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Translation - German-English - Aristophanes konnte in der Vertretern der...

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Category Essay

Title
Aristophanes konnte in der Vertretern der...
Text
Submitted by apple
Source language: German

Aristophanes konnte in der Vertretern der Ueberwelt nichts anderes sehen, als drollige Typen eingebilter, im Grunde laengst vergangener Macht.
Remarks about the translation
My problem is the word "eingebildeter". I suppose it might means either fictitious or conceited, but I have a French translation that renders it "... manifestations d'un pouvoir cultivé mais, en réalité, depuis longtemps dépassé." What's "cultivé" got to do with "eingebildeter"? That's the question! Has the French translator a lot of eingebilter imagination?

Title
Aristophanes could only consider ...
Translation
English

Translated by Una Smith
Target language: English

Aristophanes could only consider the representatives of the overworld to be nothing but
amusing types, of conceited, essentially long-gone power.
Remarks about the translation
Sorry, Apple - I must've validated this one a bit too quickly. -- kafetzou
Validated by kafetzou - 18 January 2007 14:43





Last messages

Author
Message

11 January 2007 07:49

apple
Number of messages: 972
Well, I thought "eingebildeter" was a genitive related to "Macht", such as "vergangener", so it should be something like :amusing characters of a conceited but basically long gone power.
By the way, I forgot a "de" in the first "eingebildeter", but wrote it right in the message.

18 January 2007 14:57

Rumo
Number of messages: 220
Yes, you are right, "eingebildeter" refers to "Macht", which means "power" and not "world", by the way. I was worried for a few minutes until I found out where the "stuck" comes from. "Im Grunde" is a kinda set phrase for "basically, after all, in reality", i think that made the difficulty of the last part of the sentence.
Concerning the comment for the German source text: the French word "cultivé" means "gebildet", "eingebildet" is unfortunately something very different: it can mean both "imaginary, fictitious" and "conceited, vain".
Hope I could help, sorry I didn't see your message before now.
Greetings

19 January 2007 04:17

Una Smith
Number of messages: 429
Okay, I'm back. I saw Apple's request to me for more comment. (Why don't I see my original comments? I am trying to remember what my original translation said...) A couple of points. I read "eingebilter" as a typo for "eingebildeter", no problem there. The problem I see in the original German (at least what was posted here) is the lack of a verb.

Eingebildeter is stuck up, conceited, etc. I think the French "cultivé" is an error.

Yes, you can parse "eingebil[de]ter, im Grunde laengst vergangener Macht" as a phrase, in which case it is "conceited, essentially long gone power" but then you are left with "amusing types, conceited ..." which is not grammatical nor does it make sense to me.

I confess to some improvisation in my translation.

Silk from a pigs ear, anyone?