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flat face

German translation: flaches Gesicht


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:flat face
German translation:flaches Gesicht
Entered by: interpr8er
Options:
- Contribute to this entry
- Include in personal glossary

16:42 Sep 1, 2008
English to German translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
English term or phrase: flat face
Situation: Jemand guckt sehr verwundert wegen einem unerwarteten Fund.
"David sits inside his car; besides him there is the small green military box with a trademark of the IDF. He looks at it with nervous eyes. After a few seconds he hesitatingly opens it.
Inside it he finds a Pentax Camera . A look of astonishment rises up on his *flat face* and he closes the box immediately."
Das "flat" sagt mir gar nichts und ich habe es zunächst mal unter den Teppich gekehrt und geschrieben: "Erstaunen breitet sich auf seinen Zügen aus …".
Sebastian Viebahn
Germany
Local time: 10:19
flaches Gesicht
Explanation:
wortwörtlich... im Sinne von menschlich. Menschen im Vergleich zu Affen haben flache Gesichter...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-09-01 18:05:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

correction: confidence 4 (high) and this second reference
http://www.der-unbekannte-gorki.de/index.php?e=14
Selected response from:

interpr8er
Local time: 10:19
Grading comment
Die Szene gibt die Bedeutung "ausdrucksloses Gesicht" nicht her. Drum lieber flaches Gesicht. Nur: idiomatisch finde ich das nicht, auch wenn ein Übersetzer das bei Tolstoi so gelöst hat. Besser kommt die Bedeutung rüber, wenn man das "flach" stets weglässt. Sonst denkt der Leser "äh...häh, ein flaches Gesicht ... warum?"
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4flaches Gesichtinterpr8er
5 +1ausdrucksloses Gesicht
Elitsa Ch


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
ausdrucksloses Gesicht


Explanation:
"flat" ist hier im Sinne von "ausdruckslos".

Elitsa Ch
Bulgaria
Local time: 11:19
Native speaker of: Native in BulgarianBulgarian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  André Höchemer
7 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Tal Anja Cohen: figurative meaning of "flat" according to Chambers Dict.: 7 bored; depressed. 8 dull; not lively. 9 toneless and expressionless.
26 mins
  -> Thank you.
disagree  Helen Shiner: It just means that his face is flat - physically, not in any sense emotionally or expressively. Sorry to disagree, but thought I had better./As a native speaker, I can only tell you that an EN speaker would be unlikely to read it that way.
32 mins
  -> Sorry but I can not agree with you. Thе meaning of "flat" in this case is entirely figurative.
neutral  mill: agree with Helen!
22 hrs
neutral  hazmatgerman: Wegen der vorangehenden Sätze glaube ich nicht, daß hier ein bildhafter Gebrauch gewollt ist.
22 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
flaches Gesicht


Explanation:
wortwörtlich... im Sinne von menschlich. Menschen im Vergleich zu Affen haben flache Gesichter...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-09-01 18:05:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

correction: confidence 4 (high) and this second reference
http://www.der-unbekannte-gorki.de/index.php?e=14

Example sentence(s):
  • "er strich sich erstaunt über sein flaches Gesicht

    Reference: http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/1132/flat-face-new-look-h...
    Reference: http://derunbekannte-gorki.de/index.php?e=14
interpr8er
Local time: 10:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Die Szene gibt die Bedeutung "ausdrucksloses Gesicht" nicht her. Drum lieber flaches Gesicht. Nur: idiomatisch finde ich das nicht, auch wenn ein Übersetzer das bei Tolstoi so gelöst hat. Besser kommt die Bedeutung rüber, wenn man das "flach" stets weglässt. Sonst denkt der Leser "äh...häh, ein flaches Gesicht ... warum?"

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ingeborg Gowans: ja, diesmal ganz wörtlich zu nehmen
2 hrs
  -> Danke :-) !
agree  Helen Shiner
4 hrs
  -> Thank you :-) !
agree  mill
21 hrs
  -> Thank you :-) !
agree  hazmatgerman: Da er ja schon neugierig etwas untersucht, dürfte sein Gesichts kaum ganz ausdruckslos gewesen sein. Darum eher wörtlich zu nehmen.
21 hrs
  -> Danke :-) !
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Changes made by editors
Sep 3, 2008 - Changes made by interpr8er:
Created KOG entryKudoZ term => KOG term
Sep 1, 2008 - Changes made by Steffen Walter:
Field (specific)General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters => Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Sep 1, 2008 - Changes made by Steffen Walter:
FieldOther => Art/Literary


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