Wolfgang Krege
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Krege was a German
author and translator.
at the Free University of Berlin
. Afterwards he worked as editor of lexica
, as copywriter and editor for publishing houses. In the 1970s he started translating texts, initially focusing on non-fiction
.
's book The Silmarillion
. In the 1990s he retranslated
The Hobbit
; compared to the earlier translation by Walter Scherf, who had left out or shortened most of the poems and songs embedded into the plot, and which moreover contained illustrations by children's books illustrator Klaus Ensikat, Krege's version rather appeals to a more grown-up readership. Another difference is made by a lack of adherence to the original: Krege has a tendency to write a funnier and fancier book than the original Hobbit. Thereby various sentences are interpreted in a way which cannot any more be regarded as translation but is clearly new script. Additionally, Krege's version features a number of modern words like "Hurricane" which can easily be seen atypical for the medievally and European inspired Middle-earth
(although Tolkien's original as well does contain words like "football" or "express train"). Krege's translation of place names though is closer to the original script. Where "Rivendell
" remained untranslated by Scherf, Krege used Bruchtal and standardised the place names according to the German translation of The Lord of the Rings
by Margaret Carroux and E.-M. von Freymann (Klett-Cotta 1969/1970). He also eradicated earlier misinterpretations of English "Elf" to German "Fee" (fairy), where Tolkien explicitly wished to distinguish his elves from the diminutive airy-winged fairies.
Krege's retranslation of The Lord of the Rings (Ger.: Der Herr der Ringe) is highly disputed among fans. The new German interpretation of 2002 tries stronger than the old Carroux version to reflect the different style of speech employed by the various characters in the book. In the old German translation the speech is quite uniform throughout the plot – moderately old-fashioned and according to some critics even artificially folksy. The English original though features various layers of speech, from a 16th-century Bible style to the rustic and urban, sometimes gross, common British English of the 1940s, i.e. the time of its being written. Krege tries to imitate this in German, but used the German language of the 1990s as a reference rather than the 1940s. For example, he translated Samwise Gamgee
's often-employed phrase "Master Frodo
" to "Chef" (German (and French): boss; not to be confused with English "master cook") - a term which many fans of classic fantasy literature in German-speaking countries think of as totally improper. In Wolfgang Krege's translation, the appendices to The Lord of the Rings are for the first time completely translated to German, save for one part.
' A Clockwork Orange
as well as other works by Burgess. In addition, Krege was the standard translator to German for works by Amélie Nothomb
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
author and translator.
Life and work
Wolfgang Krege was born and raised in Berlin. In the early 1960s he began studying philosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
. Afterwards he worked as editor of lexica
Lexicon
In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. A lexicon is also a synonym of the word thesaurus. More formally, it is a language's inventory of lexemes. Coined in English 1603, the word "lexicon" derives from the Greek "λεξικόν" , neut...
, as copywriter and editor for publishing houses. In the 1970s he started translating texts, initially focusing on non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
.
Tolkien literature
He gained a greater readership by his translation of J. R. R. TolkienJ. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's book The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
. In the 1990s he retranslated
Translations of The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit has been translated into many languages. Known translations, with the first date of publishing, are:...
The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
; compared to the earlier translation by Walter Scherf, who had left out or shortened most of the poems and songs embedded into the plot, and which moreover contained illustrations by children's books illustrator Klaus Ensikat, Krege's version rather appeals to a more grown-up readership. Another difference is made by a lack of adherence to the original: Krege has a tendency to write a funnier and fancier book than the original Hobbit. Thereby various sentences are interpreted in a way which cannot any more be regarded as translation but is clearly new script. Additionally, Krege's version features a number of modern words like "Hurricane" which can easily be seen atypical for the medievally and European inspired Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
(although Tolkien's original as well does contain words like "football" or "express train"). Krege's translation of place names though is closer to the original script. Where "Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
" remained untranslated by Scherf, Krege used Bruchtal and standardised the place names according to the German translation of The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
by Margaret Carroux and E.-M. von Freymann (Klett-Cotta 1969/1970). He also eradicated earlier misinterpretations of English "Elf" to German "Fee" (fairy), where Tolkien explicitly wished to distinguish his elves from the diminutive airy-winged fairies.
