English translation: Let us combine our talents ...
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20:43 Dec 5, 2010
German to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
German term or phrase:Tauschen wir die Gaben aus
Tauschen wir die Gaven aus und entzuenden Licht am Lichte
I am translating a text on a market research report on the added value that libraries offer. This is an expression that was made years ago when talking about research cooperation and the transfer of knowledge. Any ideas?
Explanation: ... (for our mutual benefit/for the mutual good) and light the way for each other.
I don't think 'exchange' or 'swap' works here. This is instead a sharing process.
'Gift' can also be used in the sense of 'talent', but 'gifts' would be ambiguous in this context.
"light each other's candle" sounds either corny or even suggestive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flOvM4Z355A
So on the basis of what Helen has said, it might be more appropriate to phrase the second part as "light the way for each other".
from what I have seen this evening in respect of light and Leibniz, he is referring to religious sources of light. So I think this is about dialogue between religions, perhaps with the aim of creating something greater out of mutual exchange.
They [the Chinese] have superior observational skills whereas we excel in invention; let us combine these two talents for our mutual benefit and light each other’s candle.
which I do not read: "illi [i.e. Sinesi] observatis, nostri excogitatis praevalent; misceamus beneficia et lumen de lumine accendamus." from A I, VII, p. 618, Nov. Sin. p. 94 - if this is any help to anyone.
pops up frequently, that's true- but I was not sure if the phrase actually referred back to the Latin original or whether it was coined by Leibniz scholar Franklin Perkins and then just re-quoted ? It's fascinating how many layers can be revealed once you start digging ...!
seems to be used by English academics when discussing this particular phase of his life... but have been unable to find the English translation of the (Latin) original.
Leibniz- Zitat
(Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz 1692 in einem Brief an den italienischen Missionar Claudio Philippo Grimaldi)
Hinter der Forderung nach einem wechselseitigen Austausch des Wissens verbirgt sich die Überzeugung, „dass die Chinesen uns überlegen sind im Beobachteten, die unserem im Erdachten. Tauschen wir die Gaben aus und entzünden wir Licht am Lichte!“ http://shortify.com/11538
So ...all we need is the English translation of that quote.
„Tauschen wir die Gaben aus und entzünden wir Licht am Lichte“ - Leibnizens Projekt eines
Sino-Europäischen Wissensaustausches, demnächst in: Concha Roldan (ed.), Leibniz und
Europa, 12 S.
Is on the Leibniz University, Hannover website. http://www.uni-hannover.de/de/universitaet/leibniz/stiftungs...
Not really a help, but appears to do with information exchange?
I'm a keen user of libraries but I've never come across the German statement ("Tauschen wir die Gaben aus" sounds like Christmas and gift giving). Is this the headline for something? Is this about knowledge sharing?
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Answers
14 hrs confidence:
Tauschen wir die Gaben aus ...
Let us combine our talents ...
Explanation: ... (for our mutual benefit/for the mutual good) and light the way for each other.
I don't think 'exchange' or 'swap' works here. This is instead a sharing process.
'Gift' can also be used in the sense of 'talent', but 'gifts' would be ambiguous in this context.
Andrew Swift United Kingdom Local time: 13:20 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 101
Grading comment
Thanks for this - I do hate these literary quotes in the middle of normal business texts!!!!
The translation workplace 
