Dear all
I;m having problems with the word vernutzt; it seems to have two primary
meanings - worn out or misused - and I am wondering whether one of those comes
first to mind to a German native speaker.
The context is a Guenter Grass poem i am translating (mein Makel from Dummer
August 2007) and I guess the difference is quite important (see below).
It may be of course that they are simply both there in German in a way i won't
be able to get in English.
Spät sagen sie, zu spät.
Um Jahrzehnte verspätet.
Ich nicke: Ja es dauerte,
bis ich Wörter fand
für das vernutzte Wort Scham.
Many thanks
Karen
Dr K.J. Leeder
Reader in German
Fellow and Tutor in German,
New College, Oxford
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