the powers that be - woertlich: *die da oben* / an den Schalthebeln der Macht ( translation glossary) grammar,Linguistics,Art/Literary

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	the powers that be
German translation:	*woertlich: die da oben* / an den Schalthebeln der Macht**
Entered by:	silfilla

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11:28pm May 7, 2005

English to German translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics / grammar

English term or phrase: What role plays this **be** in the grammar of this sentence?

Can someone tell me if and how the "be" in the sentence can make sense?
Now the powers that **be** could put out all of the one sided conservative misinformation they wanted to through their networks without having to give fair and equal time to an alternate point of view.

Elimar Orlopp

KudoZ activity
Questions: 27 (all closed)
Answers: 174

Germany

Clarification request(s) and response

Elimar Orlopp (asker): 11:51pm May 7, 2005: @ silfilla - - Vielen Dank schon mal, das hilft mir schon sehr viel weiter!
Johanna Timm, PhD: 11:56pm May 7, 2005: Quote from the bible. Romans 13:1. 'Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: The powers that be are ordained of God.
-
Elimar Orlopp (asker): 12:00am May 8, 2005: @ Johanna - An den Schalthebeln der Macht :-))) danke!
Gott als der oberste Ingenieur oder Architekt des Kosmos ist eine genuin newtonsche Idee und wird beim Paradigmenwechsel durch ... abgelöst.
Elimar Orlopp (asker): 12:02am May 8, 2005: @ Johanna again - - Liebe Johanna, leider kommt bei deinem LInk: Private Homepage
Das Dokument konnte nicht gefunden werden. Bitte überprüfen Sie Ihren URL
Elimar Orlopp (asker): 12:09am May 8, 2005: @ protredit - Thank you so much, that is very helpful, although i do not understand why an "elliptical" expression as such should eliminates others as it obviously does.
Johanna Timm, PhD: 12:23am May 8, 2005: Sorry. Ich hab' den Link unten neu einkopiert! -
Elimar Orlopp (asker): 12:38am May 8, 2005: thx -

woertlich: *die da oben*

Explanation:
d.h. diejenigen, die in Behoerden, Aemtern, Rundfunkanstalten usw. das Sagen haben

Eine gute deutsche Uebersetzung dafuer faellt mir jetzt aber nicht ein :-)

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Note added at 25 mins (2005-05-07 23:53:58 GMT)
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und natuerlich auch in der Politik, in Unternehmen usw.

Selected response from:

silfilla
United States

Note from asker to answerer

I must admit, that this just did it for me, again I am unhappy of not being able to reward the fine explanations given by protradit and the interest for the question and willingness to help by analisa and Dominik, thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided
4 +5	'be' is part of a fixed expression	Protradit
4 +3	woertlich: die da oben	silfilla
4	existing powers	analisa
3 -2	künftige Entscheidungsträger	Dominik Alber

Answers

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -2

what role plays this **be** in the grammar of this sentence? künftige Entscheidungsträger

Explanation:
I guess it should be "powers to be". ITC: die künftigen Entscheidungsträger.

Dominik Alber
United States
Native speaker of:

German

5 mins confidence:

what role plays this **be** in the grammar of this sentence? existing powers

Explanation:
Tatsächlich tendieren die bestehenden Mächte, ob politisch, ökonomisch oder finanziell, dazu, ihre eigene Spiritualität zu pflegen, indem sie die ...
imho :-)

Reference: http://www.entwicklungspolitik.org/index_18548.htm

analisa
Argentina
Native speaker of:

German,

Spanish

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

what role plays this **be** in the grammar of this sentence? woertlich: *die da oben*

Explanation:
d.h. diejenigen, die in Behoerden, Aemtern, Rundfunkanstalten usw. das Sagen haben

Eine gute deutsche Uebersetzung dafuer faellt mir jetzt aber nicht ein :-)

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Note added at 25 mins (2005-05-07 23:53:58 GMT)
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und natuerlich auch in der Politik, in Unternehmen usw.

silfilla
United States
Works in field
PRO pts in category: 16

Note from asker to answerer

21 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

what role plays this **be** in the grammar of this sentence? 'be' is part of a fixed expression

Explanation:
The role of 'be' in this sentence is more historical than any thing else. It's a fixed expression that comes from the sentence: "Whoever the people 'that' have 'powers' and authorities may 'be'. In the English classes it is called an 'elliptical' expression, because you eliminate all the other words that are understood.

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Note added at 2 hrs 6 mins (2005-05-08 01:35:20 GMT)
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Elliptical expressions are very common and make things faster in normal speech, for example:
\"Give me the cigarettes with the king on the package\" obviously does not mean that there is a \'physical reigning king\' on the package, but the picture of a king.

In your example, \'powers that be\' actually refers to the people holding those \'powers\' and not the \'powers\' per se.

It just makes the spoken language faster and simpler.

Protradit
United States
Native speaker of:

English

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English: What role plays this be in the grammar of this sentence?

German translation: woertlich: die da oben / an den Schalthebeln der Macht

English: What role plays this **be** in the grammar of this sentence?

German translation: woertlich: *die da oben* / an den Schalthebeln der Macht

English: What role plays this be in the grammar of this sentence?

German translation: woertlich: die da oben / an den Schalthebeln der Macht