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Ansprechpartner

English translation: you had an open ear for everyone, sounding board

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Ansprechpartner
English translation:you had an open ear for everyone, sounding board
Entered by: Hilary Davies Shelby

19:46 Jun 28, 2005
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / referring to doyen of consular corps
German term or phrase: Ansprechpartner
Hello all,

This is something said to a retiring doyen of the Consular Corps by a fellow diplomat at his farewell party. "„Sie waren ein wunderbarer Ansprechpartner für jeden und ein echter Diplomat“. "

I couldn't find a gloss. entry (or think of anything else) that would fit here. Any ideas?
Hilary Davies Shelby
United States
Local time: 15:40
you had an open ear for everyone
Explanation:
Maybe re-phrase?
Selected response from:

Heike Behl, Ph.D.
Ireland
Local time: 21:40
Grading comment
Many thanks! I also liked "sounding board" - thanks also to Silfilla!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +6you had an open ear for everyone
Heike Behl, Ph.D.
4 +1You were generous with your time and advice
IanW (X)
3 +1contact
Susanne Rindlisbacher
3interlocutor
silfilla
3conversational partner
Johanna Timm, PhD
3opposite number
Lancashireman
3representative
Raghunathan Rajagopalan


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Ansprechpartner (here)
interlocutor


Explanation:
perhaps

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2005-06-28 19:53:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

*sounding board* is another option

silfilla
Local time: 16:40
Works in field
PRO pts in category: 8
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
contact


Explanation:
the neutral choice

Susanne Rindlisbacher
Portugal
Local time: 21:40
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 15

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  vptrans: yes, or contact partner or person
30 mins
  -> Danke, Eberhard. Auch ich würde den "partner" weglassen.
neutral  IanW (X): I think "contact" is not enough on its own (and "contact partner" is Germlish at its worst, Eberhard)
10 hrs
  -> I know what you mean, Ian. But I do seem to remember diplomats and politicians using this term, even in an affectionate way, from the many years I worked as a journalist.
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
you had an open ear for everyone


Explanation:
Maybe re-phrase?

Heike Behl, Ph.D.
Ireland
Local time: 21:40
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Many thanks! I also liked "sounding board" - thanks also to Silfilla!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ute Wietfeld: I think that's what's meant here, too - specially as he's called "wunderbar"
5 mins
agree  Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
8 mins
agree  Frosty
19 mins
agree  Lori Dendy-Molz
38 mins
agree  Olaf Reibedanz
3 hrs
agree  silfilla
1 day 3 hrs
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
conversational partner


Explanation:
another option if you want to stress his approachability and his human qualities

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 13:40
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 67

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  IanW (X): Sounds a bit like a "Konversationsaustausch" ...
10 hrs
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
opposite number


Explanation:
i.e. parallel rank

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 50 mins (2005-06-28 22:37:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

‘Fellow diplomat’ could mean someone from the same embassy/consulate or from the embassy/consulate of another country. If the former, my contribution is wide of the mark. Your context will show if this was, say, a German diplomat toasting his Russian counterpart (i.e. ‘opposite number’).

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 143
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
representative


Explanation:
representing the Embassy on various issues .... may be a one possibility

Raghunathan Rajagopalan
Local time: 02:10
Native speaker of: English
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
You were generous with your time and advice


Explanation:
I might be going off at a tangent here, but I'd be inclined to say "You were always generous with your time and advice" - that's what is meant: he was there for anyone who wanted to talk to him.

IanW (X)
Local time: 22:40
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 54

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Susanne Rindlisbacher: does sound nice
13 hrs
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