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Grosse Ereignisse werfen ihre Schatten voraus

English translation: NFG - some important comments....

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Grosse Ereignisse werfen ihre Schatten voraus
English translation:NFG - some important comments....
Entered by: Nicole Trebbin

08:20 Aug 15, 2006
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / Saying
German term or phrase: Grosse Ereignisse werfen ihre Schatten voraus
aus einem Rundschreiben an diverse Kunden um einen bevorstehenden Standortwechsel anzukündigen - es handelt sich um den Einführungssatz
Nicole Trebbin
Germany
Local time: 22:42
NFG - some important comments....
Explanation:
With all due respect to those who have contributed so far, if you try to stick with the German concept, it will be totally impossible to come up with a sentence that will sound in any way natural to an English reader. So instead you need to think about what they are really trying to say.
Obviously, it is hard without more CONTEXT (like what comes after, like do they play on the image of shadows, etc.) to suggest a viable alternative.
As I see it, they are saying: when a big change is about to occur, you can see it coming in advance, so we're warning you that on (DATE) we will be moving premises/offices.

Maybe you should stick to something simple like: change is in the air OR changes are coming....

Perhaps if you have us another couple of sentences we could find something more apposite. But please try to avoid something unnatural sounding in English - for the sake of the end reader....
Selected response from:

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 22:42
Grading comment
I have chosen "Major changes are on the horizon." Thank you, your comments really helped me out!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7NFG - some important comments....
CMJ_Trans (X)
3 +2Great events are often preceded by their ripples.
Steven Sidore
3 +2News Alert / First alert: We are moving office
BrigitteHilgner
4Big/great/important/coming events cast their shadows before them
David Moore (X)
3 +1great things are afoot
Kieran McCann
4Moving on up
IanW (X)
3great events herald/presage/are portentous of great change
muitoprazer (X)
2suggestions
Niamh Mahony
3 -1Great events signal their coming
Colin Newberry


Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Grosse Ereignisse werfen Ihre Schatten voraus.
Great events are often preceded by their ripples.


Explanation:
Switching the imagery slightly, but shadows is a bit ominous in English anyway.

Steven Sidore
Germany
Local time: 22:42
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Niamh Mahony: That's a good point of yours that shadows are ominous in English but I'm not sure about ripples either. Don't ripples come after the event? For example, after throwing a stone into water.
9 mins
  -> True, although I wasn't think so much about a sudden event (a stone plunging in) as one that grows in intensity, like a move decided upon in advance.
agree  Cilian O'Tuama: just to cancel that ridiculous "absolute rubbish" remark
10 mins
  -> Thanks, Cilian.
agree  Armorel Young: Sounds fine to be. Muchoprat should withdraw his unsupported and unjustified comment.
2 hrs
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Grosse Ereignisse werfen Ihre Schatten voraus.
suggestions


Explanation:
Great events are often preceded by great expectations.

Great events are often preceded by a lot of activity and anticipation.

Niamh Mahony
Local time: 22:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  muitoprazer (X): yes they are,but i don't think that is what the original means.
9 mins
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38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Grosse Ereignisse werfen Ihre Schatten voraus.
News Alert / First alert: We are moving office


Explanation:
Is there any need to stick closely to the original?
Of the suggestions made so far, I think Steven's is the only useful one, but I have to admit that I am not too enthusiastic about it.
Therefore my suggestion to use something completely different.

BrigitteHilgner
Austria
Local time: 22:42
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 23

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Niamh Mahony: sounds good.
3 mins
  -> Thank you, Niamh!
agree  Textklick: Surely an (English speaking) customer would be tempted to laugh at a company waxing lyrical in such a relatively banal matter which doesn't lend itself well to translation?
16 mins
  -> Thank you, Textklick - that's why I suggest to move away from the original.
neutral  Steven Sidore: wouldn't that be "moving offices"?
17 mins
  -> Thank you, Steven. A valid point - and I am not absolutely sure of the answer, having found both expressions when googling and with my absolutely reliable British grammar guru out of town.
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42 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
Grosse Ereignisse werfen Ihre Schatten voraus.
NFG - some important comments....


