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keskin çizgi

English translation: thin line

20:30 Oct 27, 2009

Turkish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Autobiography: Şu dağın ardı İran – Meltem Vural

Turkish term or phrase: keskin çizgi

Greetings,

The passage is describing a bus journey to Iran from the point of view of one of the passengers:
O gece, kahraman ya da kurban olmanın keskin çizgisinde ve içimizde umut kırıntılarıyla güneşin doğacağı yönünde ilerliyorduk.

Is the idea perhaps a line, one side of which is heroism and the other side is becoming a victim? Or are there other alternatives?

All the best, and many thanks,

Simon

SeiTT KudoZ activity Questions: 1485 (3 open) (1 without valid answers) (2 closed without grading) Answers: 1 United Kingdom
Local time: 15:27

English translation:thin line

Explanation:
It's something like:

"That night, with a little hope in us, we were advancing towards the direction of the dawn on the thin line between heroism and sacrifice."

I know it's not the best literary translation of the sentence but I'm sure that the meaning is "the thin line between becoming a hero and becoming a victim".

Selected response from:

Ayşen Burcu Bölükbaşı
Netherlands
Local time: 16:27

Grading comment

many thanks excellent
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +3

thin line

Ayşen Burcu Bölükbaşı

5 +2

fine line

simulacra

5 +1

knife edge

Gulay Baran

5 -1

Cutting edge

Salih Yıldırım

sharp line

eozge

Answers

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

knife edge

Explanation:
keskin çizgi ---> knife edge

Knife edge is a common speech used in the situations that appear in the borders of danger and cannot be expected in advance.

Gulay Baran
Turkey
Local time: 17:27
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Turkish
PRO pts in category: 8

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

thin line

Ayşen Burcu Bölükbaşı
Netherlands
Local time: 16:27
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Turkish
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

many thanks excellent

3 hrs confidence:

sharp line

Explanation:
This is a literal one: 'sharp line'.
The first and most general meaning of 'keskin' is sharp.

Knife edge could be an option too as it denotes sharpness. After all, I think you should use something that will express the sharpness, because what is meant by this part is that you are either a victim or a hero. You cannot be something in between. There is a definite and 'sharp' line there, which also implies danger of course.

eozge
Turkey
Local time: 17:27
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Turkish

5 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

fine line

Explanation:

Here keskin çizgi is used to represent the fine line between becoming a hero and becoming a victim. Circumstances might easily trip you and cause you to end up on either side of the line, paving your way to becoming a hero or a victim.

simulacra
United States
Local time: 10:27
Native speaker of:

English,

Turkish