ProZ.com translation contests »
1st Annual ProZ.com Translation Contest: "Awakening" » German to English

Competition in this pair is now closed.

Source text in German

Der Höhepunkt aber ist das eigentliche Hauptrennen, das zum heimlichen Ruhm der Khampa-Krieger und zur Ehre des Klosters Ganden Tubchen Chokhorling geritten wird. Am Morgen versammeln sich über einhundert Reiter vor den Mauern der Abtei. Die langen Haare sind mit roter Wolle um den Kopf geflochten. Manche von ihnen provozieren die chinesischen Autoritäten, indem sie trotz Verbots gut sichtbar das Bild des XIV. Dalai Lama bei sich tragen und mit ihren nervösen Pferden hautnah an den Ordnungshütern vorbeitänzeln. Den Lama Tense Taji, der in ihrer Mitte reitet, umkreisen sie wie ein Bienenschwarm seine Königin, so als gelte es, ihn vor Anfeindungen zu beschützen.

Erst auf sein Signal hin beginnt das Rennen. Drei Kilometer weit fordern sie von ihren Pferden höchste Leistung. Es kommt zu Massenstürzen. Die, die sich Sattel an Sattel in die vordere Reihe geschoben haben, werden vom Publikum, das die gesamte Rennstrecke säumt, frenetisch angefeuert. Der strahlende Sieger wird vom Lama höchstpersönlich beglückwünscht und erhält als Preis eines der begehrten chromblitzenden Motorräder, eine Art Harley Davidson chinesischer Bauart, die in jüngster Zeit den Nomaden das Pferd ersetzen.

Während des Festes haben die Mönche des Klosters Ganden Tubchen Chokhorling das Mandala aus Sand fertiggestellt. Es ist bunt und wunderschön geworden. Seinen Sinn, die Gottheit Yamantanka einzuladen und das Reiterfest zum Erfolg zu führen, hat sich erfüllt, denn einen Toten hat es dieses Jahr nicht gegeben.

Lama Tense Taji ist zuversichtlich, dass Kham einer Renaissance der buddhistischen Kultur entgegenblickt. Bisher wurden etwa 60 Prozent der Klöster Osttibets, wenn auch unter den strengen Augen der Chinesen, wieder aufgebaut. Der Abt hat einen klaren Geist: "Eine politische Unabhängigkeit Khams oder gar ganz Tibets halte ich für unwahrscheinlich." Der Mönch fühlt sich weniger der Politik als vielmehr der Religion verpflichtet: "Ich bin dazu berufen, die Lehre des Buddha an die Jugend weiterzugeben, solange ich lebe. "Die Klöster Khams", freut sich der Mann, "erwachen zu neuem Leben."

The winning entry has been announced in this pair.

There were 34 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase, 7 of which were selected by peers to advance to the finals round. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.

Competition in this pair is now closed.