Explanation:
With all due respect to those who have contributed so far, if you try to stick with the German concept, it will be totally impossible to come up with a sentence that will sound in any way natural to an English reader. So instead you need to think about what they are really trying to say.
Obviously, it is hard without more CONTEXT (like what comes after, like do they play on the image of shadows, etc.) to suggest a viable alternative.
As I see it, they are saying: when a big change is about to occur, you can see it coming in advance, so we're warning you that on (DATE) we will be moving premises/offices.

Maybe you should stick to something simple like: change is in the air OR changes are coming....

Perhaps if you have us another couple of sentences we could find something more apposite. But please try to avoid something unnatural sounding in English - for the sake of the end reader....

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 22:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 47
Grading comment
I have chosen "Major changes are on the horizon." Thank you, your comments really helped me out!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Steven Sidore: Agreed. I like 'Change is in the air'--BUT: the German may be pertinent if something else is in the works, i.e. a major new product release, preceded by the move to new space.
14 mins
  -> whence the "context" question
agree  MMUlr: I like your "change is in the air' or 'changes are coming' - maybe - if I may suggest as a German native, also 'on the horizon'? http://kwlitarts.blogspot.com/2006/04/three-great-events-are...
21 mins
  -> horizon could be good provided rest of text allows
agree  BrigitteHilgner: I wholeheartedly agree with you! This is the right approach. // I know - but I still agree with you! :-)
24 mins
  -> my comments did not concern you - we answered at +/- same time
agree  Monika Leit
51 mins
agree  Woodstock (X): Jumping on the bandwagon here. I like "... horizon" or "in the offing" might work, too. You could add "major" to bring in the "grosse" part, if it makes the client happy.
57 mins
agree  Julia Lipeles
3 hrs
agree  Rebecca Garber: Major change(s) is/are on the horizon would be good, has a positive spin, and fits the context.
4 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Grosse Ereignisse werfen Ihre Schatten voraus.
Great events signal their coming


Explanation:
Although I don't understand the pompous tone just because of a "Standortwechsel", i.e. unless more context would indicate the "immensity" of this particular event.

Colin Newberry
Local time: 22:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  muitoprazer (X): makes no sense linguistically or as a concept.maybe would work in biblical context depicting the 2nd coming of the 3 wise men.
1 hr
  -> Read carefully before you dish out. But from you I wouldn't have expected any other lashing-out-allround comment. The sun's shining, the sky's blue, so I'll go out into the garden and forget it.
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Grosse Ereignisse werfen Ihre Schatten voraus.
Big/great/important/coming events cast their shadows before them


Explanation:
Can we all join in?

"events cast their shadows before them" googles out at 334, with "coming" the favourite adjective for events; in this case, however, I would suggest one of the first three alternatives may be more suitable, and in tune with what the writer intends in the German source text.

David Moore (X)
Local time: 22:42
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 39
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Grosse Ereignisse werfen Ihre Schatten voraus.
great things are afoot


Explanation:
perhaps a little stilted but google hits suggest this is not unknown in commercial contexts as well

otherwise maybe 'great things are on the way'?

Kieran McCann
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:42
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lancashireman: “Could be, who knows? There's something due any day. I will know right away, soon as it shows. It may come cannonballin' down through the sky, gleam in its eye, bright as a rose! Who knows? It's only just out of reach…” http://www.filmsite.org/wests.html
9 hrs
  -> nurse, find out what that man's on and keep me away from it//mind you, 'something's coming' might even work
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21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Moving on up


Explanation:
Can I play too?

I'd use "moving on up" here - the "moving" element is included along with the impression that they are moving on to better things.

IanW (X)
Local time: 22:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 54

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Steven Sidore: ROFL I think the US crowd will immediately think of the 'Jeffersons,' which is not necessary the corporate image you want to project...
3 hrs
  -> OK, I'll take your word for it, but I've no idea what Jeffersons you're talking about. And what does ROFL mean?
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1 day 6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
great events herald/presage/are portentous of great change


Explanation:
a pompous way of announcing a company relocation,but they are surely only trying to allay fears in the minds of their customers-suppliers that there will be any negative effects due to their move.They are trying to imply an upbeat message,that their goods/services /performance will be enhanced as a result.

muitoprazer (X)
Local time: 21:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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