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zedenschets

English translation: moral drama

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:zedenschets
English translation:moral drama
Entered by: Anne Lee

08:03 Jun 26, 2007
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Dutch term or phrase: zedenschets
Het gaat om een ernstig toneelstuk van de twintigste eeuw, dus 'comedy of manners' lijkt me niet erg aangewezen.
Anne Lee
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:24
moral drama
Explanation:
Een "zedenschets" als bvb "Tartuffe" van Molière wordt "comedy of morals" genoemd. Aangezien het hier niet om een komedie, maar om een ernstig stuk gaat zou ik opteren voor "moral drama".
Selected response from:

Sabine Piens
Belgium
Local time: 06:24
Grading comment
The other proofreader and I both prefer this option for our text. 'Zeitgeist' is a nice word but, as Evert commented, it captures the morals of the time rather than a play denouncing the morals. Thank you very much for all your research, including that by Writeaway, but I had to pick the best option for our text. It was illuminating.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2zeitgeist / ethos
Adam Smith
3 +1portrayal of life and customs
Erik Boers
3 +1portrait of (manners and) morals
Els Spin
4moral drama
Sabine Piens
3two texts to back Adam's answer (NFG)
writeaway


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
portrayal of life and customs


Explanation:
.

Erik Boers
Belgium
Local time: 06:24
Native speaker of: Dutch

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tina Vonhof (X): Good option.
7 hrs
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
portrait of (manners and) morals


Explanation:
Gegooled...

Els Spin
Netherlands
Local time: 06:24
Native speaker of: Dutch

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tina Vonhof (X): I would suggest 'portrayal' but manners and morals is also a good option. / Note added: it sounds a bit strange to say that a play is a portrait.
7 hrs
  -> Thanks! Ik kreeg wat hits op 'portrait of manners', en ik vond het best mooi klinken. / Vind je? Dat vind ik helemaal niet. Heerlijk, smaakverschillen!
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30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
zeitgeist / ethos


Explanation:
Zeitgeist / ethos - in the sense of the play reflecting / capturing the zeitgeist or ethos of a particular period in history;

"Spirit of the time" potentially as well.

"I realised that Poliakoff is adept, not so much at capturing the
zeitgeist as reflecting back a BBC executive’s
somewhat lop-sided view of it."

ref. http://www.consulting-times.com/February2006/5.aspx





Adam Smith
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:24
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway
3 hrs
agree  Evert DELOOF-SYS: I like this option most, BUT do make it 'Zeitgeist depiction/ portrayal' as Zeitgeist in se means 'tijdgeest' (or' Zeitgeist', which is also commonly used in Dutch)
2 days 11 mins
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
moral drama


Explanation:
Een "zedenschets" als bvb "Tartuffe" van Molière wordt "comedy of morals" genoemd. Aangezien het hier niet om een komedie, maar om een ernstig stuk gaat zou ik opteren voor "moral drama".

Sabine Piens
Belgium
Local time: 06:24
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in FlemishFlemish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
The other proofreader and I both prefer this option for our text. 'Zeitgeist' is a nice word but, as Evert commented, it captures the morals of the time rather than a play denouncing the morals. Thank you very much for all your research, including that by Writeaway, but I had to pick the best option for our text. It was illuminating.
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2 days 4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
two texts to back Adam's answer (NFG)


Explanation:
PREFACE

My endeavor has been to tell a simple story, preserving as
closely as possible the spirit and feeling of the original. I
have tried, as it were, to take the play to pieces, and build a
novel out of the same material. I have not felt at liberty to
embellish M. Brieux's ideas, and I have used his dialogue word
for word wherever possible. Unless I have mis-read the author,
his sole purpose in writing LES AVARIES was to place a number of
most important facts before the minds of the public, and to drive
them home by means of intense emotion. If I have been able to
assist him, this bit of literary carpentering will be worth
while. I have to thank M. Brieux for his kind permission to make
the attempt, and for the cordial spirit which he has manifested.

Upton Sinclair
http://www.fullbooks.com/Damaged-Goods1.html

In other words, what we need is more general enlightenment, greater frankness and, above all, different social and economic conditions. The revolutionary significance of Damaged Goods consists in the lesson that not syphilis but the causes that lead to it are the terrible curse of society. Those who rant against syphilis and clamor for more laws, for marriage certificates, for registration and segregation, do not touch even the surface of the evil. Brieux is among the very few modern dramatists who go to the bottom of this question by insisting on a complete social and economic change, which alone can free us from the scourge of syphilis and other social plagues. http://www.theatredatabase.com/19th_century/eugene_brieux_00...

Moral drama is also not 100% wrong but imno, is a more narrow concept that Zeitgeist or ethos.

writeaway
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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