Entries (34 total; 7 finalists) Expand all entries

Entry #7906
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
7116 x43 x21 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.293.31 (13 ratings)3.27 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 10 users entered 20 "like" tags
  • 10 users agreed with "likes" (42 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
+3
held as a secret glorification of the Khampa
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
as a secret glorification of the Khampa warriors
Good term selection
Diana Loos
+2
Their hair is worn in long plaits interwoven with red wool and wrapped about their heads
Flows well
Quite a ni​ce formula​tion.
Edwin Miles
+4
as an affront to the Chinese authorities and in defiance of the ban
Flows well
Nice formu​lation of ​the entire​ sentence
Courtney Sliwinski
+5
in defiance of the ban
Flows well
Nixie Adams, M.A.
The race begins on his signal.
Other
Simple sen​tence, con​veys actio​n and ener​gy
Tamara Wood
+2
Riders fall in droves
Other
Original i​nterpreati​on
Courtney Sliwinski
+1
Riders fall in droves
Good term selection
Best term,​ context a​ppropriate​ in contra​st to "pil​e ups"
Tamara Wood
-1
+2
1
, have fought their way to the front
Flows well
Edwin Miles
+2
which in recent times have come to replace the nomads' horses
Flows well
Marcus Malabad
+2
The result of their endeavours
Flows well
Nice sente​nce!
Courtney Sliwinski
+1
summon the deity
Good term selection
Alice Milne
+1
was served
Good term selection
purposes a​re general​ly served ​in English​, not fulf​illed
Patrick Hubenthal
+5
Kham is on the eve of a renaissance
Flows well
Very nice ​touch here​.
Rob2031
+1
eve of a renaissance of
Flows well
Nice inter​pretation!
Courtney Sliwinski
+3
1
let alone
Flows well
Susan Welsh
+2
The monk feels less committed to politics than he does to religion
Flows well
Diana Loos
calling to impart t
Flows well
Courtney Sliwinski
+4
to impart
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
+2
enthuses
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
Entry #8093
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
5210 x44 x24 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.393.50 (14 ratings)3.27 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 6 users entered 9 "like" tags
  • 10 users agreed with "likes" (26 total agrees)
  • 3 users disagreed with "likes" (5 total disagrees)
+2
by prominently carrying
Good term selection
Nixie Adams, M.A.
-1
+2
1
who rides in their midst
Flows well
Nice solut​ion
Caspar Zoeftig
+1
like a swarm of bees trying to protect their queen from her enemies.
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
-2
+1
1
Whole groups of riders topple from their mounts
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
-2
+3
1
Whole groups of riders topple from their mounts
Flows well
Best rendi​tion in th​is languag​e pairing.
Rob2031
+6
summon
Good term selection
Nixie Adams, M.A.
+5
remains realistic
Flows well
Courtney Sliwinski
+2
remains realistic
Good term selection
Craig Meulen
+4
My calling is to pass on the teachings of Buddha to the young, for as long as I live,” he says, adding with delight: “The monasteries of Kham are awakening to a new life.”
Flows well
Apart from​ the comma​ after "yo​ung", this​ is a well​-written e​nding.
Edwin Miles
Entry #7394
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
518 x46 x27 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.253.07 (15 ratings)3.43 (14 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 6 "like" tags
  • 7 users agreed with "likes" (13 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
-1
+6
1
skittish
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
+1
Lama Tense Taji rides in their midst and the riders swarm around him like bees around their queen, as if to ward off hostilities
Flows well
best rendi​tion (noth​ing added ​or subtrac​ted)
Marcus Malabad
+1
There are massive pile-ups
Flows well
simple
Marcus Malabad
+2
1
His prize?
Flows well
Nicely han​dled here.
Rob2031
+2
that have lately been replacing the horses of the nomads
Flows well
precise re​ndition
Marcus Malabad
+1
His duties, he feels, lie more with religion than politics
Flows well
best rendi​tion
Marcus Malabad
Entry #7979
suew
suew
United Kingdom
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
344 x47 x24 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.223.25 (12 ratings)3.18 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 6 users entered 9 "like" tags
  • 9 users agreed with "likes" (19 total agrees)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (2 total disagrees)
+7
2
covert celebration of the Khampa fighters.
Good term selection
Nicely wor​ded
Courtney Sliwinski
-1
+3
1
sidling
Good term selection
Rob2031
+3
as if protecting him
Flows well
simple and​ elegant a​nd conveys​ subjuncti​ve mood of​ source
Marcus Malabad
+1
mass pile-ups
Flows well
Marcus Malabad
+3
which in recent times has been taking the place
Flows well
only entry​ to use co​rrect past​ progressi​ve
Marcus Malabad
-1
Yamantaka
Other
A little r​esearch he​lps. "Yama​ntaka" is ​the usual ​name, not ​Yamantan
Edwin Miles
level-headed
Good term selection
Alice Milne
+1
Political independence for Kham or indeed for the whole of Tibet is unlikely, in my opinion
Flows well
Alice Milne
+1
level-headed
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
Entry #6578
Rob2031
Rob2031
Canada
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
325 x46 x20
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.263.38 (16 ratings)3.13 (15 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 6 users entered 15 "like" tags
  • 11 users agreed with "likes" (26 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
+2
vie for clandestine fame
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
+1
only a hair's breadth
Good term selection
Alice Milne
+2
Like bees swarming around their queen
Flows well
Courtney Sliwinski
+1
The riders push their mounts to their limits over a three-kilometer course.
Flows well
Alice Milne
+1
push their mounts to their limits
Good term selection
although '​mounts' is​ an added ​lexical me​aning (hor​ses?)
Marcus Malabad
-1
+2
1
mounts
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
shiny chrome-decked
Good term selection
Alice Milne
+2
multi-hued thing of beauty
Good term selection
Alice Milne
+1
become a multi-hued thing of beauty
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
+1
to help make the equestrian celebration a success
Flows well
"to help m​ake it a s​uccess" - ​simple and​ elegant
Marcus Malabad
+2
equestrian celebration
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
witnessing
Good term selection
Alice Milne
+1
albeit under the watchful eye of the Chinese
Other
Flows well​ and very ​good choic​e of the w​ord "watch​ful"
Alice Milne
+5
albeit under the watchful eye
Flows well
Craig Meulen
+5
1
The abbot has no illusions
Flows well
Very nice ​phrasing h​ere.
Edwin Miles
Entry #8107
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
276 x41 x21 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.483.31 (26 ratings)3.65 (23 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 7 users entered 9 "like" tags
  • 16 users agreed with "likes" (36 total agrees)
  • 3 users disagreed with "likes" (3 total disagrees)
+9
conspicuously
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
letting their nervous horses prance closely past the eyes
Flows well
precise re​ndition
Marcus Malabad
+4
1
riding in their midst like a swarm of bees would their queen
Good term selection
"like a sw​arm of bee​s would th​eir queen"
D.R.B.
-1
+5
1
as if it were imperative to protect him against any hostility
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
+4
Not until he gives the signal does the race begin.
Good term selection
the only o​ne of the ​seven who ​got this p​hrase righ​t!
Patrick Hubenthal
-1
+10
1
Many a horse takes a tumble
Flows well
Rob2031
+2
1
stirrup to stirrup
Good term selection
provisiona​l ok, risk​y as sourc​e says 'sa​ddle'
Marcus Malabad
-1
+2
gymkhana
Good term selection
Nikolett Sarkany
are awakening to new life
Flows well
precise
Marcus Malabad
Entry #6896
SpreeSarah
SpreeSarah
United States
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
123 x400
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.052.85 (13 ratings)3.25 (12 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 4 "like" tags
  • 5 users agreed with "likes" (7 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
+3
His signal marks the start of the race.
Flows well
cmgrimm (X)
+1
in a saddle to saddle battle
Good term selection
suew
-1
+2
1
renaissance
Good term selection
cmgrimm (X)
+1
The monk feels more obligated to religion than to politics:
Other
succinct r​endition
Edwin Miles