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Slægtens Offer

English translation: Sacrificed for the clan (see other answers + comments)

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Danish term or phrase:	Slægtens Offer
English translation:	Sacrificed for the clan (see other answers + comments)
Entered by:	Christine Andersen

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16:27 Apr 16, 2009

Danish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

Danish term or phrase: Slægtens Offer

Title of book by Josefine Ottesen. I thought of "A Victim of Lineage" but would welcome other suggestions. "Slægt" is a word that often causes problems I feel.
You can read a summary of the story here:
http://www.boghandel.dk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product-10...

David Young KudoZ activity Questions: 5 (none open) Answers: 34 Denmark
Local time: 19:16

Victim of the clan

Explanation:
My idea here is that the girl is in a way the victim or potential victim of both families, who are probably related loosely through cousins and earlier marriages over time.

'For the good of society' or whatever the expression is...
It doesn't have the same almost proverbial ring as the Danish original, however.

Selected response from:

Christine Andersen
Denmark
Local time: 19:16

Grading comment

Thx. See commentary on kudoz.
David
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

In the bondage of legacy

Stig Jensen

3 +1

Sacrificial Lamb

Charles Ek

Hereditary sacrifice

BLANGSTED

Victim of the clan

Christine Andersen

The family legacy

Lise Leavitt

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

10 mins confidence:

The family legacy

Explanation:
How about rewriting the title? =)

Lise Leavitt
United States
Local time: 13:16
Native speaker of:

Danish
PRO pts in category: 4

34 mins confidence:

Hereditary sacrifice

Explanation:
the closest I could get after checking books on google.

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Note added at 37 mins (2009-04-16 17:04:17 GMT)
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see example at
http://www.brank.org/gibbon/or/words/clear/

BLANGSTED
United States
Local time: 10:16
Native speaker of:

Danish,

English
PRO pts in category: 16

7 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Sacrificial Lamb

Explanation:
The Danish "offer" can be read two ways, i.e., as "victim" and as "offering." I think that ambiguity is intentional here, given the protagonist's age and circumstances. To convey what the author wanted, I think a similar play on words might be appropriate, emphasizing the protagonist's youth and innocence and the cruelty of sacrificing her. I'd like to have used "family" in some way as well, but I couldn't come up with anything satisfactory to me.

Charles Ek
United States
Local time: 13:16
Native speaker of:

English

15 hrs confidence:

Victim of the clan

Christine Andersen
Denmark
Local time: 19:16
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 14

Grading comment

Thx. See commentary on kudoz.
David

2 days4 hrs confidence:

In the bondage of legacy

Explanation:
I really like the word "legacy" here (good one Lise) and perhaps the word "bondage" is a good way to express the duality of the word "offer".

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Note added at 2 days4 hrs (2009-04-18 20:45:57 GMT)
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Here's a link to writings by Martin Luther titled "The Bondage of the Will" with the subtitle "On the Enslaved Will"

http://www.truecovenanter.com/truelutheran/luther_bow.html

Stig Jensen
United States
Local time: 12:16
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Danish
PRO pts in category: 4