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bei subjektiv positivem Befall von Nägeln mit Pilzerregern
Jan 21, 2010 15:49
14 yrs ago
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German term

Minarette sich wer kann

German to English Social Sciences Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
I am translating a paper on pluralization in the context of globalization. This section is about how identity with a "we" to many is the last hope for rescue from the removal of borders and the disappearance of the we. This naturally requires a "them".
Then the sentence:
‚Minarette sich wer kann’ vor der Überfremdung.
The allusion is of course to the Swiss prohibition on minarets last year.
Anyone have a "Geistesblitz" for a snappy translation?
Thanks a bunch in advance, I know this is really impossible to translate!!!!
Proposed translations (English)
4 +7 The threat of the minaret
3 +6 The mosqueteers are after us. Run!
3 +2 The Minarets are coming! Head for the hills!
4 My home is my mosque
3 +1 the veiled threat
3 prevent our being swamped with foreign infiltration (or domination)
3 masque prevention
3 Who's afraid of the (big, bad) minarets?
3 Saviour souls from xenophobes

Discussion

British Diana Jan 23, 2010:
Die Qual der Wahl Yes, Anke, it's a pity you can't use several possibilities one after the other - but we all had fun on this one, I think! And I liked the winner best, too...
AZTranslations (asker) Jan 23, 2010:
Nochmals vielen herzlichen Dank an alle, die mit überlegt haben - es ist doch immer wieder toll zu sehen, was Teamwork zustande bringt! Es waren viele wirklich gute Ideen dabei, aber leider kann ich nur eine auswählen und Punkte vergeben.. und die Lösung von Henning war einfach die passendste!
Nochmal Danke, und ich hoffe ich kann mich bald revanchieren!
AZTranslations (asker) Jan 22, 2010:
Dear collegues I am truly overwhelmed by all these ideas and suggestions!! Thank you all so much for thinking with me! I will make a decision tomorrow.
Ulrike Kraemer Jan 22, 2010:
How about ... ... a combination of Johanna's and Susan's suggestions?

The mosqueteers are after us! Head for the hills!

That would be my personal preference in this ugly game.
Henning Bauer Jan 21, 2010:
Thanks for the tip, Sibylle... still new to all the Proz features!
Sibylle Gray Jan 21, 2010:
@Henning Bauer Post your suggestion (which I like the best) as an actual answer so you can get points for it.
AZTranslations (asker) Jan 21, 2010:
I knew it! Auf die ProZianer ist halt Verlass! Bei so vielen Ideen, muss ich erstmal drüber schlafen - Abgabe ist auch erst Montag, es ist also noch Zeit. Vielen Dank auf jeden Fall schon mal fürs fleißige mit-puzzeln und -denken! :)
oa_xxx (X) Jan 21, 2010:
I like the threat of the minaret idea,
oa_xxx (X) Jan 21, 2010:
(-; its raining mosques, the minarets are landing.. save yourself from..
Henning Bauer Jan 21, 2010:
Wie wär's mit einem Reim? "The threat of the minaret, as one might say, lies in the fear of being overrun by a foreign culture." Oder so ähnlich. Das ist freilich keine genaue Entsprechung (welche wohl unmöglich ist), aber kommt wenigstens dem Original in punkto Sinn und Ton näher.
AZTranslations (asker) Jan 21, 2010:
@ Ellen Es ist ja auch absolut nicht ernst gemeint! Sondern eine pfiffige Zusammenfassung in einem Satz, wie manche Leute eben denken, bzw. wohin zu viel Pochen auf die nationale Identität führen kann.
Ich weiß, dass es eigentlich unmöglich ist, da so rüber zu bringen, aber ich habe schon so tolle Ideen von ProZianern gesehen, da wollte ich diese Quelle nicht unangezapft lassen! :)
Ellen Kraus Jan 21, 2010:
abgesehen davon, dass dieses Wortspiel, so witzig es auch sein mag, diskriminierend ist, ist eine Entsprechung im Englischen schwer möglich. Mein Vorschlag ist daher vollkommen neutral gehalten; sicherlich zum Bedauern des Autors.
AZTranslations (asker) Jan 21, 2010:
It's a play on words In German there is the phrase "Rette sich wer kann", meaning something like "save yourselves, every man for himself". But how to put this in English with the minaret allusion... Obviously, it is about how too much identity with a "we" fosters xenophobia.
philgoddard Jan 21, 2010:
I guessed this was a reference to the minaret ban, but I still don't understand it. Can you explain a bit more about what this means, Anke?

