Guided Meditation - Translation Project

As a literary translator, I don't just translate fiction books as you would assume. My literary skills are even best put to use in self-help works. There is a special language we use when talking about mindfulness, achieving personal goals, or meditating. These intricate details of language are immensely different in other cultures. Recently, I took on a very interesting new translation project: the localization of several different guided meditations.

Please find an excerpt from the project below:

Das Wasser plätschert munter einen kleinen Hang hinab und landet in einem flachen Wasserbecken. Im Becken leuchten Seerosen in allen Farben um die Wette und bilden einen starken Kontrast zu der sandsteinbraunen Erde deiner Umgebung. Kleine türkis schimmernde Steine aus Jade liegen am Rande des Beckens. Nimm einen davon in die Hand und fühle seine Oberfläche. Lass deine Fingerspitzen ganz bewusst darüber gleiten und erkunde sein Wesen.

The water splashes merrily down a small slope and arrives in a shallow pond. In the pond, water lilies of all colors compete and form a strong contrast to the sandstone-brown earth of your surroundings. Small turquoise shimmering stones of jade lie at the edge of the pool. Take one of them in your hand and feel its surface. Let your fingertips glide over it consciously and explore its essence.

The emotive language we use in guided meditations is very unique and cannot just be translated 'literally'. Although many translators will do a great job at conveying the meaning of a passage such as the one above, it takes a true expert to guide your audience into pure relaxation, armed only with their words.

If this excerpt from the meditation speaks to you, you can check out this one and several more on this website.

Need your self-help book translated and adapted to a specific audience? At Geres Translations, we guarantee that your work can shine as bright in another language as it can in yours!