Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
ins Schmachten verfallen
English translation:
to swoon over someone
Added to glossary by
Rachel Ward
Apr 3, 2009 18:59
15 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term
United Kingdom
For the Love of Language
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
ins Schmachten verfallen
German to English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
teenage novel
This is from a teen novel set in a US high school. The two main characters have been arguing about the way Julien treats girls. He has stormed off and left Dawn behind.
"Warum nur war er plötzlich so wütend geworden? Sein: Ihr seid alle gleich hatte geklungen, als habe er es gründlich satt, dass Mädchen bei seinem Anblick **ins Schmachten verfielen**. Aber zu denen, die ihn "anschmachteten" zählte ich wohl kaum - und selbst wenn, hätte er es in der Dunkelheit überhaupt nicht bemerken können."
I've found "make sheep's eyes at" for "anschmachten" and "languish" for "schmachten" but can't quite work out how to make the sentence work. Thanks for any thoughts!
"Warum nur war er plötzlich so wütend geworden? Sein: Ihr seid alle gleich hatte geklungen, als habe er es gründlich satt, dass Mädchen bei seinem Anblick **ins Schmachten verfielen**. Aber zu denen, die ihn "anschmachteten" zählte ich wohl kaum - und selbst wenn, hätte er es in der Dunkelheit überhaupt nicht bemerken können."
I've found "make sheep's eyes at" for "anschmachten" and "languish" for "schmachten" but can't quite work out how to make the sentence work. Thanks for any thoughts!
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
May 11, 2009 18:09: Rachel Ward Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+7
13 mins
Stephen Gobin
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
Soaring over the language barrier
Native in: English 
Works in: German to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
16
Selected
to go all doey-eyed/to swoon after someone
"[...] as if he'd really had enough of girls going all doey-eyed/swooning after him whenever he looked at them."
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks Stephen"
11 mins
agnesvukovich
Austria
Austria
Native in German
Works in field
Austria
art translations
Native in: German
Works in: English to German, German to English, French to German
to start raving
"schmachten" is basically synonymous with "schwärmen", so maybe you could say something like "girls who start raving when they see him" maybe also "who start raving and gazing (lovingly/longingly) at him" (since it has to be something he would notice and can't because of the darkness).
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Lancashireman
: Lunatics?
45 mins
|
| neutral |
Helen Shiner
: Sorry, but raving is a sign of madness - frothing at the mouth, that sort of thing.
50 mins
|
13 mins
Juan Alvarez
Germany
Germany
Germany
Translator & interpreter
Native in: Galician , Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, German to Spanish, Portuguese to Spanish, and 5 more.
fall for him instantly
Suggestion
18 mins
Lonnie Legg
Germany
Germany
Native in German
&
English
Germany
25 years in film industry
Native in: English , German
Works in: German to English, English to German
Related KudoZ points
:
24
to swoon over someone
To swoon has perhaps a slightly more emotive nuance than the introverted "schmachten", but it would work well here...
Example sentence:
Gorgeous, well-connected and obscenely rich, Malcolm is accustomed to women swooning over him...
20 mins
Ellen Kraus
Austria
Austria
Native in German
Austria
more than thirty years of experience
Native in: German
Works in: Greek to German, English to German, Greek to English, and 5 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
they start pining for him (or carrying a torch for him)
would be my suggestion
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Lancashireman
: Your 'torch' idea is OK. Change the 'i' to an 'a' and add a 't' after the 'n' and your first suggestion might work.
35 mins
|
| neutral |
Helen Shiner
: Pining is missing someone when you are apart.
45 mins
|
-1
27 mins
to pine for him
"...pining for him as soon as they set eyes on him..." would work quite well I suppose
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Lancashireman
: "bei seinem Anblick". 'Pining' requires a period of separation.
24 mins
|
33 mins
metnt
Works in field
waste away
just guessing
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Helen Shiner
: Again, this would not happen instantly. It anyway sounds very Victorian - dying of love sickness, or some such. I hope this doesn't happen outside of novels!!
34 mins
|
|
Me, too. Thanks!
|
1 hr
carol ermakova
Native in English
Specializes in field
Native in: English 
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, Italian to English, and 1 more.
go weak at the knees
just another possibility... BTW, I'd say swoon over not after
2 hrs
Nicole Schnell
United States
United States
Native in German
Specializes in field
United States
Award winning Advertising/Marketing
Native in: German
Works in: English to German, German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
64
start drooling (all) over him
There is nothing romantic about this rather angry and sarcastic remark.
Here is an example:
"While he looks like a supermodel. Women (and certain men) are drooling all over him, while women go on fantasizing of the day they would meet someone tender enough to be like him."
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=nothing romantic to thi...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2009-04-03 21:21:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Sorry, this is the correct link:
http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:FifG_XX3Ua4J:bonbonlove...
Here is an example:
"While he looks like a supermodel. Women (and certain men) are drooling all over him, while women go on fantasizing of the day they would meet someone tender enough to be like him."
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=nothing romantic to thi...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2009-04-03 21:21:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Sorry, this is the correct link:
http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:FifG_XX3Ua4J:bonbonlove...
4 hrs
go gaga over
At least, that's what we say in the U.S.
Something went wrong...