Proposed translations

+7
3 hrs
Selected

The threat of the minaret

Wie wär's mit einem Reim? "The threat of the minaret..." Das ist freilich keine genaue Entsprechung (welche wohl unmöglich ist), aber kommt wenigstens dem Original in punkto Sinn und Ton näher.
Example sentence:

The threat of the minaret, as one might say, lies in the fear of being overrun by a foreign culture.

Peer comment(s):
agree oa_xxx (X)
4 mins
agree Rebecca Garber : I like the rhyme in this one.
27 mins
agree Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
1 hr
agree Sibylle Gray
2 hrs
agree philgoddard : Me too.
3 hrs
agree Melanie Nassar : This is nice
13 hrs
agree Monika Elisabeth Sieger
14 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Diese Lösung hat im Grunde perfekt in den Text gepasst - als hättest du ihn gelesen?! Vielen, vielen Dank!"
25 mins

prevent our being swamped with foreign infiltration (or domination)

not letting minarets contribute to hyperxenesis)
Something went wrong...
53 mins

My home is my mosque

I won't explain it - either it works or it doesn't !
Something went wrong...
1 hr

masque prevention

though not directly in line with the original meaning, this is likewise a play on words to mean mask (cover up) mosque prevention as a disrimatory act against freedom of religion.
Something went wrong...
1 hr

Who's afraid of the (big, bad) minarets?

Hallo Anke :-)

Nach dem bösen Wolf und der Virginia Woolf ....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 Stunde (2010-01-21 17:13:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Lieber Singular, also "minaret" - das reimt sich dann (mehr oder weniger) auf "bad"
Note from asker:
Hallo Susanne! Schön, dass du miträtselst!
Something went wrong...
+6
3 hrs

The mosqueteers are after us. Run!

***
Peer comment(s):
agree Rebecca Garber : This is a great pun.
46 mins
Danke, Rebecca
agree Susan Spies : very clever
1 hr
Danke - gute Miene zum bösen Spiel :-(
agree Elisabeth Kissel : Great solution
2 hrs
Vielen Dank!
agree Sabine Akabayov, PhD
2 hrs
Danke, Sabine!
agree Nicole Schnell : Klasse!
3 hrs
Yesss - ein Lob von Ms. Marketing!!! Danke.
agree Ulrike Kraemer : this one ...
16 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
4 hrs

the veiled threat

You could go with another idiom, again harking on Islam
Peer comment(s):
agree Michele Johnson
12 hrs
Something went wrong...
+2
7 hrs

The Minarets are coming! Head for the hills!

Such a fascinating cultural translation problem. Many of the answers here are quite good but I had to try my hand at this. The inspiration here is "The British are coming!" Mullahs could also be substituted in but that might be too provoking for some readers because of the culturally delicate subject here.
Other variations on the theme, a la oprhant Annie: "And the Minarets are gonna get you if you don't watch out".
Good luck in choosing.
Peer comment(s):
agree Lancashireman : Is this a reference to English or Scottish football hooligans? (There is a difference) And shouldn't that be Oprhant Winfrey? Otherwise "Head for the hills!" captures the mood rather well.
18 mins
:) on the hooligans. Orphan annie was originally Orphant Annie back in 1885....Something about Indiana dialect. Go figure: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Orphant_Annie
agree Ulrike Kraemer : ... or that one
12 hrs
Something went wrong...
18 hrs

Saviour souls from xenophobes

to add my tuppence-worth
Something went wrong...
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