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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

scharf

English translation:

hot

Added to glossary by David Seycek
Feb 27, 2007 12:37
17 yrs ago
German term

scharf

German to English Marketing Engineering: Industrial Marketing for a drainage pump company
AAGH! I need some creative brainwork please. I am translating a marketing text for a pump manufacturing company inviting customers to come and visit them at an exhibition.

It's very 'salesy' and the writer loves the word 'scharf' using it over and over in the following context:

Drei scharfe Tipps für Ihren Messebesuch
Scharfe Sache: Entwässerungs-Lösungen von XXX
Komplett aus einer Hand, auch fur di schärfsten Anforderungen
Aller scharfen Dinge sind drei
Fur alle extrascharfen Einsätze gibt es XXXX

As you can see there is a pattern emerging - and I am completely lacking creativity today to think of some similar gameplay in English. Any input to get me started would be greatly appreciated.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +1 hot
3 different suggestions for each case

Discussion

Hilary Davies Shelby Feb 27, 2007:
Would it be possible for you to ask the author if there's a particular reason for the recurring use of "scharf"?
Anna Blackab (X) (asker) Feb 27, 2007:
David I really have no idea why the author is so keen on this word. It's got nothing to do with the company name (an acronym of the founders initials I believe) and I can't see the slightest relevance to the world of drainage pumps. I suspect there is no wonder cure here and I'll just have to use a bit of that creativity that is eluding me today.
David Seycek Feb 27, 2007:
Anna, there must be some kind of reason for all these instances of „scharf“, e.g. „Aller scharfen Dinge sind drei“ is rather perplexing, which suggest either a hint to the reason why the author is using „scharf“ in which case you’d have to include it with your question or it may even suggest that the author is not exactly a competent writer, in which case you should translate freely and produce a nice English text which surpasses the original (shouldn’t be too hard here :)
Anna Blackab (X) (asker) Feb 27, 2007:
Re hot I had thought of that, but it's not really going to work consistently throughout the text. I'm probably looking for something that doesn't exist, but an all-purpose words which could slot neatly in in all of these sentences or maybe a metaphor that could do the job is what I'm after.

Hilary- it's not a pun on the company name.

Proposed translations

+1
3 mins
Selected

hot

in non-ambiguous instances
Peer comment(s):
agree Hilary Davies Shelby : definitely works for "hot tips"
4 mins
Thank you
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks David - in the end I went for hot tips and hot stuff for the first two, then worked in a (slightly naff but at least in line with the original) pun on 'sticky situations'"
10 mins

different suggestions for each case

As David suggested, "hot" works for tips, but "Scharfe Sache" might have to be something like "'latest and greatest" and "Aller scharfen Dinge" could contain the word "cool".

I'm not sure that "hot" works for all these things - can you use a different word in each case, or is "scharf" a kind of pun on the company name or something?
Something went wrong...
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