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German to English translations [Non-PRO] Social Sciences - Psychology / Guide to Enlightenment
German term or phrase:so
Honored Colleagues! This is both a general and specific query, as it comes up again and again, as does my grappling with the term. This is a classic example from my current project:
In der Kindheit wurde unser Denk- und Gefühlssystem **so** gestaltet, dass wir ihm seitdem hundertprozentig glauben.
My current rendition: During childhood, our thought and emotional system was shaped in such way(,) that we have relied on it one hundred percent/had complete faith in it ever since.
I am only interested in English translations, so please refrain from endless German references :-). I'm open to discussion, though.
Explanation: I'm not sure why you're doubting yourself, Ramey. Apart from the fact that a word is missing from your suggestion, I would translate 'so' just the way you have!
This is, of course, the best solution, but whether it is a non-pro question is debatable. Still, I found the discussion illuminating and thank you all for your input. 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
PS Another option, of course, would be to switch from passive to active voice (again, reworking the whole thing).
If I may use your example, something like: It is during childhood that we develop a [...] system [on] which we ...
Or add a subject in EN (quite a common occurence): Our childhood experiences have helped shape a [...] system that...will haunt us for the rest of our lives (joke).
Best wishes
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
ASKER
@Björn
19:00 Feb 10, 2017
Thanks for the input. I have worked with all the varieties given in a myriad of contexts - this one, by the way, wasn't possible to print here - and still have the feeling I've missed something. Possibly Dickens or Thackeray, or even Dostoevsky translations, nagging at the back of my mind.
Since you've asked for an "an unusual slant" and said "it comes up again and again," just my opinion:
Half the time, you can safely omit it and rework the sentence or change the grammatical structure (agree with Harris here, by the way / @Harris Not sure what Elli thinks...but in my experience, American English is more tolerant of noun phrases than British English; marketing documents by US software companies are studded with manageability, flexibility, capabilities, etc.).
In another context, "so gestaltet, dass es einfach zu handhaben ist" -> "designed for ease of use."
Another option is to use an infinitive: "Lautstärke so herunterregeln, dass sie zum ... passt" -> Lower the volume to match the...
I think Germans are much more likely to use "so" and a relative clause than their ENS counterparts. Replacing every "so" with "(in) such (a way)" will make some excerpts sound pretty clunky.
And as you've said many times before: Context is important. Since we don't have any, really, it's hard to say what works and what doesn't.
In childhood, our system of thought and emotion was shaped in a way that has allowed (enabled) us to have complete faith in it ever since.... or .... to rely on it entirely.
Of course, but unless I'm misunderstanding you, an adverb doesn't always have to be translated with a word that ends in -ly. My suggestions are all adverbial phrases, as dictionaries will attest.
Yes, that's also an option. I don't think there's really a need to revamp the sentence. Still, there are so many other minds out there, perhaps someone has an unusual slant. Thanks for your help!
you're trying to find a needle in a haystack. Of course you can revamp the sentence but: this is a direct answer to a direct question. I would suggest you post your question in a forum, you might get other ideas.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
ASKER
@Katja
15:57 Feb 9, 2017
I will keep it in mind, although 'faith' is also 'glauben', and often stronger than 'believe.' Thank you for your suggestion.
@Everyone Once upon a time, I would have used 'so' or 'so that', but I have the sneaking suspicion this is antiquated. Does anyone else think SO?
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
ASKER
SORRY!
15:52 Feb 9, 2017
Please forgive my misprint. Of course, the text reads in such A way. Dyslexic translating has its challenges....
Explanation: One workaround could be to restructure with a noun phrase (see example sentences). It's not ideal, especially when the push is for DE>EN translators to use more verb phrases, but probably sounds more fluent than the dusty "such [that]..."
Example sentence(s):
The way that our [...] system was shaped has meant that we...
The structuring method of our [...] system has [resulted in/caused] us to...
Harris Morgan United Kingdom Local time: 11:34 Native speaker of: English
Explanation: I'm not sure why you're doubting yourself, Ramey. Apart from the fact that a word is missing from your suggestion, I would translate 'so' just the way you have!
Sarah Bessioud Germany Local time: 12:34 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
This is, of course, the best solution, but whether it is a non-pro question is debatable. Still, I found the discussion illuminating and thank you all for your input.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Sarah! Good to see you! I don't doubt the validity of my rendition, but there must be another way to translate 'so' in this context. Look:
Die Kinder waren so erzogen, dass...
Bitte die Lautstärke so regeln, dass..
Die Katze nur so streicheln, dass....
peer agreement (net): +1
