Did you know that German is one of FIFA’s four official languages (the others being English, French and Spanish)? FIFA’s official professional translation services and interpreting services will include German translation, as they do every World Cup. Since Soccer is the most popular sport in Germany, they have a lot of fun traditions for celebrating and watching the “Weltcup”, as they call it. Read on to learn more.
A Proud German Translation of Soccer Mania
The undisputed champion of German amateur and professional sports is soccer (the German translation is call “König Fußball”, while the English translation is “king football”). Thousands of amateur Fußballvereine (soccer clubs) provide the opportunity for Germans to play soccer—and create a wider pool to pull from for their national team. As a spectator sport, soccer draws an average of over 25,000 fans to each professional game. Germany has won the World Cup four times: in 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014. They’re the only nation to have won both the men’s and women’s World Cup. (The only team to win it more is soccer legend Brazil.) Germany hosted the 2006 World Cup, but came in third that year, after France and the winner, Italy.
German Translation of World Cup Tradition
Germans have always been known as the country who stressed over the game until the final tally was official. Their dedication isn’t all stress, though. One of the best things Germany has to offer during the World Cup month is the Fanmeile, a mile of closed-off road leading up to the Brandenburg Gate. It’s packed with hundreds of thousands of German fans and huge screens showing the action of the game (obviously with German translation in the subtitles).
After their team’s matches, hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets of German cities. Wearing their national colors, they whoop, cheer, and hug each other. They also honk their car horns to celebrate their teams. Every Berliner who is sober enough to drive (and after a long game that may be a small population) will drive their car down to Kudamm for the ‘Autokorso’, a vehicular celebration of Germany’s soccer fandom. Recently, to enhance the World Cup experience, Berlin put televisions throughout the city in order to create a fan-friendly experience. In 2006 over 750,000 people descended on the street to watch Germany take on Sweden.
If the Fanmeile is too crowded for some, they can go to beer gardens all over Germany. These beer gardens will put the game on and serve up beer and a smaller, but still fiercely loyal, sense of camaraderie and fandom. Many will waive any entry fees for the entirety of the world cup, only closing their doors when every seat is taken. Some German soccer fans will stay home or go to friends’ houses to barbecue, watch the game, and drink in their backyards.
Interpreting German Soccer Chants
While some things, like beer, need no translation, Germany’s chants do. If tourists want to join in, they should learn a few phrases. The first is a chant. Germans will often chant “Orange trägt nur die Müllabfuhr”, or “Orange is only worn by bin men”. The translation isn’t just about the literal words. Add some localization in and you get the context – Germany’s longtime rivals, the Dutch, wear orange uniforms, which remind German citizens of their local rubbish collectors. If you’re at a game, you might hear simultaneous interpreting of their most popular chant: “Auf geht’s Deutschland schiess ein Tor.” This means “Come on Germany, score a goal.”
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