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Der Spiegel, dem wir Frauen am meisten glauben, sind die Augen unserer Männer

English translation: The mirror that we women trust/beleive in most is the eyes of our men.


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15:24 Dec 15, 2010
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
German term or phrase: Der Spiegel, dem wir Frauen am meisten glauben, sind die Augen unserer Männer
Another quote, however the only one I'm familiar with on a similar vein is: "The best mirror is (the eye of) an old friend". Is anyone familiar with this alternative form? I find the idea of "Spiegel glauben" a little strange. Thank you for your help.
Lesley Robertson
Austria
Local time: 14:20
English translation:The mirror that we women trust/beleive in most is the eyes of our men.
Explanation:
I think the idea of "Spigel glauben" means literally what is says - we believe the image or the reflection we see in the eyes of our men, we think about ourselves and how we look like, we judge ourselves by the opinion of our men. We see ourselves the way our beloved ones see us. Their opinion is the most important that counts.
Selected response from:

MariyaN
United States
Local time: 08:20
Grading comment
Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +5The mirror that we women trust/beleive in most is the eyes of our men.MariyaN
4 +1The mirror we women have most faith in is in the eyes of our husbands.
Ramey Rieger
5The mirror we women trust most is the eyes of our men.Michael Hess
4The mirror in which we women believe/trust the most is/resides in the eyes of our men/husbands
Thayenga
4My husband's eyes are my best mirroradamgajlewicz
4Women see themselves through the eyes of mencasper
3The mirror we women trust most is the one reflected through the eyes of our husbands.
Oliver Toogood


Discussion entries: 15





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
The mirror that we women trust/beleive in most is the eyes of our men.


Explanation:
I think the idea of "Spigel glauben" means literally what is says - we believe the image or the reflection we see in the eyes of our men, we think about ourselves and how we look like, we judge ourselves by the opinion of our men. We see ourselves the way our beloved ones see us. Their opinion is the most important that counts.

MariyaN
United States
Local time: 08:20
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in UkrainianUkrainian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kim Metzger: I certainly prefer "men" to "husbands."
1 hr
  -> Thank you!
agree  Helen Shiner: Though I think I would say: The mirror we women most trust is (in) the eyes of our men.
1 hr
  -> Thank you!
neutral  Oliver Toogood: That's what I'd heard as well Kim.But in truth, this isn't a very good answer because it implies the glassy eyes of a psychotic , if they refract light in such a way as to give off reflections.On reflection also, 'menfolk' would cover the meaning best.
1 hr
  -> When I said "literally" I just meant that, in my opinion, there is no special meaning or no idiom in "Spiegel glauben", just that it can be translated literally. I am sorry for the misunderstanding brought by my explanation.
neutral  Ramey Rieger: I'm still not sure of the author's intent/slant. But I do agree that men is better than husbands.
2 hrs
agree  Susan Welsh: Yes to "trust," but I wouldn't add the "in" (in the eyes of our men). It's got nothing to do with reflections, literally. It means, IMO, if our men love us, think we're attractive, etc., then that means more than what the mirror says.
3 hrs
agree  Nicole Backhaus
11 hrs
agree  Rose Newell: I think the essence of this is, "The mirror of ourselves that we women trust the most is that in the eyes of our men". i.e. the way they look at us is more important than how the mirror 'looks at(=to)' us.
22 hrs
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
The mirror we women trust most is the one reflected through the eyes of our husbands.


Explanation:
In other words, familiarity breeds not only contempt, but more brutal honesty ! That at least is the sense.


Oliver Toogood
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Helen Shiner: No, this is about love.
9 hrs
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
The mirror we women have most faith in is in the eyes of our husbands.


Explanation:
I'm not quite finished, because "we women" just doesn't ring right.

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Note added at 20 mins (2010-12-15 15:45:13 GMT)
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The mirror women put most faith in, is in the eyes of their husbands.

Yes, that's better!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 mins (2010-12-15 15:46:22 GMT)
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The mirror women put most faith in, is in the eyes of their husbands.

Yes, that sounds better


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-12-15 16:52:37 GMT)
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Can anyone tell me if I'm permitted to answer more than once, or edit my answer? Or is that against the rules?

Ramey Rieger
Local time: 14:20
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Kim Metzger: You should edit your answer rather than entering a second one. I guess you figured out what CL stands for.
1 hr
  -> Yes, got the CL down pat, but HOW do I edit my answer, I just can't seem to find the right button! Thanks so much for your answer!
agree  Horst Huber: "Have" or maybe better "put" "faith in" is what should be kept. "Men" or "husbands" may be a gererational matter. When women said "mein Mann" it always referred to a husband. Maybe that has changed?
12 hrs
  -> Yes, it has. It's no longer husbandry either, but rancher or breeder. Good for us!! I did change it to "put", but couldn't edit the original - don't know how! Thanks!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
My husband's eyes are my best mirror


Explanation:
just so.... You can disagree, but the English equivalent should be more compressed.... No trusting, no women, no generalities....

adamgajlewicz
Local time: 14:20
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Women see themselves through the eyes of men


Explanation:
...is how I read the meaning of the complete sentence.



As Simone de Beauvoir put it: “Women see themselves through the eyes of men and not through their own eyes.” Such an attitude practiced throughout the ages ...
http://shortify.com/11602



The problem is what WEB DuBois called "the double consciousness" where in this case women see themselves through the eyes of men. They define themselves in relation to men and become typecasts (the wife, the other woman, the trophy, the Jezebel), rather than three dimensional human beings.
http://shortify.com/11603



Women see themselves through the eyes of men and are continually measuring themselves against male standards of beauty and femininity.
http://shortify.com/11599



...women see themselves through the eyes of men -- playing roles and reinventing themselves in the image of what they're expected to be -- ...
http://shortify.com/11600



Fashion is about women but it is also about men and how women see themselves through the eyes of men.
http://shortify.com/11601

casper
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 6
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
The mirror in which we women believe/trust the most is/resides in the eyes of our men/husbands


Explanation:
:)

Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 14:20
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 8
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1 day9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
The mirror we women trust most is the eyes of our men.


Explanation:
meiner meinung nach sind die anderen lösung nicht ganz "perfekt".
aber trotzdem sind die (besten) auch schon akzeptabel.

mfg
Micha

Michael Hess
Local time: 14:20
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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