Translating a title

By Anonymous on Tue, 07/16/2013 - 18:57

Forums

Hello!

I'm citing a German church book, microfilmed and held at the diocese archives. I wish to translate the German titles (to French) but I'm confused as to using square brackets or parentheses. On page 123 (3.12) of EE, square brackets are recommended. However, on page 330 (7.16), parentheses are suggested. Which should I be using in this context?

Here's what I have so far:

Martinhagen Evangelische Kirche [Église réformée de Martinhagen] (Martinhagen, Hesse, Allemagne), Kirchenbuch, Taufen [Baptêmes], 1754, p.12; microfiche 1, Landeskirchliches Archiv der evangelischen Kirche Kurhessen-Waldeck [Les archives de l'église réformée de Kurhessen-Waldeck], Cassel, Allemagne.

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks!

Dan Sauvé, Ottawa Canada

Submitted byEEon Tue, 07/16/2013 - 20:50

Welcome, Dan. 

With regard to the parentheses vs. editorial bracket debate, some people prefer one and some prefer the other. Either is acceptable. Your example demonstrates one why and when square brackets work best. In your first line, alone, you have a need for two different types of "parenthetical" items: the translated name and the physical location of the parish. Using brackets for the translation, while using conventional parentheses, for the location makes it clear that you're dealing with two distinctly different things.

Incidentally, the next edition of EE, at 7.16 bullet 1, is slated to say "parentheses or square editorial brackets."

Regarding your format, one needed item seems to be missing. In good form, you identify the original. Then you place a semicolon and provide an identity for the reproduction you are using. Perfect. But when you say "microfiche 1," you leave your readers wondering: microfiche 1 of what?  Does the church archives have only one set of fiche, with consecutive numbers through ten thousand cards or whatever? Or does it have separate sets of fiche for each record collection that it holds. If the latter, which is usually the case, then what identification does the archive give to the specific set of fiche that covers Martinhagen? Does it simply identify the fiche sets by the name of the parish or some other words? Or does each set have an archival number, as per the example at EE 11.43?

 

 

Submitted bydsauveon Tue, 07/16/2013 - 21:10

Thank you for the feedback! The microfiche reference was given to me as is, by the person who retrieved the document for me from the archives. I did think the reference coding was overly simplistic but I never put much thought into it. I will definitely follow-up with the archives to clarify. Thanks for pointing that out!