Quote:
Originally Posted by PPS
As far as my extremely rusty German goes, I think the translation of Schlitten is sledge or sled, with various bits added on the front to detail different forms such as a toboggan or bobsleigh.
Paul.
|
That was my very rusty guess also. The little time I spent in Germany barely gave me enough facility in their language to order bier unt schnitzel, bitte. Germans are famous for stringing individual ideas together into one long unpronouncable word. Don't believe me? Look up Admiral Hipper's order to his cruiser fleet at Dogger Bank to "come around about together". I use websites such as AltaVista a lot to translate, unsuccessfully at times, words I don't understand. Case in point: I downloaded a very official looking ORPO WasserSchutzPolizei document from the internet. Off to AltaVista I go and type in ERLAUBNISKARTE which gives me PERMISSION MAP. Permission map?, that must mean Permit. It's a permit! For what. An important, top secret mission? I might be onto something really interesting here. I type in the next phrase, "Ruderboot mit Ausenbordanhangenmotor". Wow! Long phrase, what could it mean? Does this Permit allow the bearer access to Germany's newest secret weapon? Boy-o-boy, I'm pumped! My fingers fly across the keyboard in a feverish rush to discover the meaning and importance of this permit. What!...Crap! it's a simple permit for a row boat with an outboard motor. Some chump wanted to simply go fishing and had to get this very important looking document to do so. Mein Gott!
