https://www.proz.com/kudoz/german-to-english/marketing/164288-advice.html

Advice

English translation: bookworm

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Leseratte
English translation:bookworm
Entered by: Mats Wiman

11:28 Mar 14, 2002
German to English translations [PRO]
Marketing
German term or phrase: Advice
I need some advice.I'm translation a website for a conmpany that conceives, manufactures, delivers and installs decorations for Shopping Centers and Department Stores. In one of their campaigns the installed dozens of cardboard "Leseratten" in the book section of a Dept. Store.There is a picture of that on the site. If I translate the term with "bookworm" it won't go with the picture. If I don't translate, English speakers won't have a clue what that's all about. Can anyone tell me how I should hndle that situation? This is an agency job, so I can't contact the client directly.
Olav Rixen
Canada
Local time: 22:28
Ask the customer for advice via the agency.
Explanation:
The problem is REAL and needs a solution (new icon?)
Selected response from:

Mats Wiman
Sweden
Local time: 07:28
Grading comment
Thanks you, Mats! I did call the agency and got word from their client, that I should translate and add an explanation. So thank you, too, Mary, and everyone who tried. Olav
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +8Explain ...
Mary Worby
4 +4Ask the customer for advice via the agency.
Mats Wiman
4 -1rat
Sladjana Stojanovic
3describe it
KONSUL-SLOVENIA


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
rat


Explanation:
hope help you

Sladjana Stojanovic
Serbia and Montenegro
Local time: 07:28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X): no answer to this question
1 hr
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Ask the customer for advice via the agency.


Explanation:
The problem is REAL and needs a solution (new icon?)

Mats Wiman
Sweden
Local time: 07:28
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish
PRO pts in pair: 1498
Grading comment
Thanks you, Mats! I did call the agency and got word from their client, that I should translate and add an explanation. So thank you, too, Mary, and everyone who tried. Olav

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Elena Bellucci
13 mins

agree  Endre Both
26 mins

agree  Alexander Schleber (X): Yes, "bookworm" is the correct term. Ask the agency to change the icon.
26 mins

neutral  Mary Worby: From what I can work out, it's not an icon, it's a picture of an actual promotional event, so difficult to change )-: But asking the agency is valid, it's what they're there for ...
32 mins

agree  Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X): Indeed, it is a real problem. However, I don't think the client will change the icon.
1 hr
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
Explain ...


Explanation:
Here's how I'd handle it ...

If you've got a picture of rats, there is no way that you are going to fool the English readership into thinking that they're worms. So you will have to make an explicit comment, something to the effect that 'while the English have book worms, the Germans have 'reader rats', and one of our recent promotions involved ...'

Only thing I can think of, I'm afraid!

HTH

Mary

Mary Worby
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:28
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 2770

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Caro Maucher
3 mins

agree  Klaus Herrmann: Best way to tackle this, IMO
8 mins

agree  Beth Kantus: good solution!
13 mins

agree  Bob Kerns (X)
37 mins

agree  Louise Mawbey
49 mins

agree  Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X): Makes good sense because they will, in all likelihood, not change the icon.
1 hr

agree  genaa (X)
1 hr

agree  Dr. Fred Thomson
2 hrs
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
describe it


Explanation:

... the so called \"Reading (Reader)rat\" (\"Leseratte\") (German parallel for bookworm)...

Would be my version.

HTH a bit

Damian

KONSUL-SLOVENIA
Slovenia
Local time: 07:28
Native speaker of: Native in SlovenianSlovenian, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 20
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