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Ansichten eines Clowns

English translation: Views of a Clown

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Ansichten eines Clowns
English translation:Views of a Clown
Entered by: Chris Rowson (X)

14:54 Aug 23, 2002
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
German term or phrase: Ansichten eines Clowns
Ich bräuchte eine Eingebung:
Die Überschrift eines Textes über Heinrich Böll lautet "Ansichten eines Clowns", gleichzeitig auch der Titel eines seiner Werke. Im Text wird nicht nur über sein literarisches Schaffen berichtet, sondern auch darüber, dass er aktiv in der Friedensbewegung tätig war und Solshenizyn gefördert bzw. diesem geholfen hat sowie sämtliche Auszeichnungen werden aufgezählt. Die englische Übersetzung des Clown-Buches lautet "The Clown". Wenn ich das als Überschrift benutze, geht der Hinweis auf Bölls Aktivitäten völlig verloren, meiner Meinung nach erhält der Text dadurch sogar eine leicht negative Konnotation, da dann den Eindruck erweckt wird, Böll sei ein Clown.
Hat jemand eine Idee für eine passende Überschrift?
Barbara Wiegel
Germany
Local time: 18:23
Views of a Clown
Explanation:
A great book! Very difficult to translate thies title, of course, because the book gives the title such a richness of meaning. An alternative is the simple "Aspects of a Clown". In both cases, my idea is that Böll intends at least the two meanings 1) the opinions that the clown has, and 2) the aspects which he presents, i.e. that views that others have of him, starting with his physical appearance, but going much further.

My first thought was "Views", then that this is only meaning 1), so "Aspects", which is a little awkward, and then that "Views" does after all carry the necessary multivalence. "Aspects has the advantage of being more superficially striking, but on balance I prefer "Views".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-23 15:43:38 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I have concentrated on the book,of course, to the exclusion of the shorter piece, which I haven´t read. But after reading your text again, I still think either of these does the job for you.

I agree that you need more than just \"The Clown\", which I find pretty empty, even just for the book. and that without something more the negative connotation of \"Clown\" is too present. He certainly did see himself as a clown, but as one who understands what it really means. I think my copy had a picture of a clown with a tear rolling down one cheek.
Selected response from:

Chris Rowson (X)
Local time: 18:23
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +4Views of a Clown
Chris Rowson (X)
4 +4Views of a Clown
swisstell
1 +5reflections of a clown
Ilse Flick (X)
5 +1The Clown
Libero_Lang_Lab
5A Clown's Point of View
lone (X)
3 +2"Anything But a Clown"
Jonathan MacKerron
4 +1Views of a genial clown
Alexander Schleber (X)
4A clown's opinions
Kim Metzger
3 +1thoughts of a clown? (with a question mark)
Zareh Darakjian Ph.D.
4Confidences of a clown
Andrzej Lejman
4Through the eyes of a clown
Susan Geiblinger
3A Clown's Points of View
Mary Wilburn
3Ideas of a clown
Jos Essers
3Confessions of a clown
Ensor


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Views of a Clown


Explanation:
if I understand your question properly,
this might work

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 18:23
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in pair: 3377

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yuri Dubrov
30 mins
  -> thanks, rokot
agree  pschmitt
32 mins
  -> danke, pschmitt
agree  Trudy Peters
1 hr
  -> thanks, Trudy
agree  Antonella Andreella (X)
23 hrs
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +5
reflections of a clown


Explanation:
just an idea

Ilse Flick (X)
Local time: 11:23
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 55

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  gangels (X): I like it. Or "A Clown's Philosophy on Life"
31 mins
agree  Karlo Heppner: Gefällt mir bisher am besten
34 mins
agree  Daniel Bichis
14 hrs
agree  Frauke May: My preference, too
5 days
agree  Ron Stelter
7 days
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
A clown's opinions


Explanation:
Clown in English is no more negative than Clown in German. Böll chose the word deliberately.

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 10:23
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 22192

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  gangels (X): The syntax hints more at a sort of existential "outlook on life" rather than a clearcut opinion
32 mins
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Views of a Clown


Explanation:
A great book! Very difficult to translate thies title, of course, because the book gives the title such a richness of meaning. An alternative is the simple "Aspects of a Clown". In both cases, my idea is that Böll intends at least the two meanings 1) the opinions that the clown has, and 2) the aspects which he presents, i.e. that views that others have of him, starting with his physical appearance, but going much further.

My first thought was "Views", then that this is only meaning 1), so "Aspects", which is a little awkward, and then that "Views" does after all carry the necessary multivalence. "Aspects has the advantage of being more superficially striking, but on balance I prefer "Views".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-23 15:43:38 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I have concentrated on the book,of course, to the exclusion of the shorter piece, which I haven´t read. But after reading your text again, I still think either of these does the job for you.

