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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

was die Stunde für jdn. geschlagen hat

English translation: what's going on/what lies in store

13:43 Sep 4, 2006
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
German term or phrase: was die Stunde für jdn. geschlagen hat
I'm not sure if there's really an equivalent in English.

Examples:
"Viele haben scheinbar noch gar nicht gemerkt was die Stunde geschlagen hat - die Meisten werden sich noch wundern..."

"Der Kranke hat begriffen, was die Stunde für ihn geschlagen hat."

Does anyone have a good suggestion?
TDK (X)
Germany
Local time: 11:17
English translation:what's going on/what lies in store
Explanation:
I agree that this is a difficult one - it's hard to think of an equivalent metaphor.
Selected response from:

Armorel Young
Local time: 10:17
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4what's going on/what lies in store
Armorel Young
4for whom the bell tolls
Susan Zimmer
3the writing is on the wall
Sigrid Pichler
3that/what the bells have tolled for him/her
swisstell
3it depends on the context! NOT FOR POINTS
BrigitteHilgner
3their time has/had come
Henry Schroeder


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
... was die Stunde (für jdn.) geschlagen hat
the writing is on the wall


Explanation:
könnte passen! LG


    Reference: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/416550.html
Sigrid Pichler
Italy
Local time: 11:17
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 8
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
... was die Stunde (für jdn.) geschlagen hat
that/what the bells have tolled for him/her


Explanation:
a take-off from Hemingway's "Farewell to Arms"

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 11:17
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 21

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Kim Metzger: Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls".
23 mins
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
... was die Stunde (für jdn.) geschlagen hat
what's going on/what lies in store


Explanation:
I agree that this is a difficult one - it's hard to think of an equivalent metaphor.

Armorel Young
Local time: 10:17
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 73
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  BrigitteHilgner: I definitely like this suggestion for the first example, I am not quite sure (lack of context) regarding the second example.
27 mins
agree  Ken Cox: my thinking exactly, as a general translation. Brigette's comments are also apt.
43 mins
agree  Hildegard Klein-Bodenheimer (X): 2. Beispiel: The patient has realized what he is in for (was ihm bevorsteht)
51 mins
  -> yes, that's a good option too
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): given little context, this seems to fit best here (what he is in for)
2 hrs
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56 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
... was die Stunde (für jdn.) geschlagen hat
it depends on the context! NOT FOR POINTS


Explanation:
In the first case you mention, I go along with Armorel's suggestion.
Armorel's suggestion might also fit in the second example - but should the patient have realized that he is about to die, I would write "he understands that his time is up".
I find "for whom the bell tolls" totally inappropriate in both cases. (John Donne: ... and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.)

BrigitteHilgner
Austria
Local time: 11:17
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 23

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Susan Zimmer: i would agree with except that the asker asked for the English equivalent. Even in German, I personally find the use of the term inappropriate.
10 mins
  -> I am afraid I don't understand your comment. There is a difference between "wem die Stunde schlägt" (for whom the bell tolls) and "was die Stunde geschlagen hat".
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
... was die Stunde (für jdn.) geschlagen hat
their time has/had come


Explanation:
Wouldn't this be another alternative or am I missing something, especially for the second example?

http://www.books.google.com/books?q="his time had come"&lr=&...

Henry Schroeder
United States
Local time: 05:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
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27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
... was die Stunde (für jdn.) geschlagen hat
for whom the bell tolls


Explanation:
so Ernest Hemingway's novel title (Wem die Stunde schlaegt)

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Note added at 2 hrs (2006-09-04 16:26:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

swisstell's and my answer seem to have been posted at the same time. my response is based, as his, that there is a famous equivalent for this, whether or not you want to use it in this case was not the question. I still don't think it's appropriate, nor politcally correct, nor very empathetic in any of the two languages. And yes, Hemingway does take the title of his novel from John Donne's original: "No man is an island..." quote. All other suggestions, by the way, can, of course, be used, but they do have a tendency to water down what the German "was die Stunde schlaegt" is implying.

Susan Zimmer
United States
Local time: 05:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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