Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.
You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
14:23 Feb 7, 2011
German to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
German term or phrase:Lehrbahn
I'm translating an article from the FAZ about Goethe's Divan, and I'm having trouble translating the word "Lehrbahnen". The sentance is: "Er hat sich das Werk eines Dichters (eben des Mohammed Schems ed-Din Hafis) anverwandelt und dabei augenzwinkernd auch dessen Abweichungen vom Weg vorgezeichneter Lehrbahnen übernommen". The article can be found here: http://www.faz.net/s/Rub31A20177863E45B189A541403543256D/Doc...
thanks. I apologize for originally posting the wrong link, which should be
http://www.faz.net/s/Rub546D91F15D9A404286667CCD54ACA9BA/Doc~E1FABD67CD0EA459F8771C6259D20ACFD~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
I followed your link; could not find the sentence at first. Googled "Lehrbahnen" and found the article by Frühwald, who seems to have created the word, unless it is a translation from Islamic writings. We are probably the "Wortgelehrten" that Goethe was trying to escape. If you know of Frühwald or is sources, would you let us know?
... your kind support, Thayenga and Johanna! I'm not sure about these suggestions though -- actually I think Andrew's translation is slightly better, especially when discussing Hafis' poems, which are known for their praise of conviviality (which in turn is reflected in Goethe's Divan), so I believe this is about Hafis straying from established Muslim doctrine.
Goethe:
"Der Trinkende, wie es auch immer sei,
Blickt Gott frischer ins Angesicht."
This is about drinking wine, of course, not water :-]
... along the lines of "traditional schools of thought", "established ways of thinking", or maybe even "scholarly traditions" -- that's at least how I understand the expression.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
10 mins confidence:
directions of study
Explanation: vielleicht könntest du sagen: pre-determined directions of study
Mech White Local time: 14:20 Specializes in field Native speaker of: German, English
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2011-02-07 16:53:58 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
I can't find 'Lehrbahn' in your FAZ article, but it appears to be about the perception of religions other than one's own.
Andrew Swift United Kingdom Local time: 13:20 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 101
Grading comment
thanks. I apologize for originally posting the wrong link, which should be
http://www.faz.net/s/Rub546D91F15D9A404286667CCD54ACA9BA/Doc~E1FABD67CD0EA459F8771C6259D20ACFD~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html
KudoZ™ translation help
The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +3
