Comments on: Tod aus dem All

By: lypeputleva

lypeputleva — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:09:40 +0000

Hello forum! I’m new here, just wanted to stop in and say hi for the first time

I hope everyone is having a great day! Toodle ooo

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:57:49 +0000

Any chance of taking the metric measurements from the German volume and making a metric English edition?

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:02:59 +0000

Re. the wording… I did German in high school, and read/translated the title as “Death from the Universe”, which I think works quite well! EVERYTHING is out to get us!

By: CCW

CCW — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:15:16 +0000

“I’m really happy about this (marred only by the lack of an exclamation point in the title), because I think the book will have broad appeal in Europe; there are lots of space enthusiasts there and I get email from them all the time.”

The publishing of the book in German will not do too much for people in Europe to read the book though. I mean, besides Germany, Switserland and Austria, who is going to read it? Having the English version on the shelves, untill it gets translated in other languages, on the other hand will accomplish it far easier.
But congrats anyway, maybe I WILL read it in German, if the translation is good, there is no language to read doom and destruction in as auf Deutsch!

By: Lars

Lars — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:58:29 +0000

In my experience “All” is the prefect word for “Space”. “Raum” works but it’s confusing when talking about death. Here’s the Major Tom lyric by Peter Schilling:
Major Tom denkt sich
“wenn die wüssten -,
mich führt hier ein Licht durch das All,
das kennt ihr noch nicht,
ich komme bald
Mir wird kalt.”

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:10:34 +0000

Tod aus dem Raum would sound very awkward and everynody would think What room are they talking about? Tod aus dem Weltraum would work, but it does sound a bit clumsy. Weltall or short All is just as common now and as Klopfer said, it makes the title more catchy.
Raumschiff is still used, though, as is Raumstation (space station). Strictly speaking, Weltraum means everything but the Earth and Weltall/All means the universe.

By: John W. Kennedy

John W. Kennedy — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:15:42 +0000

I understand why “Raum” could be a problem, but it’s what I’ve always seen, along with “Raumschiff”. I’ve never encountered “All” before. (Ich bin 45 Jahre aus Gymnasium; deshalb ist mein Deutsch ganz futsch. Wär ich kein Operettensinger, dann wär es alzusammen verloren.)

By: Klopfer

Klopfer — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:31:19 +0000

@John W. Kennedy: “Raum” also means “room” in German (it’s the more common meaning), so that would sound a bit strange. (“Weltraum” or “Weltall” are both unambiguous, but “All” as the short form of “Weltall” makes the title a bit snappier IMHO.)

I hoped for the translation. I will certainly buy it.

By: Crux Australis

Crux Australis — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:27:07 +0000

By FSM, that’s a very cool cover picture.

By: John W. Kennedy

John W. Kennedy — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:05:00 +0000

I can see why the obvious translation, “Tod aus dem Himmel”, would be problematic (for those who know no German at all, it’s because German has only one word to cover “sky” and “Heaven”), but when was “Raum” replaced by “All” as the word for the place where astronauts go?

By: Liz D

Liz D — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:37:29 +0000

I’m pretty sure the correct word order is “Jetzt ist die Katze aus dem Sack”

but whatever, AWESOME! Now I officially have an interesting book to read and practice my German . Is it possible to order this in the US?

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:17:06 +0000

That’s cool! I don’t like translations and prefer to read the original, but I’m thinking about buying ithe German edition for my school library – the teens like astronomy books and I’m fairly sure they’ll love this one.

By: Markus

Markus — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:38:10 +0000

Congratulations, Phil.

I already own Bad Astronomy and Death from the Skies!, but i think i will buy the german edition as a present for my stepbrother.

And one more for myself.

Greetings from Salzburg, Austria.

By: Lars

Lars — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:36:42 +0000

37. Nigel Depledge Says:
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:15 am
@ Tarrkid:

So, all Phil’s book needs is the words “Don’t Panic” in large, friendly letters on the cover . . .

Keine Panik!

Ich freue mich auf beide Versionen! I’ll let you know how the puns turn out side by side!

By: Sili

Sili — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:17:15 +0000

I think the book will have broad appeal in Europe; there are lots of space enthusiasts there

Of course, far more of us speak English than German, I believe.

By: Matthias

Matthias — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:06:21 +0000

Sehr schön!
I’ll get it as soon as possible. Keep up the good work, Phil!
Greetings from Munich.

ps: Btw, “die Katze is aus dem Sack jetzt” is slightly wrong. “Jetzt ist die Katze aus dem Sack” is better.

By: Taunide

Taunide — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:52:46 +0000

Darn.. now I have to choose between the two… have you read parts of it? Can Plait even BE translated? What do you suggest? Should I read it in my Native Language and understand all the sciency stuff or should I read the english version for the fun part???

I know, I know the authors correct answer would be: BUY BOTH.

By: Chaos

Chaos — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:17:32 +0000

Oh, yes, definitely, Nigel. I´m not going to get the German version, because I´ve read the English one already.

Oh, and one minor nitpick: the subtitle translates as “How the world ends one day”… it just sounds so inelegant and old-fashioned, at least in German. Sorry…

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:17:32 +0000

The BA said:

I’m really happy about this (marred only by the lack of an exclamation point in the title), because I think the book will have broad appeal in Europe; there are lots of space enthusiasts there and I get email from them all the time.

What do you mean will have? The English version already has appeal in Europe – after all, I got my copy just a few months back.

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:15:51 +0000

@ Tarrkid:

So, all Phil’s book needs is the words “Don’t Panic” in large, friendly letters on the cover . . .

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:11:21 +0000

Elgarak said:

Minor nitpick: The German part should be: “Die Katze ist jetzt aus dem Sack.” (Or: “Jetzt ist die Katze aus dem Sack.”)

Heh. Beat me to it!

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:10:36 +0000

John McBryde said:

Australian Translation:

DEADSET MATE WE’RE CACTUS!
These are the ways the world is buggered…

Surely that’s “Strine”, not “Australian” . . . ?

By: Tim G

Tim G — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:45:29 +0000

But what about those puns? Maybe the translator will take liberties.

By: Bynaus

Bynaus — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:20:21 +0000

Congratulations! I’d pre-order it if I’d not already own the english version… On first sight, it looks like one of these doomsayer-books… May lure some woowoos to buy it and unexpectedly expose their minds to some real science…
About the second language: I guess its chinese or japanese…

By: Abbie

Abbie — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:30:25 +0000

ความตายมาจากท้องฟ้า!