | Nov 7, 2008 9:01:12 PM