Krege's retranslation of The Lord of the Rings (Ger.: Der Herr der Ringe) is highly disputed among fans. The new German interpretation of 2002 tries stronger than the old Carroux version to reflect the different style of speech employed by the various characters in the book. In the old German translation the speech is quite uniform throughout the plot – moderately old-fashioned and according to some critics even artificially folksy. The English original though features various layers of speech, from a 16th-century Bible style to the rustic and urban, sometimes gross, common British English of the 1940s, i.e. the time of its being written. Krege tries to imitate this in German, but used the German language of the 1990s as a reference rather than the 1940s. For example, he translated Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...
's often-employed phrase "Master Frodo
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
" to "Chef" (German (and French): boss; not to be confused with English "master cook") - a term which many fans of classic fantasy literature in German-speaking countries think of as totally improper. In Wolfgang Krege's translation, the appendices to The Lord of the Rings are for the first time completely translated to German, save for one part.
Other translations
Krege wrote also an (equally disputed) retranslation of Anthony BurgessAnthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
' A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange is a 1962 dystopian novella by Anthony Burgess. The novel contains an experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian....
as well as other works by Burgess. In addition, Krege was the standard translator to German for works by Amélie Nothomb
Amélie Nothomb
Amélie Nothomb is a Belgian writer who writes in French.- Biography :Amélie Nothomb was born in Kobe, Japan to Belgian diplomats. She lived there until she was five years old, and then subsequently lived in China, New York, Bangladesh, Burma, Coventry and Laos...
.
As an author
- Begriffe der Gruppendynamik (Terms of Group Dynamics), Konzepte der Humanwissenschaften, Stuttgart 1977 (ISBN 3-12-904920-7)
- Handbuch der Weisen von Mittelerde (Handbook of Middle-earth Scholars), Stuttgart 2001 (ISBN 3-608-93311-5)
- Elbisches Wörterbuch Quenya und Sindarin. Nach J. R. R. Tolkiens Schriften (Elvish dictionary Quenya and Sindarin. According to J. R. R. Tolkien's Writings), Stuttgart 2003 (ISBN 3-608-93185-6)
As a translator
- Leland P. Bradford (ed.): T-group-theory and laboratory method (Gruppen-Training. T-Gruppentheorie und Laboratoriumsmethode, Texte zur Gruppendynamik, Stuttgart 1972, ISBN 3-12-901410-1)
- Pierre Morin: Le développement des organisations (Einführung in die angewandte Organisationspsychologie, Konzepte der Humanwissenschaften, Stuttgart 1974, ISBN 3-12-905800-1)
- William Kenneth Richmond: The free school (Freie Schule, offene Universität, Cologne 1975, ISBN 3-462-01049-2 oder ISBN 3-462-01050-6)
- Georges Lapassade: L' arpenteur (Der Landvermesser oder die Universitätsreform findet nicht statt. Ein Soziodrama in 5 Akten, Stuttgart 1976, ISBN 3-12-905020-5)
- William GoldmanWilliam GoldmanWilliam Goldman is an American novelist, playwright, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.-Early life and education:...
: The Princess BrideThe Princess BrideThe Princess Bride is a 1973 fantasy novel written by William Goldman. It was originally published in the United States by Harcourt Brace, while in the UK it is/was published by Bloomsbury Publishing....
(Die Brautprinzessin. S. Morgensterns klassische Erzählung von wahrer Liebe und edlen Abenteuern, Stuttgart 1977, ISBN 3-12-902960-5) - Michel OdentMichel OdentMichel Odent is a retired medical doctor. He was born in France in 1930 and studied medicine at Paris University. He is known for his role in the natural childbirth movement and for promoting water birth...
: Bien naître (Die sanfte Geburt. Die Leboyer-Methode in der Praxis, München 1978, 6. Auflage als 'Die sanfte Geburt, Munich 1986, ISBN 3-466-34008-X) - J. R. R. TolkienJ. R. R. TolkienJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
: The SilmarillionThe SilmarillionThe Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
(Das Silmarillion, Stuttgart 1978, recently Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-608-93245-3) - Lewis Yablonsky: Psychodrama (Psychodrama. Die Lösung emotionaler Probleme durch das Rollenspiel, Konzepte der Humanwissenschaften, Stuttgart 1978, ISBN 3-12-909000-2)
- Kai T. EriksonKai T. EriksonKai Theodor Erikson is an American sociologist, noted as an authority on the social consequences of catastrophic events. He served as the 76th president of the American Sociological Association....
: Wayward Puritans (Die widerspenstigen Puritaner. Zur Soziologie abweichenden Verhaltens, Konzepte der Humanwissenschaften/Angewandte Wissenschaft, Stuttgart 1978, ISBN 3-12-902070-5) - Humphrey CarpenterHumphrey CarpenterHumphrey William Bouverie Carpenter was an English biographer, writer, and radio broadcaster.-Biography:...
