Example Translation - Post Mortem Report

Please see below an extract from a post mortem report translation.

Post mortem reports can be upsetting to read - please note

Post Mortem examinations are vital for medical research and training, not only for doctors, but for everyone in the medical field and also associated fields i.e. dietary, but also for statistical purposes and financial planning for the health services. They can also be important for blood relatives of the deceased person so see if it has any implications for their health, and, in the case of newborns / babies, for planning future children in case of inherited medical conditions.

Those reports are highly specialist medical reports, listing not only the cause of death established, but everything the pathologist looked at. This includes a description of all the organs and systems.

Extract

English

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

The coronary arteries were right side dominant. There was an occlusive atherosclerotic plaque in the left coronary artery with less than 1mm of luminal patency. There were smaller atheromatous plaques in the right coronary artery and circumflex artery with 1-2mm of luminal patency.

Aorta and Great Vessels: There were complex atheroma with calcifications in the ascending aorta, descending aorta and both iliac arteries.

The pulmonary artery showed no thrombus or embolus.

The carotid and renal arteries were normal.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Larynx: Normal.

Trachea and Bronchi: Normal. There were no aspirated food particles.

Pleural cavities: Normal.

Lungs: Rt 875gms; Lt 835gms.

German

KARDIOVASKULAERES SYSTEM

Die Koronararterien waren rechtsseitig dominant. In der linken Koronararterie befand sich ein okklusiver arterioskleroser Plaque mit einer luminalen Durchlaessigkeit von weniger als 1mm vorhanden. Kleinere atheromatoese Plaques mit einer luminalen Durchlaessigkeit von 1-2 mm befanden sich in der rechten Koronararterie und der Kranzarterie.

Aorta und Grossgefaesse: Vielschichtiges Atheroma mit Kalzifikation in der aufsteigenden Aorta, absteigenden Aorta und in Hueft-und Beckenarterien. 

Die Pulmonalis wies keinen Thrombus auf.

Karotis und Renalis waren normal.

RESPIRATIONSTRAKT

Larynx: Normal.

Trachea und Bronchien: Normal.  Es waren keine aspirierten Nahrungspartikel vorhanden.

Pleuraraum: Normal.

Lunge: rechts 875 g; links 835 g.

Neuropathology - Michael Schumacher / to translate the phrase airlift

Aus aktuellem Anlass - due to recent events.
Michael Schumacher in hospital in Grenoble (France) after a skiing accident. Lets wish him 'Gute Besserung'- 'Get well soon' 

As a translator working in the medical field, this case for me is particularly interesting, as I watch the news reports in both England and Germany and compare the words used for the medical conditions and how they are translated. 

As always, the purpose of the translation needs to be assessed, and in this case it is for the press / news reports. Therefore, the words used are the once used in 'common language'. A medical text translated for a medical professional will contain mainly the medical terminology of the word (Fachsprache).

Here are a few phrases relating to neuropathology:

cerebral contusions	Gehirnprellung
induced coma	künstliches Koma
traumatic brain injury	Hirn-Schädel-Trauma
surgery	Operation
Cranial- / skull	Hirnhaut / Schädel

As often with medical words, some remain the same in German, albeit differ slightly in the spelling

bilateral	bilateral
haematoma	Hämatom
oedema	Ödem

The translate the phrase ' to airlift ' 

English: airlift (to the hospital)

I found that there is no direct translation of this verb, but what is used is rather a description of what's actually happening: 

German: mit dem Hubschrauber (ins Krankenhaus) fliegen

fliegen is simply the German word for 'to fly' and in order to express 'to airlift',  the German phrase translated word by word is 'with the helicopter (to the hospital) fly

Of course, as it is now very common in Germany, and especially in the media, the actual English word is often used directly. Those words than still need to adhere to the German grammar rules, and, in my opinion, it than starts to sound slightly odd (but maybe this is only me as I've lived in an only-English speaking environment for too long and find it odd to see those verbs with German grammar endings)

Er wurde ins Krankenhaus ge-airliftet. 

