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.
Indonesian to English translations [PRO] Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general) / novel 'Layar Terkembang'
Indonesian term or phrase:Nikmatnya kue bisnis X
In this context, meaning of 'kue' is not literal, but alludes to the way the benefits/profits of a business/industry are distributed, like slices of a pie, for example, in the phrases 'nikmatnya kue bisnis tembakau' or 'Pengembang berebut 'kue' di Bodetabek'. Please suggest English translation of 'nikmatnya kue bisnis X'. Would 'the X business is a delicious pie' be near the mark, or is there a better way to express it?
I actually translated the heading 'Nikmatnya kue bisnic tembakau' as 'Tobacco Business: a Lucrative Pie', using your suggestion of 'lucrative'. Although I didn't use your suggestion totally, you gave me the idea I needed. 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
Hi Catherine, I guess the only Indonesian food for share, that is, to be enjoyed together, is nasi tumpeng, a mounting rice. Others are individual in nature.
So, the idea of cake sliced and distributed is not local. Perhaps it is from Western tradition of birthday cake. That's why we call it "kue [bisnis]. "Tidak kebagian kue" is the fate of those failing to come on time at the birthday party.
Should it come from local, the expression will most likely be "tumpeng bisnis", not "kue bisnis".
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
1 hr confidence:
The profits of the X business are most agreeable
Explanation: Maybe a bit too formal but hopefully it captures the basic idea.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-10-14 06:11:06 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Sure, your translation sounds great. You could also say "Hefty Profits for Tobacco Entrepreneurs" or "Tobacco Entrepreneurs Get the Cake, Growers Get the Crumbs" :)
Ian Forbes New Zealand Local time: 14:38 Meets criteria Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: How could I make it 'snappier', like 4 0r 5 words for the heading of a magazine article and retain the sense of 'nikmatnya'? How about 'Tasty Profits for Tobacco Entrepreneurs' which is the gist of the article, i.e., farmers get zilch while big guys are zillionaires.
l08l Indonesia Local time: 09:38 Does not meet criteria Native speaker of: Indonesian PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
I actually translated the heading 'Nikmatnya kue bisnic tembakau' as 'Tobacco Business: a Lucrative Pie', using your suggestion of 'lucrative'. Although I didn't use your suggestion totally, you gave me the idea I needed.
Explanation: What about the word "chunk"? It can also be used to describe money like in "we won a chunk of money" (from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/chunk). "Luscious" can also be replaced by "big" as an alternative.
Luscious implies such a luxuriant fullness or ripeness as to make an object rich: a luscious banana; a luscious beauty; luscious music.
Irma Anzia Local time: 21:38 Does not meet criteria Specializes in field Native speaker of: Indonesian
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you for your suggestion, Irma.
Asker: Also, 'luscious' accurately expresses 'nikmatnya' but the phrase is idiomatic, rather than literal. While it doesn't fit, I am very grateful that you have tried to help. It's a case of knowing what I want to say but not being able to find the right words ... yet.
Explanation: I'm not sure if 'success' adequately renders the 'kue' concept. Given the context, perhaps 'trappings' could be considered for 'nikmatnya', ie. it can tend to have a negative connotation for the benefits enjoyed from a lucrative activity.
Another one I thought of, although I think it's too loose and wordy is - "X Business Takes the Cake and Eats it Too". I wonder if there's some correlation between the idea behind "nikmatnya kue bisnis x" and this English expression.
Roderick Clarke Australia Local time: 12:38 Meets criteria Works in field Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi, Rod. I'm becoming more convinced that what I need is something that conveys the message that at every step in the process, someone is taking a piece of the action, i.e., the pie is sliced up a whole lot of ways. All these suggestions are helping me get a fix on it! While it's not about 'having your cake and eating it too', there is surely an idiomatic way of expressing the idea of "everyone's fingers in the pie". I might even go with that.
The translation workplace 
