Today, some thoughts on how to translate ‘besticht’!
Although the primary meaning of bestechen is to bribe or corrupt, the verb is often used - like its
counterpart überzeugt - to describe how
appealing, captivating or just generally impressive a place or thing is. A
direct translation (something along the lines of ‘impresses through’) is
clearly no good, so a workaround is generally necessary. The following is a
brief selection of besticht phrases which
have come up in my work recently… and the translation I went for at the time.
Feel free to add your own examples!
a)
… besticht der Landhaushof durch seinen Arkadengang
= a
particularly attractive feature of the Landhaushof is its galleried courtyard
b)
das Hotel
besticht durch die optimale Lage für Ausflüge
= the hotel
provides an ideal base for excursions
c)
... besticht durch seine Lage im mittleren Saaletal
= occupies an
attractive location in the middle reaches of the Saale valley.
d)
der Saal im Volkshaus besticht durch eine ausgezeichnete
Akustik
= the elegant
Great Hall of the ‘Volkshaus’ is known for
its excellent acoustics
e)
die Nibelungenstadt Worms besticht mit ihrem reichen
Kulturerbe aus über 2000 Jahren Geschichte.
= famed as
the “City of the Nibelungs”, Worms boasts a rich cultural heritage stretching
back over 2,000 years.
f)
die Planzenwelt im Norden der Insel besticht durch üppige
Fülle.
= the north
of the island boasts an abundance of lush vegetation
… and three more (from non-tourism texts!)
g)
der neue Toyota TF107 besticht hauptsächlich durch ein
neues Aufhängungskonzept
= a
particular impressive feature of the new Toyota TF107 is its new suspension
system
h)
... besticht hauptsächlich durch den Preis
= above all
else, the… offers fantastic value for
money
i)
das Modell besticht durch ein gradlinig und elegantes Design
= its elegant, streamlined design makes this an
extremely attractive model.
*Coming
next month: what to do with that perennial favourite – ‘der Geheimtipp’!!!
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