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18:54 Apr 27, 2011
German to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Other / social/media theory
German term or phrase:sich schadlos halten
Pehnt weist darauf hin, daß zur gleichen Zeit das Publikum sich in den stürzenden Betongiganten der Katastro-phenfilme schadlos hielt für die zementierte Unsterblichkeit der realen Städte
Explanation: Pehnt pointed out, that at the same time audiences gloated over concrete titans crashing down in disaster films, were smugly convinced of their own cities' indestructibility/immortality.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 17 hrs (2011-04-28 12:34:15 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
You could also use intoxicated by,
Pehnt pointed out that at the same time audiences were intoxicated by concrete titans crashing down in disaster films, they were (feeling) smugly convinced that their own cities were immortal.
In view of the other slant:
Pehnt points out that audiences are vicariously compensated for their monotonously immortal cities by watching concrete titans come crashing down in distaster films.
What does "zur gleichen Zeit" refer to? And could this be what you mean? : Pehnt points out that audiences are vicariously compensated for their monotonously immortal cities by watching concrete titans come crashing down in distaster films.
Your interpretation of seeing falling houses in disaster movies "as compensation for living in unchanging urban surroundings that deny the reality of change and decay" does actually make a lot of sense to me. That was my first thought, too - and Johanna's definition earlier in the discussion is to the same tune.
I'd need more context to decide that. You mean living out the thrill vicariously? That would redefine "schadlos halten" completely. No, I don't think so, but more context will decide the issue.
You know, the more I think about it the more I feel that the author means that people are watching buildings tumble down in disaster movies as *compensation* for living in unchanging urban surroundings that deny the reality of change and decay. Does anyone agree?
"sich schadlos halten" is actually "smugly convinced", but as so often in German to English translations, the turnaround is where the elegance comes in. Sorry!
to me, is clear as the disaster film stirs smugness or self-satisfaction that one's own home is immune to such monstrosities. It would be interesting to hear whether it's AE or BE we're translating into, which would determine the level of hype-language.
sich schadlos halten – ohne Schaden sein, bzw. dafür sorgen, dass man schaden-los ist bzw. für einen erlittenen Schaden entschädigt wird; im juristischen Sprachgebrauch bekanntlich auch: Ansprüche geltend machen.
In diesem Fall ist der Schaden: die vollkommen zu-zementierten Städte, und die Entschädigung : der Genuss von Katastrophenfilmen, in denen eben gerade solche Zementkreationen zu Fall gebracht werden.
Previous sentence:»Ruinen sind Wächter des Traums«, schrieb der Architekturhistoriker Wolfgang Pehnt 1979 in einem Aufsatz über »Zerfall und Verschleiß in der Architektur«;
"Sich schadlos halten" usually means "to indemnify", doesn't it?
It's about society's attitude to ruins and the history they represent. (In Germany, of course, many ruins have been cleared away and shiny new buildings built on top.)
Does it mean that falling buildings in disaster movies somehow reassure people of the permanence of real cities? (I. e., that destroyed buildings have been relegated to fiction?)
Explanation: Pehnt pointed out, that at the same time audiences gloated over concrete titans crashing down in disaster films, were smugly convinced of their own cities' indestructibility/immortality.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 17 hrs (2011-04-28 12:34:15 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
You could also use intoxicated by,
Pehnt pointed out that at the same time audiences were intoxicated by concrete titans crashing down in disaster films, they were (feeling) smugly convinced that their own cities were immortal.
In view of the other slant:
Pehnt points out that audiences are vicariously compensated for their monotonously immortal cities by watching concrete titans come crashing down in distaster films.
Ramey Rieger Local time: 04:20 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): -1
