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dessen Identität sie eisern verschweigt

English translation: over whose identity she maintained a stony silence

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:dessen Identität sie eisern verschweigt
English translation:over whose identity she maintained a stony silence
Entered by: Chris Rowson (X)

05:40 Dec 25, 2002
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
German term or phrase: dessen Identität sie eisern verschweigt
I don't quite understand what they say in the bracket below.

Prügel und Demütigungen haben ihr Männerbild geprägt. Zuerst der Vater, später ein Lover (dessen Identität sie eisern verschweigt), der sie vergewaltigte und derart vereprügelte.
March
over whose identity she maintained a stony silence
Explanation:
Literally it is "ironly concealed". So she not only said nothing but was hard and unrelenting in her refusal. There is a strictness and hardness in the phrase, perhaps a reflection of the harsh treatment she had herself experienced.
Selected response from:

Chris Rowson (X)
Local time: 00:18
Grading comment
thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1over whose identity she maintained a stony silence
Chris Rowson (X)
3 +1whose identity she keeps a well-guarded secret
Klaus Dorn (X)
4whose identity she adamantly refuses to reveal
Gillian Scheibelein


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
whose identity she keeps a well-guarded secret


Explanation:
or "whose identity she vehemently keeps a secret" - the "eisern" means "strongly" here, but I would translate quite freely

Klaus Dorn (X)
Local time: 01:18
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 1514

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ron Stelter
1 day 6 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
whose identity she adamantly refuses to reveal


Explanation:
another possibility

Gillian Scheibelein
Germany
Local time: 00:18
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 3469
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
over whose identity she maintained a stony silence


Explanation:
Literally it is "ironly concealed". So she not only said nothing but was hard and unrelenting in her refusal. There is a strictness and hardness in the phrase, perhaps a reflection of the harsh treatment she had herself experienced.

Chris Rowson (X)
Local time: 00:18
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 768
Grading comment
thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alexander Schleber (X): All 3 suggestions are great, but this is the only one that directly transliterates "eisern".
23 mins
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