Non-ProZ.com Aug 19, 2005:

I can understand your outrage, Nicole, and fully identify with your distress at being asked to translate place names. This request by my client, which I assure you I have contested ;) in the politest and most assertive way possible, certainly goes against the grain. I have won one or two small skirmishes with him on acceptable translations - or glosses. Perhaps I should have been more accurate and asked for a suggested gloss from Proz colleagues for this, as Hilary points out, it what I am trying to achieve. In my fairly thorough Googling with various food-related words I did not come across one which stood out as being the most common (I gave examples of what I had found in my original question). Based on the fact that there are, of course, many accepted and common translations of well-known places,(we Brits speak of the Spanish Steps, St Peter's Cathedral, etc in Rome, St Mark's Square and the Grand Canal in Venice and so on), I was wondering if I had missed one. However, that said, if there is no standard universally accepted gloss/translation for Fressgass, it is more grist to my mill of trying to persuade the client to drop his idea altogether. Nobody will happier than I!

Hilary Davies Shelby Aug 19, 2005:

mentioning the original German names. It's worked for me every time - just don't forget to mention that you know the client is a reasonable, intelligent person who will understand ;-)

Hilary Davies Shelby Aug 19, 2005:

I'd suggest you do this for all the streets. What I've done before is explain to the client (who is probably a tourist organization, right?) that people will not be able to find their way around or recognize the places if you translate them without

Hilary Davies Shelby Aug 19, 2005:

i'd agree with Nicole's principle here (i know the street well myself) but what you CAN do is put something in brackets after it to indicate what the nickname means, ie, "On the Fressgasse [a name which literally means "pig-out alley"], you will find.."

Nicole Schnell Aug 19, 2005:

Last one: Lisa, there is no such thing as a client asking you to translate place names in tourism. Please don't try to fool pros. Sorry if I sound to harsh.

Nicole Schnell Aug 19, 2005:

This is the first time I'm getting shitty on someone (KudoZ) because I prefer the professional tone, but how about checking out the one or the other website of the city you are writing about?

Nicole Schnell Aug 19, 2005:

Please don't try to translate "Grosse Bockenheimer". This street was named after whatever famous person and is the address of some of the world's largest ad agencies. Big outch. Contact me at [email protected] for a further tour.

Non-ProZ.com Aug 18, 2005:

@Kevin: Thanks for your reply. No, frankly, nor would I expect to translate it, just add an explanation as a gloss, but the client is *insisting* I translate all the place names. It's a nightmare, because there are some, such as Gro�e Bockenheimerstra�e, which are just not possible. But as we know (as we burn our candles at both ends), the client is always right!
@Daniel: I like your suggestion, too! I knew we would have some fun with this one (on a scale of entertainment it beats the commentary on Persian poems I was translating earlier today!)

Non-ProZ.com Aug 18, 2005:

@Kevin: I like your suggestion. Can you tell me if Gluttony Row is used by English-speaking tourists to Frankfurt - or is it your own (good)invention?

jccantrell Aug 18, 2005:

Grub would be understood in the USA. Nosh, only in the big cities, in my opinion.

Non-ProZ.com Aug 18, 2005:

@Andrew: hmm, interesting. I hadn't thought of refining it! I was wallowing around in ideas to do with fressen (I ruled out pig-swill!) I wonder if anyone else will have a thought or twain. I've got till midday tomorrow...