Gesellschaft austrocknen

English translation: drain / bleed the company dry

13:59 Aug 7, 2002
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Law (general)
German term or phrase: Gesellschaft austrocknen
"Es wird mehrere Jahre dauern, die Gesellschaft im Rahmen der zulässigen Möglichkeiten auszutrocknen"
Tammy Baikie (X)
Local time: 07:12
English translation:drain / bleed the company dry
Explanation:
Without more context this is a bit of a wierd one ... do you not have anything which gives us more of an idea of what they are trying to do?

HTH anyway

Mary

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Note added at 2002-08-07 15:54:03 (GMT)
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Given the broader context you provide, this seems to make sense. They are worried that the employee might try it on if they don\'t buy the shares back.

Klaus\'s \'asset-stripping\' option is also good!
Selected response from:

Mary Worby
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:12
Grading comment
Thanks very much!
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1Taking another look
gangels (X)
2 +3drain / bleed the company dry
Mary Worby
4to evaporate the company
Steffen Walter
3 +1to dry out society
allemande
3to smother the company
Cilian O'Tuama
1dissolve
erhan ucgun (X)


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to evaporate the company


Explanation:
or to devoid the co. of its financial resources

I think it's rather to do with financial resources than with the company's ability to act/do business although availability of the former is a precondition to the latter.

Sentence: Within the scope/range of options permitted by law, it will take several years to..."

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Note added at 2002-08-07 14:04:58 (GMT)
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another option: to suck financial resources out of the company

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Note added at 2002-08-07 14:09:20 (GMT)
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Agree with Ralf above that a little more context would help, however disgusting it may be.

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Note added at 2002-08-07 14:27:53 (GMT)
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Admittedly, Klaus\'s options given below are good because of \"assets\", which encompasses a bit more than only the financial side (tangible assets, plant & equipment...)

Steffen Walter
Germany
Local time: 06:12
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 434
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +3
drain / bleed the company dry


Explanation:
Without more context this is a bit of a wierd one ... do you not have anything which gives us more of an idea of what they are trying to do?

HTH anyway

Mary

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-07 15:54:03 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Given the broader context you provide, this seems to make sense. They are worried that the employee might try it on if they don\'t buy the shares back.

Klaus\'s \'asset-stripping\' option is also good!

Mary Worby
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:12
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 31
Grading comment
Thanks very much!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  swisstell: was going to be my version too, slowpoke that I am
8 mins

agree  gangels (X): bleed the co. white, or: strip the co. of its assets
16 mins

agree  Theo Bose
33 mins

neutral  Chris Rowson (X): Asset-stripping doesnt take that long. I think this refers to a debt-addicted company.Getting straight is hard and takes longer, and can be upset by an aggressive share-holder. (So they will borrow money to buy out his shares ... )
7 hrs
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
dissolve


Explanation:
maybe...

erhan ucgun (X)
Local time: 08:12
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
to dry out society


Explanation:
Ich sehe das mehr als 'rid society of its ills (drugs, alcoholism, poverty, etc.)

Der Satz duerfte dann in etwa lauten:

"Within the framework of the permissible options, it will [still] be several years until society has dried out."

(More context would help)

allemande
United States
Local time: 01:12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Steffen Walter: but certainly not in a bus/financial background where I assume Gesellschaft to be equivalent to Unternehmen=company
6 mins
  -> Steffen, that's why we need more context :)

agree  gangels (X): I think you are on the right track "...to disabuse society of its excesses"
11 mins
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
to smother the company


Explanation:
just an idea

smother: to stop or prevent the growth or activity of

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 06:12
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 52
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Taking another look


Explanation:
Now that I read of the share buyback (essentially someone being bought out), they are really saying that it will take years to get the company back on an even keel or whip it back into shape. Until such time the company is exposed to the whims of this particular shareholder. "Austrocknen" (a pretty silly use of language) would than mean nothing else than that it will take a long time (observing all legal means) to straighten themselves out, exactly the opposite of "bleeding" or "stripping". Food for thought!

gangels (X)
Local time: 23:12
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 249

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Chris Rowson (X): Yes, it think it is referring to a company which is debt-addicted, i.e. so debt-laden that the only way out is to increase income, and to do that they need to invest, so first they have to borrow some more ... It takes time to get of this.
47 mins
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