to disfigure / distort
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to disfigure
To change the outward appearance of a person or thing so negatively and severely that it becomes ugly, unsightly, or unrecognizable.
Der Unfall hat sein Gesicht mit einer tiefen Narbe entstellt.
The accident disfigured his face with a deep scar.
The verb consists of the prefix 'ent-' and the verb 'stellen' (to place/put). Here, 'ent-' has the effect of a negative change: something is brought out of its correct form or 'Stellung' (position) and thereby becomes ugly or false.
Graffiti entstellt die historische Fassade des Gebäudes.
Graffiti disfigures the historic facade of the building.
You can recognize the two meanings by the object. If the object is physical (e.g., a face, a landscape), it is about appearance. If the object is abstract (e.g., the truth, a quote), it is about the distortion of content.
Ein riesiges Hotel entstellt die Küste. (Aussehen)
A huge hotel disfigures the coast. (appearance)
In this meaning, the verb is often used in the passive to describe the negative change. The subject is then the person or thing whose appearance was changed.
Sein Gesicht wurde durch die Krankheit entstellt.
His face was disfigured by the illness.
When it is about falsifying content, typical objects are: 'die Wahrheit entstellen' (to distort the truth), 'Tatsachen entstellen' (to distort facts), 'eine Aussage entstellen' (to distort a statement), or 'den Sinn entstellen' (to distort the meaning).
Er behauptete, die Presse habe seine Aussagen absichtlich entstellt.
He claimed that the press had deliberately distorted his statements.
to rape / violate
'vergewaltigen' and 'entstellen' can both mean that the original meaning of something is changed severely. In this relation, 'vergewaltigen' is meant in its figurative sense. 'entstellen' says that a statement, a text, or the truth is no longer properly recognizable because of misrepresentation, omission, or additions. It is a relatively precise word for such changes. 'vergewaltigen' is stronger and sounds like a harsh accusation: someone treats a language, an idea, or a text so roughly that the original meaning is destroyed. 'entstellen' is more suitable in a factual tone; 'vergewaltigen' only fits when the criticism is very strong.
Ein einzelnes Zitat kann die Aussage des Gastes entstellen, wenn der Zusammenhang fehlt.
A single quote can distort the guest's statement if the context is missing.
Der Übersetzer vergewaltigt den Text, weil er viele wichtige Gedanken weglässt.
The translator violates the text because he leaves out many important ideas.