: J. R. R. Tolkien (J. R. R. Tolkien. Eine Biographie, Stuttgart 1979, ISBN 3-12-901460-8) - Alice HoffmanAlice HoffmanAlice Hoffman is an American novelist and young-adult and children's writer, best known for her 1996 novel Practical Magic, which was adapted for a 1998 film of the same name...
: Property of (Auf dem Rücken, Stuttgart 1979, ISBN 3-12-903820-5) - Anthony BurgessAnthony BurgessJohn Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
: Tremor of IntentTremor of Intent: An Eschatological Spy NovelTremor of Intent: An Eschatological Spy Novel , by Anthony Burgess, is an English espionage novel. Burgess conceived it as a reaction to both the heavy-handed, humorless spy fiction of John le Carré and to Ian Fleming's James Bond, a character Burgess thought an imperialist relic...
(Tremor, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-900521-8) - Anthony Burgess: One Hand ClappingOne Hand Clapping (novel)One Hand Clapping is a 1961 work by Anthony Burgess published originally under the pseudonym Joseph Kell.The novel was intended as an indictment of what Burgess saw as the degradation of contemporary Western education and culture....
(Ein-Hand-Klatschen, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-900511-0) - Aldo Scaglione: Komponierte Prosa von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart, 2 Bände, Stuttgart 1981
- Vol. 1: The classical theory of composition - from its origins to the present (Die Theorie der Textkomposition in den klassischen und den westeuropäischen Sprachen, ISBN 3-12-936960-0)
- Vol. 2: The theory of German word order from the Renaissance to the present (Die Theorie der Wortstellung im Deutschen, ISBN 3-12-936961-9)
- Alice Hoffman: The Drowning Season (Ertrinkenstage., Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-12-903830-2)
- Anthony Burgess: Napoleon SymphonyNapoleon SymphonyNapoleon Symphony: A Novel in Four Movements is Anthony Burgess's fictional recreation of the life and world of Napoleon Bonaparte, first published in 1974...
(Napoleonsymphonie. in 4 Sätzen, Stuttgart 1982, ISBN 3-608-95079-6) - Anthony Burgess: Earthly PowersEarthly PowersEarthly Powers is a panoramic saga of the 20th century by Anthony Burgess first published in 1980. On one level it is a parody of a "blockbuster" novel, with the 81-year-old hero, Kenneth Toomey , telling the story of his life in 82 chapters...
(Der Fürst der Phantome., Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-608-95215-2) - J. R. R. Tolkien: Good Dragons are Rare: Three Essays (Gute Drachen sind rar. 3 Aufsätze, Cottas Bibliothek der Moderne (30), Stuttgart 1984 (ISBN 3-608-95278-0)
- Anthony Burgess: The Doctor is SickThe Doctor is SickThe Doctor Is Sick is a 1960 novel by Anthony Burgess.According to his autobiography, Burgess composed the book in just six weeks. He wrote it after his return to England from Malaya in a burst of literary activity that also produced Devil of a State, A Clockwork Orange, The Right to an Answer and...
(Der Doktor ist defekt, Stuttgart 1985, ISBN 3-608-95026-5) - J. R. R. Tolkien: Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin (Tuor und seine Ankunft in Gondolin. Erzählung, co-translator: Hans J. Schütz, Munich 1985 ISBN 3-423-10456-2)
- Anthony Burgess: Beard's Roman WomenBeard's Roman WomenBeard's Roman Women is a 1976 novel by British novelist Anthony Burgess.Dated "Montalbuccio-Monte Carlo-Eze-Callian, Summer 1975", according to Burgess it was written in the back of his Bedford Dormobile and "partly in the bedroom of a small hotel run by Swiss homosexuals" .The novel is set in Rome...
(Rom im Regen., Stuttgart 1987, ISBN 3-608-95024-9) - J. R. R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter (ed.): The Letters of J. R. R. TolkienThe Letters of J. R. R. TolkienThe Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien is a selection of J. R. R. Tolkien's letters published in 1981, edited by Tolkien's biographer Humphrey Carpenter assisted by Christopher Tolkien...
(Briefe, Stuttgart 1991, ISBN 3-608-95028-1) - Annik Le Guérer: Les pouvoirs de l'odeur (Die Macht der Gerüche. Eine Philosophie der Nase, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-608-93154-6)
- Bill BufordBill BufordBill Buford is an American author and journalist. Buford is the author of the books Among the Thugs and Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany....
