Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Gegenwart

English translation:

The present

Added to glossary by Susan Geiblinger
Feb 19, 2011 10:20
13 yrs ago
German term

Gegenwart

Non-PRO German to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature Gerhard Uhlenbruck quote
"Die Gegenwart ist die zukünftige Erinnerung. Entsprechend sollte man sie gestalten."

Is there a translation for this already somewhere? I couldn't find it but I know many of you are better researchers than I am.

If there is no accepable translation already, what are your suggestions.

TIA
Proposed translations (English)
3 +7 The present
4 +2 Now
2 today
Change log

Feb 19, 2011 10:31: Ingo Dierkschnieder changed "Term asked" from "Die Gegenwart " to "Die Gegenwart"

Feb 19, 2011 13:37: Astrid Elke Witte changed "Term asked" from "Die Gegenwart" to "Gegenwart"

Feb 19, 2011 18:36: Thayenga changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (3): 784512 (X), Jim Tucker (X), Thayenga

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Discussion

Horst Huber (X) Feb 19, 2011:
"Present" is what I would keep. Cf. my note to the answer. I would try something like "To the future, our present will become memory, for us to shape accordingly." We know "sie" refers to "Gegenwart", but one might quibble.
Helen Shiner Feb 19, 2011:
@ Ingeborg Well spotted, Ingeborg!! I doubt there is an official EN translation myself, but perhaps this will take the Asker one step forward in his/her researches.
Ingeborg Gowans (X) Feb 19, 2011:
@ Helen according to your link, this particular quote is from"Weit Verbreitetes, kurz gefasst", Aphorismen.
wheter there is an official translation, is not evident
Helen Shiner Feb 19, 2011:
@ Sueg Can you tell us in which of this long list of publications by Uhlenbruck this quotation appears? It might help us to find out if a translation has been made of it.
phillee Feb 19, 2011:
Well ... I think Sueg was really asking for translation suggestions for the entire phrase rather than the simple word.
Allison Wright (X) Feb 19, 2011:
These were the only words on the page here. the glass jar:
"the present is a future memory -- kept up, in a glass jar, fed regularly, watered often, it grows itself to the shape of its container."
www.fairwarningpress.com/random/07/glassjar.html -

It seems to fit. Any more context?
writeaway Feb 19, 2011:
is this question for Die Gegenwart or is the entire quote supposed to be translated? What are your own proposed translations so far?

Proposed translations

+7
9 mins
German term (edited): Die Gegenwart
Selected

The present

The present is(composed of) future memories.One should shape it accordingly.
Peer comment(s):

agree BrigitteHilgner : I agree with the term "the present", not with your translation of the whole sentence. / The present is the content of our future memories.
8 mins
What don't you agree with? IMHO that's exactly what it means.
agree Ass. iur. Sylvie Schorsch : I second that.
39 mins
Thanks
agree 784512 (X) : I third it.
1 hr
thanks
agree writeaway : as in, what else could it be? (ie the translation of Die Gegenwart)
3 hrs
thanks for fourthing it!
agree babli : agree
3 hrs
and for fifthing it!
agree Jim Tucker (X) : but of course
6 hrs
agree Horst Huber (X) : And one more. "Erinnerung" is the problem, it has a "global" touch that "memory" lacks.
11 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Of course The present but I did not use the whole suggestion. It did not ring true for me. I agree with Brigitte."
50 mins
German term (edited): Die Gegenwart

today

e.g. Take care what you do today, it will go down in memory/become memory/be future memory. (or similar - ad infinitum)

Something went wrong...
+2
5 hrs

Now

My idea:
Example sentence:

Now is our future's memory (reminder).

Peer comment(s):

agree Lancashireman : Or: die Gegenwart = the here and now
13 mins
Thanks, dude!
agree Thayenga : Andrew was faster, cause I would have suggested thesame. Enjoy your weekend.
3 hrs
Thanks, Sweetie, you, too! (3 legitimate commas in a 4-word sentence!)
Something went wrong...
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