Klaus Herrmann wrote:
Textklick wrote:
"Zur Ebene x und damit zu Deutschlands größtem xxx kommt man über den hinter dem in der Mitte der xxx Halle gelegenen xxx Café liegenden Aufzug oder der direkt neben dem Aufzug (*1, *2) liegenden Treppe. Von hier aus geht es über den selben Aufzug oder die Treppe weiter zur Ebene x, die aber auch direkt mit der zentralen Rolltreppe (*3), in der x Halle erreichen. Oben angekommen hat man hier den Blick über die ganze Halle mit ihrer imposanten Architektur – oder einem Kaffee von xxx.
Hope that's not an escape route...
*** Sounds like an escape route from the Strafsvollzugsanstalt. Some calculating business men apparently opened Cafés around that place. These escaping inmates love to sit right around the prison, relax and throw around with money...
This example illustrates the beauty of "Stecker aus Steckdose ziehen“ – the reader doesn't have to think about it, instructions are easier to follow and to remember.
*** I agree. But sounds "man" really better than "Sie"? As a woman, I don't like to be "man" anyway.
All German car repair guides use this infinitive style, and any automotive companies' proof-reader will sharpen their red pencil upon first sight of
Lösen Sie die Zylinderkopfschraube mit dem Radkreuz.
Zylinderkopfschraum mit Radkreuz losmachen is how the mechanic will re-arrange the instruction in order to memorize it, hence it is presented in that fashion.
*** You are right. I saw it often enough myself. I will hold it this way: if the manual is for an end consumer, I will approach him as "Sie".
If the manual is for a technican, I will call him "du". (Just kidding.) I will use the infinitive style, although I do not like it very much.
So it's not really a question of being outdated, friendly or oldfashioned, but of content and audience. That's also why a well-known Swedish company resorted to pictograms instead of text – faced with questions like
Nimm den Schraubenzieher or
Nehme den Schraubenzieher they took the easy way out.
[Bearbeitet am 2007-02-28 21:01]
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