: Among the ThugsAmong the ThugsAmong the Thugs: The Experience, and the Seduction, of Crowd Violence is a 1990 work of journalism by American writer Bill Buford documenting football hooliganism in the United Kingdom....
(Geil auf Gewalt. Unter Hooligans, Munich and Vienna 1992, ISBN 3-446-17160-6) - Anthony Burgess: A Clockwork OrangeA Clockwork OrangeA Clockwork Orange is a 1962 dystopian novella by Anthony Burgess. The novel contains an experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian....
(Die Uhrwerk-Orange., Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-608-95742-1) - Shirley JacksonShirley JacksonShirley Jackson was an American author. A popular writer in her time, her work has received increasing attention from literary critics in recent years...
: The Haunting of Hill HouseThe Haunting of Hill HouseFor the Richard Matheson novel, see Hell House, made into a film titled The Legend of Hell House.The Haunting of Hill House is a 1959 novel by author Shirley Jackson. Finalist for the National Book Award and considered one of the best literary ghost stories published during the twentieth century,...
(Spuk in Hill House., Zurich 1993 (ISBN 3-257-22605-5) - Amélie NothombAmélie NothombAmélie Nothomb is a Belgian writer who writes in French.- Biography :Amélie Nothomb was born in Kobe, Japan to Belgian diplomats. She lived there until she was five years old, and then subsequently lived in China, New York, Bangladesh, Burma, Coventry and Laos...
: Hygiène de l'assassinHygiène de l'assassinHygiene and the Assassin is the first novel of the Belgian novelist Amélie Nothomb. It was published in 1992 by Albin Michel. The novel is written almost entirely in dialogue.-Plot:...
(Die Reinheit des Mörders., Zürich 1993, ISBN 3-257-06009-2) - Joseph ConradJoseph ConradJoseph Conrad was a Polish-born English novelist.Conrad is regarded as one of the great novelists in English, although he did not speak the language fluently until he was in his twenties...
: The Nigger of the Narcissus (Der Bimbo von der „Narcissus“. Eine Geschichte von der See, Zurich 1994) - Léon WerthLéon WerthLéon Werth was a French writer and art critic, a friend of Octave Mirbeau, then of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.Léon Werth wrote critically and with great precision on French society through World War I, colonization, and on French "collaboration" during World War II.Saint-Exupéry met Werth in 1931...
: La maison blanche (Das weiße Zimmer, Cotta's Bibliothek der Moderne, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-608-93204-6) - Amélie Nothomb: Les CatilinairesLes CatilinairesThe Stranger Next Door is a Belgian novel by Amélie Nothomb. It was first published in 1995....
(Der Professor., Zürich 1996, ISBN 3-257-06107-2) - Keith HaringKeith HaringKeith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
: Journals (Tagebücher, Frankfurt am Main 1997, ISBN 3-10-029911-6) - J. R. R. Tolkien: The Hobbit or There and Back AgainThe HobbitThe Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
(Der Hobbit, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-608-93805-2) - Amélie Nothomb: Stupeur et tremblements (Mit Staunen und Zittern, Zurich 2000, ISBN 3-257-06250-8)
- J. R. R. Tolkien: The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
(Der Herr der Ringe, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-608-93222-4) - Amélie Nothomb: Mercure (Quecksilber., Zürich 2001, ISBN 3-257-06288-5)
- Amélie Nothomb: Métaphysique des tubesMétaphysique des tubesThe Character of Rain is a 2000 short novel by the Belgian author Amélie Nothomb originally written in French. The English translated edition of the novel was published by Faber and Faber.-Plot:...
(Metaphysik der Röhren., Zurich 2002, ISBN 3-257-06299-0) - Tom ShippeyTom ShippeyThomas Alan Shippey is a scholar of medieval literature, including that of Anglo-Saxon England, and of modern fantasy and science fiction, in particular the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, about whom he has written several scholarly studies. He is widely considered one of the leading academic scholars...
: J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the CenturyJ. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the CenturyJ.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century is a work of literary criticism written by Tom Shippey. It is about the work of J.R.R. Tolkien. In it, Shippey argues for the relevance of Tolkien today and attempts to firmly establish Tolkien's literary merits....
(J. R. R. Tolkien. Autor des Jahrhunderts, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-608-93432-4) - Amélie Nothomb: Robert de noms propres (Im Namen des Lexikons., Zurich 2003, ISBN 3-257-06344-X)