Apr 1, 2008 16:53
16 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term
die Welt besser kennenlernen
German to English
Bus/Financial
Advertising / Public Relations
Kontext: Magazin eines Versicherungsmaklers (Vorwort)
Goethe hatte nach seiner dreijährigen Italienreise gesagt “Ich glaube, ich verstehe die Italiener noch nicht.” In der globalisierten Welt haben wir Deutschen einen hohen Stellenwert und Vertrauensvorsprung, diesen gilt es zu erhalten. Aber dafür müssen wir die Welt besser kennenlernen. Drei Jahre, wie bei Goethe, wären etwas lang, aber wenn wir wollen, dass die Welt uns kennen soll, dann können wir nicht erwarten, dass die Welt uns kennt, wenn wir der Welt keine Chance geben, uns kennen zu lernen.
One of my problems with this section is the clumsy transition between Goethe's quote and the following sentence. I was therefore thinking of either adding an extra sentence, or completely rewriting the entire paragraph. Here is what I have come up with so far:
After his three-year journey around Italy Goethe said: "I think I still do not understand the Italians." Today's businesses are confronted with a similar situation: they enter the global markets and – in much less than three years – need to learn about the world in order to stay ahead in competition. This also holds for German companies which, despite enjoying great confidence and prestige, cannot take their success for granted. We must instead work hard to stay on top of current trends while developing brand recognition (OR: while promoting our brand).
What do you think?
Goethe hatte nach seiner dreijährigen Italienreise gesagt “Ich glaube, ich verstehe die Italiener noch nicht.” In der globalisierten Welt haben wir Deutschen einen hohen Stellenwert und Vertrauensvorsprung, diesen gilt es zu erhalten. Aber dafür müssen wir die Welt besser kennenlernen. Drei Jahre, wie bei Goethe, wären etwas lang, aber wenn wir wollen, dass die Welt uns kennen soll, dann können wir nicht erwarten, dass die Welt uns kennt, wenn wir der Welt keine Chance geben, uns kennen zu lernen.
One of my problems with this section is the clumsy transition between Goethe's quote and the following sentence. I was therefore thinking of either adding an extra sentence, or completely rewriting the entire paragraph. Here is what I have come up with so far:
After his three-year journey around Italy Goethe said: "I think I still do not understand the Italians." Today's businesses are confronted with a similar situation: they enter the global markets and – in much less than three years – need to learn about the world in order to stay ahead in competition. This also holds for German companies which, despite enjoying great confidence and prestige, cannot take their success for granted. We must instead work hard to stay on top of current trends while developing brand recognition (OR: while promoting our brand).
What do you think?
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+1
32 mins
Selected
to get to know the wider world much better/to understand the wider world much better
Something along those lines
Peer comment(s):
agree |
GeorginaW (X)
: to be able to do this, we need to get to know/to understand...etc
14 hrs
|
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks everybody!"
39 mins
we Germany need a deeper (more profound?) understanding of the world
another way to go
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 39 mins (2008-04-01 17:32:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
sorry, "we Germans..."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 39 mins (2008-04-01 17:32:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
sorry, "we Germans..."
+1
2 hrs
...must acquaint ourselves with the world around us/with the international community
Another way to express the idea of acquiring an understanding of other cultures - the idea Goethe expressed.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2008-04-01 20:11:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
...to stay ahead of the competition.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2008-04-01 20:11:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
...to stay ahead of the competition.
+1
4 hrs
a better understanding of the world
- die Welt = the world
- Deeper? No simply **better**!
- Deeper? No simply **better**!
Discussion