im Spannungsfeld

English translation: in the delicate balance between

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:im Spannungsfeld
English translation:in the delicate balance between

11:37 Nov 7, 2003
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general)
German term or phrase: im Spannungsfeld
"ihre Weiterentwicklung im Spannungsfeld zwischen Tradition und Innovation"
GLACET Anne
delicate balance
Explanation:
I've had Spannungsfeld pop up in German texts numerous times over the past few months. I have a frightening hunch it is going to become a new trend word like "Erlebniswelt".

Anyhow, it requires some rewording of the sentence, but I would suggest "delicate balance" as an English equivalent, as that imples that there is tension between whatever the two poles on opposite ends are and is a standard English phrase.

In your case you might be able to say something like "..its furhter development as a delicate balance between tradition and innovation". Without more context and the whole sentence, however, it is hard to say how it should read.
Selected response from:

Rebecca Holmes
United States
Local time: 09:15
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3delicate balance
Rebecca Holmes
4 +1This has come up in Kudoz a couple of times...
John Bowden
4conflicting values
Olav Rixen
4conflict
AngieD
4in the dynamic tension
Naomi Mallinson (X)
4Threshold
Edhild
4I'd say
gangels (X)
3...torn between tradition and innovation.
Aniello Scognamiglio (X)


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
conflicting values


Explanation:
This might work here, though you might also just use "tension".

Olav Rixen
Canada
Local time: 06:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 11
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
This has come up in Kudoz a couple of times...


Explanation:
and it's always very difficult to find a simple translation for "Spannungsfeld" . Usually it implies tension, competing forces, even conflict, but here it doesn't seem that violent - in an artistic sense it would be more like "fruitful tension", ""area of creative interaction".
You'd need to know the whole sentence to come up with a suitable English equivalent.

John Bowden
Local time: 13:15
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 10

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Norbert Hermann
1 hr
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
conflict


Explanation:
conflict between tradition and innovation

AngieD
Local time: 14:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
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37 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
...torn between tradition and innovation.


Explanation:
1

Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
Germany
Local time: 14:15
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 57
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
delicate balance


Explanation:
I've had Spannungsfeld pop up in German texts numerous times over the past few months. I have a frightening hunch it is going to become a new trend word like "Erlebniswelt".

Anyhow, it requires some rewording of the sentence, but I would suggest "delicate balance" as an English equivalent, as that imples that there is tension between whatever the two poles on opposite ends are and is a standard English phrase.

In your case you might be able to say something like "..its furhter development as a delicate balance between tradition and innovation". Without more context and the whole sentence, however, it is hard to say how it should read.


Rebecca Holmes
United States
Local time: 09:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trudy Peters: I like this!
44 mins
  -> Thanks!

agree  Ellen Zittinger
12 hrs
  -> Thanks

agree  Henry Schroeder: Nice!
7152 days
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
in the dynamic tension


Explanation:
in the dynamic tension between tradition and innovation

Naomi Mallinson (X)
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Threshold


Explanation:
between.....
may be that's a possibility

Edhild
PRO pts in category: 4
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
I'd say


Explanation:
its further development in the face of competing interests between tradition and innovation


or: ..development in juxtaposition of tradition....

gangels (X)
Local time: 07:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 219
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