May 12, 2003 15:35
21 yrs ago
German term
help with sentence
German to English
Art/Literary
From Cats The Musical:
Mungojerrie und Rumpleteazer, das berüchtigte Katzengespann,*** das seine Familie nicht nur die wertvolle Ming-Vase, sondern auch den letzten Nerv gekostet hat.***
I can't seem to get the bit between *** to flow properly. Would anyone care to have a go? Thanks
Mungojerrie und Rumpleteazer, das berüchtigte Katzengespann,*** das seine Familie nicht nur die wertvolle Ming-Vase, sondern auch den letzten Nerv gekostet hat.***
I can't seem to get the bit between *** to flow properly. Would anyone care to have a go? Thanks
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+3
3 mins
Selected
who have shattered a valuable Ming vase and the (whole) family's nerves
perhaps using "shatter" for both the vase and teh nerves would work: or maybe "not content with shattering the family's nerves, they've done the same to a valuable Ming vase..."
or something along those lines?
HTH
or something along those lines?
HTH
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks everyone - all the answers were great! After playing around with it for a while, I finally went with: ... the infamous cat duo who succeeded in shattering their family's nerves along with an expensive Ming vase. Thanks John. And thanks to Terry for the link!"
+1
8 mins
I'd say
which wrecked both the family's precious Ming vase and what was left of its collective nerves
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
heikeb
: you "rack" your nerves, not "wreck" them
14 mins
|
|
Beg to differ, Heike Dear: You 'rack' your brain over something, which can be a 'nerve-wrecking' experience and in the end, turns you into a 'nervous wreck'. Available for English idiomatics lessons.
|
|
| agree |
Ino66 (X)
: in speech, "wreck" & "rack" sound similar...
1 hr
|
+1
10 mins
xand Y, the infamous cat duo, not only cost the family its valuable Ming vase but also the last ...
if it is the FLOW you are interested in
+5
13 mins
Mary Worby
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
Friendly, reliable and accurate!
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
2770
thanks to whom their owners lost not only a valuable Ming vase ...
but also (what was left) of their sanity
a menace to Ming vases and sanity alike
HTH
Mary
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Note added at 2003-05-12 15:55:24 (GMT)
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notorious feline twosome - be warned, nothing is safe, whether it\'s your Ming vase or your nerves.
who leave shattered Ming vases and nervous breakdowns in their wake
a menace to Ming vases and sanity alike
HTH
Mary
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-05-12 15:55:24 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
notorious feline twosome - be warned, nothing is safe, whether it\'s your Ming vase or your nerves.
who leave shattered Ming vases and nervous breakdowns in their wake
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
heikeb
: I like the lost vase / sanity version best.
11 mins
|
| agree |
Trudy Peters
46 mins
|
| agree |
Ino66 (X)
1 hr
|
| agree |
Johanna Timm, PhD
: with Heike
3 hrs
|
| agree |
Ron Stelter
1 day 2 hrs
|
+2
1 hr
* FROM A VASE WHICH WAS COMMONLY SAID TO BE MING *
AND WHEN YOU HEAR A DINING-ROOM SMASH
OR UP FROM THE PANTRY THERE COMES A LOUD CRASH
OR DOWN FROM THE LIBRARY COMES A LOUD PING
FROM A VASE WHICH WAS COMMONLY SAID TO BE MING –
This is the original - any help?
OR UP FROM THE PANTRY THERE COMES A LOUD CRASH
OR DOWN FROM THE LIBRARY COMES A LOUD PING
FROM A VASE WHICH WAS COMMONLY SAID TO BE MING –
This is the original - any help?
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Terry Gilman
: would have said the same - go directly to T.S. Eliot's Book of Practical Cats. My parents' engagement present to each other. Can it be that that musical has buried the original?
6 hrs
|
| agree |
Nancy Arrowsmith
: nothing better than Old Possum, I grew up with it
9 hrs
|
+1
2 hrs
It was the last straw...
It was the last straw for the family when this/the notorious feline duo (terrible twosome) Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer smashed the priceless Ming Vase to smithereens
absolutely the last straw
literally the last straw
The family came to the end of their tether when...
I haven't seen Cats!
Are they Siamese Twins?!
hth
absolutely the last straw
literally the last straw
The family came to the end of their tether when...
I haven't seen Cats!
Are they Siamese Twins?!
hth
8 hrs
Here's a link
This is a link to the verse itself, seems the whole book is available on line at this site. My parents, deep and abiding cat lovers, always said Old Possum's book was over the top in the first place (they were engaged around 1950) and cringed (double cringed) at the musical. My mother let me take the TV video tape away to look at in Germany with a "Don't say I didn't warn you." I didn't have the book in hand at the time, but there seems to be a lot of overlap, so some of what is at the link may be of use to you. (Can it be you are being paid for a back translation, or is this embedded in some other text?)
http://coral.lili.uni-bielefeld.de/Classes/Summer97/SemGS/We...
http://coral.lili.uni-bielefeld.de/Classes/Summer97/SemGS/We...
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