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German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Philosophy | | German term or phrase: Strebevermögen | Das Erkennen ist ein Instrument, das die Seele dazu disponiert, mit HIlfe des Strebevermögens zu wirken.
I want to translate strebevermögen as aspiration, but am not quite sure here, e.g., Knowledge is an instrument that disposes the soul to have an effect with the help of aspiration.
I think this is the German translation from Latin:
"Notitia est instrumentum remotum, & praeuie disponens animam, ac suppositum, ut per appetitum operetur"
At least this is the footnote to that passage in case that helps...
Thanks in advance! |
| | | desire | Explanation:
I do not know how you are working on the rest of the text, but there would be two criteria: either you stay close to the Latin original to convey the notion of a technical term, or you try to provide a modern equivalent. In the first case, your answuer should be just "appetite". If you are doing the second, I would suggest:
Knowledge is an instrument that disposes the soul to act aided by desire.
Literally, in German it is saying: the capacity or faculty to desire. But in light of the Latin original you are providing, the term is "desire" tout court. The German version is, in its own way, accurate. Desire here does refer to a specific function of the soul, rather than, for instance, a fleeting passion. It denotes an abstract capacity, and is hence a term of art. However, either you can indicate the discinction in a footnote or the reader should be expected to know the difference. Either sounds better to me than to teutonize the original even further.
Hope this helps.
cheers,
Marcos
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| Selected response from:
 Marcos Guntin
Local time: 09:15
| Grading comment Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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| Summary of answers provided | | 4 +2 | desire | |
| Summary of reference entries provided | | ? | |
6 hrs confidence:   peer agreement (net): +2 | strebevermögen desire
Explanation:
I do not know how you are working on the rest of the text, but there would be two criteria: either you stay close to the Latin original to convey the notion of a technical term, or you try to provide a modern equivalent. In the first case, your answuer should be just "appetite". If you are doing the second, I would suggest:
Knowledge is an instrument that disposes the soul to act aided by desire.
Literally, in German it is saying: the capacity or faculty to desire. But in light of the Latin original you are providing, the term is "desire" tout court. The German version is, in its own way, accurate. Desire here does refer to a specific function of the soul, rather than, for instance, a fleeting passion. It denotes an abstract capacity, and is hence a term of art. However, either you can indicate the discinction in a footnote or the reader should be expected to know the difference. Either sounds better to me than to teutonize the original even further.
Hope this helps.
cheers,
Marcos
| Marcos Guntin
Local time: 09:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:  Spanish, English
PRO pts in category: 15
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