Funny grammar error in German Watchtower

by processor 19 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  processor

  They seem to have laid off their proofreaders. In the new 03/2016 study Watchtower there is a picture description:
  

  A mature young person does not act like a friend of God at the Kingdom Hall but a friend of the world at school

  The German issue says
  

  Ein reifer junger Mensch verhält sich im Königreichssaal nicht wie ein Freund Jehovas und in der Schule wie ein Freund der Welt

  which means, if you interpret it correctly according to Grammar: "A mature young person does not act like a friend of God at the Kingdom Hall. He acts like a friend of the world at school."
  
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  careful

  You never translated "und" which means "and." That makes a difference here.
  
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  Zoos

  How could Jehovah's Holy spirit miss this? Sam Herd JUST TOLD US of his confidence that Jehovah is richly blessing the world wide work.

  I am befuddled.
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  slimboyfat

  A German here says it reads okay.
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  prologos

  It would have sounded nicer if Kingdom Hall and "school" would have been close together, to make the contrast clear like:

  Ein reifer junger Mensch verhaelt sich nicht wie ein Freund Jehovah's im Koenigsreichssaal, aber*** in der Schule wie ein Freund der Welt. oder *** gleichzeitig IMO.

  For an English speaker, the German "New Theocratic tongue" really sounds antique, stilted.
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  fastJehu

  
  

  slimboyfat
  A German here says it reads okay.

  
  

  I also stumbled over this sentence - and I had to smile.

  One would be able to express this sentence unequivocally.

  But a faithful german JW knows of course exactly, what the GB wants to express.
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  Daniel1555

  I am a native german speaker.

  It is a clear sentence, translated well and contains no mistake at all.

  I find the meaning of this picture and sentence very questionable.

  It puts a lot of pressure and guilt to JW schoolkids.
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  blondie

  I was born and raised in Germany, still read and speak German. It looks fine to me...
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  prologos

  Perhaps this sentence was from the simplified, einfache deutsche edition? as careful said, it is the translation into English that seems flawed.-- imo, not a native english speaker.
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  processor

  Of course, the sentence

  Ein reifer junger Mensch verhält sich im Königreichssaal nicht wie ein Freund Jehovas und in der Schule wie ein Freund der Welt

  is correct. But it is not really good language and can be easily misunderstood. It would much clearer like this:

  Ein reifer junger Mensch verhält sich nicht im Königreichssaal wie ein Freund Jehovas und in der Schule wie ein Freund der Welt