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raken zij letterlijk tot op het bot doordrongen

English translation: ... and the rugged, awe-inspiring beauty of the North Pole was literally brought home to them


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:raken zij letterlijk tot op het bot doordrongen
English translation:... and the rugged, awe-inspiring beauty of the North Pole was literally brought home to them
Entered by: xxxjarry
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16:13 May 8, 2008
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / expressions
Dutch term or phrase: raken zij letterlijk tot op het bot doordrongen
The text is a brief description of a TV programme about a group of Dutch celebrities who go on a North Pole expedition to raise awarness about environmental issues.

Here is the full sentence:

Tijdens een unieke expeditie laten de BN-ers zich informeren en inspireren en raken zij letterlijk tot op het bot doordrongen van de indrukwekkende ruige schoonheid van de Noordpool…

I think it means "become literally chilled (or soaked?) to the bone" but I'm not sure about "doordrongen" here...
I would be greatful for any suggestions, thanks!
Dominique Broady
Local time: 06:32
... and the rugged, awe-inspiring beauty of the North Pole was literally brought home to them
Explanation:
I don't think you have to slavishly follow the Dutch metaphor here. English has a rich enough arsenal of idioms to do this Dutch sentence justice.


Selected response from:

xxxjarry
South Africa
Local time: 06:32
Grading comment
Many thanks for your help!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3they are completely overwhelmed/awe-struck.Suzanne Jansen
4they get touched to the boneSheelagh Roseno
4... and the rugged, awe-inspiring beauty of the North Pole was literally brought home to themxxxjarry
4 -1they got thoroughly imbued by
Albert Stufkens
3literally got through to them
Lianne Van De Ven
4 -1they become literally impregnated to the boneJoGoes
3 -1yes, they become literally chilled to the bone
Max Nuijens, MSc


  

Answers


15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
they are completely overwhelmed/awe-struck.


Explanation:
It literally means 'soaked to the skin', but in this context it used more freely, in the sense of the meaning I suggest above. If you want to keep the allusion to a physical sensation you might put: 'their breath has been completely taken away by', but I don't think that's very elegant, a bit stilted and contrived. Or very simply: 'they are touched to the core'. 'Bone' is used in 'chilled to the bone'. :)

Suzanne Jansen
Local time: 05:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks for your help!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tina Vonhof: But "they WERE..." Likewise: "their breath WAS taken away" but that sentence sounds better when turned around: "the rugged beauty took their breath away."
5 hrs
  -> Quite right about the tenses :) Many thanks...
agree  Jennifer Barnett: 'completely overwhelmed/awestruck is the best I think."letterlijk' was used to add emphasis I would think and so can be omitted.
15 hrs
  -> Thank you, and agree with omitting unnecessary phrases in the Dutch
agree  L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen: i like awe-struck as it is kort en krachtig!
3 days1 hr
  -> Many thanks!
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27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
yes, they become literally chilled to the bone


Explanation:
the phrase is a combination of

tot op het bot verkleumd (very cold)

and

doordrongen (deeply convinced of; be impressed with)


your answer is good, I think, because one could read chill (stifling fear) with the great extent to which they are impressed with the scale of the environmental threat.


Max Nuijens, MSc
Belarus
Local time: 07:32
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Jennifer Barnett: But in English, use of this phrase is limited to being cold, not being impressed.
1 day15 hrs
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
literally got through to them


Explanation:
Ik zou de verwijzing naar het bot weglaten en de focus op "doordringen" leggen: "the cold and rugged landscape of the Northpole literally got through to them..." De "chilled to the bone" associatie met fear vind ik niet passen.

Lianne Van De Ven
United States
Local time: 00:32
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 36
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks for your help!

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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
... and the rugged, awe-inspiring beauty of the North Pole was literally brought home to them


Explanation:
I don't think you have to slavishly follow the Dutch metaphor here. English has a rich enough arsenal of idioms to do this Dutch sentence justice.




xxxjarry
South Africa
Local time: 06:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 46
Grading comment
Many thanks for your help!
Notes to answerer
Asker: thank you for your suggestion!

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
they get touched to the bone


Explanation:
touched to the bone (in an awestruck way) is a common english expression

Sheelagh Roseno
Netherlands
Local time: 06:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks!

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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
they got thoroughly imbued by


Explanation:
xx

Example sentence(s):
  • They got thoroughly imbued by the impressive, raw beauty of the North Pole.
Albert Stufkens
Local time: 06:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: thank you!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Jennifer Barnett: 'Imbued is not used'. Oops! Sorry, I thought I deleted this as I changed my mind about replying. The sentence was not finished but I will do so now. I think that imbued is inappropriate as its tone is too subtle for this situation.
1 day10 hrs
  -> No further explanation as to why not? See Collins, Van Dale
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1 day17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
they become literally impregnated to the bone


Explanation:
a way of saying it

JoGoes
Local time: 05:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Jennifer Barnett: This would be the case if a substance was diffused throughout their bodies. Or they all suddenly became extremely pregnant! Answer to comment: 'Suddenly' because this mass pregnancy would seem to have occurred at once; and 'extreme because 'to the bone'.
11 hrs
  -> Why the suddenly? 'tot op het bot doordrongen' is indeed to be diffused be it with a substance or a notion.I like the extremely pregnant versus just a little bit pregnant
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Changes made by editors
May 13, 2008 - Changes made by xxxjarry:
Created KOG entryKudoZ term => KOG term


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