I agree that you need more than just \"The Clown\", which I find pretty empty, even just for the book. and that without something more the negative connotation of \"Clown\" is too present. He certainly did see himself as a clown, but as one who understands what it really means. I think my copy had a picture of a clown with a tear rolling down one cheek.

Chris Rowson (X)
Local time: 18:23
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 768

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kim Metzger: Nice explanation which does justice to the author's intent.
4 mins
  -> Thank you :-)
agree  RNolder (X)
11 mins
agree  pschmitt
27 mins
agree  Libero_Lang_Lab: you're right Chris - there is of course the expression "tears of a clown" - the essence of clowning is tragedy not comedy
58 mins
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
A Clown's Point of View


Explanation:
Maybe this will give the heading a less negative sound!


    x
lone (X)
Canada
Local time: 12:23
Native speaker of: Danish
PRO pts in pair: 330
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
"Anything But a Clown"


Explanation:
would make your point while keeping the original title. The inverted commas are very important here as they show that you are taking some literary licence here.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-23 16:05:15 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or:
anything but \"The Clown\"

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 5577

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  conny
16 mins
  -> thanks
disagree  Karlo Heppner: Würde Bölls Selbstbezichtigung, ein Clown zu sein, widersprechen.
25 mins
  -> WRONG Karlo
agree  Beate Boudro (X): Dies gefaellt mir am besten, weil ein englisch-sprachiger Leser - in Unkenntnis des deutschen Buchtitels - die beabsichtigte Anspielung der Ueberschrift nicht wahrnimmt - und "Clown" ist m.E. negativ.
32 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Johanna Timm, PhD: Sehr schön!
11 hrs
  -> danke Johanna
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
The Clown


Explanation:
If, as I understand it, you are looking for the accepted translation of Boll's book - then simply The Clown.

"Billiards at Half Past Nine (1959) took place in a single day (September 6, 1958). It depicted a prominent family of Cologne architects, who have been successively involved with the building of an abbey at the beginning of the 20th-century, its destruction during World War II, and its rebuilding after 1945. In the course of the day Böll reveals the crucial incidents in the past of the family, from the Wilhelminian empire through Weimar and Hitler to the prosperous West Germany of 1958. The Clown (1963) was written in a series of telephone calls and tells in first person about a young man who plays rather fool than takes his place in the post-war society. In the short story 'The Laughter' Böll approached distorted human emotions through the character of laughter - a person who laughs for his profession. He laughs on records, on tape, in television programs, where ever he is needed. In the end he confesses: "So I laugh in many different ways, but my own laughter I have never heard." (from Eighteen Stories, 1966)"

Check out the references below.




    Reference: http://www.nobel.se/literature/laureates/1972/boll-or.html
    Reference: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/hboll.htm
Libero_Lang_Lab
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:23
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Daniel Bichis: Danke für Referenz
13 hrs
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Views of a genial clown


Explanation:
Your are right about "clown" being derogatory in English. So let's weaken that a little and excite some interest, by combining it with "genial", which no one expects of a clown.

Continuing to use "clown" also keeps the reference to one of his more famous works.

That might work.

Alexander Schleber (X)
Belgium
Local time: 18:23
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 2426

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  gangels (X): A good alternative
41 mins
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
A Clown's Points of View


Explanation:
I agree with the others that Clown is the inescapable word, Boell's Choice, if you like. To signal the variety of aspects presented, however, perhaps "points of view," or -- as I write this it occurs to me -- "aspects" might be a useful translation for the word "Ansichten," and not too much of a stretch.

Mary Wilburn
United States
Local time: 12:23
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 76
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36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Ideas of a clown


Explanation:
Ansichten=Ideas - Inner thoughts of a clown

Jos Essers
Local time: 18:23
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in pair: 58
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
thoughts of a clown? (with a question mark)


Explanation:
or ponderings of a clown?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-23 16:27:31 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or ponderings of a \"clown\"

Zareh Darakjian Ph.D.
United States
Local time: 09:23
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ArmenianArmenian
PRO pts in pair: 1068

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  OlafK: Ich habe auch an eine Version mit Fragezeichen gedacht: "A Clown?", "Böll - a Clown?". Wieder zu spät...
9 hrs
  -> Thanks Olaf!!
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Confidences of a clown


Explanation:
wäre die englische Version von dem Titel der polnischen Übersetzung.
Wäre dies vielleicht gerade passend?


Andrzej Lejman
Poland
Local time: 18:23
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish
PRO pts in pair: 154
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Confessions of a clown


Explanation:
Perhaps this .....

Ensor
Local time: 01:23
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish
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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Through the eyes of a clown


Explanation:
Just one more suggestion

Susan Geiblinger
Austria
Local time: 18:23
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 136
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