Causes of death German to English

A recent translation for the Coroner on unnatural causes of death. 

Schuss- und Stichverletzungen	Gunshot wounds / Stab wounds
Aspirationspneumonien	Aspiration Pneumonia
Fremdkörperaspiration	Foreign Object Aspiration
Ertrinken - Badetod	Immersion
Schäden durch Strom oder thermische Einwirkng	Electrocution or exposure to extreme heat/cold
Tod durch Verhungern	Malnutrition
Aspyxie-Tod – allgemeiner Sauerstoffmangel	Aspyxia – generalised hypoxia

Note that I did not translate Ertrinken as Drowning but Immersion. 

Drowning is a mode of dying and on the death certificate it is not the mode of dying, but the medical cause of death which is recorded. Important difference that I have to explain very often as a Coroner's officer. 

While the causes of death were easily translated, I had more trouble with the accompanying texts. The law in Germany and England differs significantly. In England, the Coroner has a legal duty to investigate death where it is believed that it occurred from not natural causes. In Germany it is the duty of the Staatsanwaltschaft (= Public Prosecutor). However, the scope and powers of the Coroner in England are far wider in regards to sudden death. 

Equivalence at word level.

English : car
German : Auto

Simple. But there are so many more words to describe a car in both languages, so it's the skill of the translator to find the appropriate word for the text and the context which is to be translated.

English:
neutral: car, automobile, motor,
specific:limousine, convertivle, truck, pick-up, hatchback,
slang / derogatory:  banger, ride, gas guzzler

German:
neutral: Auto, Automobile, Personenkraftwagen
specific: Limosine, Lastkraftwagen, Cabrio,
slang / derogatory: Kutsche, Klapperkasten, fahrbahrer Untersatz, Schlitten, Schrottkiste

Patrone -- Patron (false friend)

There a quite a few examples of 'false friends', i.e. you think you know the translation or what it roughly means, but you couldn't be more wrong. I saw the word 'patron' in a restaurant today ('Would patrons please leave quietly after 11am'}, and for the German speaker, this is a definite 'false friend'- no cartridges in this restaurant :)

Patron (English)   = Stammkunde (German)

Patrone (German) = Cartridge (English)

Teach Yourself Urdu

A Book Recommendation
Teach Yourself Urdu by David Matthews and Mohamed Kasim Dalvi


If you are a beginner learning Urdu, this is the book to get. Though I am lucky that I have an Urdu-speaking husband and spend time in Pakistan and with Pakistani relatives, this book will give you 'the ground-work', the vocabulary, the grammar.

The book comes with a CD which I did not get as my husband is able to assist with pronunciation, so I have to exclude this in my review, but would obviously say - get the CD if you don't have CONSTANT access pronunciation / speaking help.

The book starts by giving a brief history on Urdu, and than the first unit deals with the alphabet. You have work through it - it is no use trying to learn or understand Urdu in 'English(Roman) writings'. It does look daunting, but  is actually not that hard. After that, 15 chapters deal with learning Urdu in the usual language book learning manner i.e. starting off easy and getting more challenging. Grammar is included from the 1st chapter, and that is good so. My experience - pay good attention to the grammar right from the start. Within a few weeks I was comfortably able to recognise words I learned in Hindi movies on the TV and able to apply it to my Urdu speaking (much to husband's delight). As with other language learning, you do have to stay on the ball though, and if you have a longer break away from it, you may find you have forgotten the letters, which dots to go where.... But it is easy enough to pick up.

Negative:
The book is rather small, and while this is ideal for taking with you, it can also be a challenge to properly see the Urdu writing - and this is unfortunately somewhat essential with a non-Roman script. Also, my copy fell apart after a few weeks, and I stuck the pages together with sellotape. Again and again.

All and all, I found the book invaluable with my Urdu learning and for me, it is the best one on the market (and believe me, I have lots!)

The small print: This review has also been posted on Amazon Reviews