Vertaling - You will be surprised (Engels)

In terms of the English only, I would suggest you consider the following changes:
You will be surprised that I got in touch with you, I found this address when tidying up. I wish you a merry yule and a fulfilling new year. I want to go to Bulgaria next year, but I don't like these big hotels on the coast at all. Do you have addresses of private employers on the coast? Please write to me.

Thank you!
As to your first suggestion: "...that I got in touch with you" is actually not literally although it might sound better. I don't know...

"fulfilling" is a good idea, but perhaps we should wait for the answer of the requester to be sure what's really meant.

About the "employers" - I'm not all sure if it's the exact meaning of the original text, because "Vermieter" actually means "hirer" or "landlord". But perhaps "employers" is more common in this context...

One thing you must always remember when translating from one language to another: the end product must be understandable to the language reader (in this case English) and be presented in such a way as to evoke the correct understanding of the meaning of the origional. A literal translation can many times cause the opposite since rather than communicating the idea that needs to be presented, the literal form will cause the reader to be "turned off" by the content, which, in the long run, defeats the purpose of translating. I personally would not validate the translation as it stands no matter how literally correct it might be since it lacks the proper terminology in use by the English speakers it is intended for. In english you would never say, for instance, do you have addresses of private hirers on the coast unless you wanted the reader to think you didn't understand English in the first place. Try to get into the head of your consumer and present your translation in a way he or she will identify with.

Well, I suggest you do some more research and edit the text a bit since I, and there is no offense intended, wouldn't allow it to go to a vote as it is only because the English isn't up to standards.

Hi heidrun, hi dramati

I totally agree with dramati's comments about literal translations.

"hirer" is usually used to indicate someone who rents a car, and has little or nothing to do with renting a house.

"landords" would be a keen alternative, as would "rentals"

You are allowed to change certain words in a translation if they help make it read better or convey the idea better.

I would suggest that you put either

"... addresses of private landlords..."
or "...addresses of private rentals..."

As translators, we do not do "word to word", we do "world to world" it is all the difference between a good translator and an excellent one.

Küsse
Tantine

It was actually never my intention to stick to the original text as hard as possible just to get a word to word translation. It's just like you said, dramati - I ain't no native speaker and therefore, some mistakes may and will happen, that's in the nature of us humans.. I really tried to make the requester of this translation understand, what the text is about, although the it is really written in a horrible german. So if he/she is really "turned off" after having read my translation, I can't help him/her... Nevertheless, I agree totally that a translation should be best as possible. I'm always open for new suggestions to improve my english.

GREAT!

So please read the suggestions and edit your text.

Best,

David

I actually already did that..

I think the writer meant "tolles neue Jahr" - it's obviously been transcribed by someone who cannot read German. Here's my suggestion:

You're probably surprised to hear from me - I found this address when I was cleaning up. I wish you a Merry Christmas and great New Year. I want to go to Bulgaria next year, but I don't like those big hotels by the sea at all. Do you have any addresses of people who rent out private property by the sea? Write to me please.

Here is the text I was translating, which is my corrected version of the original:

Du wirst dich sicher wundern, dass ich mich melde, habe diese Adresse beim aufraemen gefunden. Ich wuensche Dir ein Frohes Weihnachtsfest u. ein tolles neue Jahr. Ich will im naeschsten Jahr nach Bulgarien, aber mag diese grossen Hotels am Meer ueberhaupt nicht. Hast Du Adressen von privaten Vermietern am Meer? Schreibe mir doch bitte.

In US English, this person is asking about "vacation house rental agencies".

Or simply "vacation rentals".

K has the gist of it.

I never heard the term yule being used, why not translate it into 'a merry Christmas"?

I think the writer means 'ein tolles neues Jahr' which would translate into 'a great new year'

Yule = Yuletide, an old fashioned term for Christmas, known mostly because of the Yuletide Log, a cake made to resemble a log of wood.

The name of the pagan festival where the Christian Church took all the "new" western Christmas symbology from, remains in some Germanic languages, such as the Swedish Jul, Icelandic Jól, etc.

But not in English!

Kafetzou's suggestion combines better [yule?] etc...

dramati, this translation should be rejected.

...but not in English.