Looking for some German Phrases

[ffutures]

I could try Alta Vista, but I suspect that some of the readers here will be able to give me better translations:

Signs:

"Military Contracts Office."

"Civil Identification Bureau."

"No admission to unauthorised personnel."

"Important notice: all personnel without exception must report to the security desk on arrival on Tuesday morning."

"Intruders will be shot."

"Maintenance Department."

Speech:

"Halt or I fire."

"Resistance is futile."

"Surrender!"

All help very gratefully received.

Comments

[kalieris.livejournal.com]

Alas, bureaucratic/military phrases weren't used much when I was growing up. If you were asking about shopping, cooking, or cats, then I could help you.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Some very specific things in there.

"Military Contracts Office."
"Civil Identification Bureau."
I'm not quite sure what the first two are in English, so I'm a bit stuck, I'm afraid. :o(
For the first, "Einberufungsbehörde" would be where military conscripts go and where you get sent for your test for national service.
I'll have a look in some of our big dictionaries at work for the second tomorrow.

"No admission to unauthorised personnel."
Zutritt nur für autorisierte Personen

"Important notice: all personnel without exception must report to the security desk on arrival on Tuesday morning."

Wichtiger Hinweis: Alle Angestellten müssen sich am Dienstag Morgen beim Sicherheitsdienst melden.
(This is rather freely translated but is more idiomatic in German)

"Intruders will be shot."

Eindringlinge werden erschossen.

"Maintenance Department."

Instandsetzungsabteilung ;o)

Speech:

"Halt or I fire."

Stehenbleiben oder ich schieße!

"Resistance is futile."

Widerstand ist zwecklos.

"Surrender!"

Ergeben Sie sich! (yes, even then we're polite ;o)

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Many thanks for this!

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Still no idea for "Civil Identification Bureau".
What is it supposed to be?

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

The bureau that handles identification cards and records - if you have a better name for it (since Germany uses ID cards I'd imagine there is one) please let me know.

[sirernest.livejournal.com]

then that would be the "Einwohnermeldeamt", also called "Meldestelle". In the last years they're calling it "Bürgeramt".

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

The first one is the official term, yes.
I haven't heard the term "Bürgeramt but that doesn't mean anything, I haven't lived in Germany for over eight years.
A short websearch reveals it's probably the best choice as they also deal with birth/marriage/death certificates, criminal records etc.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Thanks, that sounds about right - it's for an adventure set in a steampunk Prussia with Babbage engines used to regulate the citizens; the adventurers have to get into the record offices, which are guarded by our old friends the Krupp Stahlwächter, and... well, that would be telling.

[sirernest.livejournal.com]

Okay, the names change and competences change too.
Generally in those times the "Gemeindeamt" and the "Standesamt" were responsible. In more rural areas they were often housed together at the "Landratsamt" and if I read some old files correctly the police too took many fuctions in there.

[sirernest.livejournal.com]

And I just found this: http://users.foxvalley.net/~goertz/faq.prussia.html

Q8 may be of use for you here especially

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Many thanks - that ought to help a lot.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Forgot to ask: what would the most literal English translations of these words be?