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Schicksalsgemeinschaft

English translation: companions in fate

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Schicksalsgemeinschaft
English translation:companions in fate
Entered by: Roddy Stegemann

15:05 Aug 24, 2004
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. / journalism
German term or phrase: Schicksalsgemeinschaft
Diese Wort ist vom folgenden Artikel in der Tageszeitung. Obwohl der Sinn durchaus klar ist, wie uebersetzt man dieses Wort ins Englische? Augenblicklich faellt's mir nichts ein.

http://www.beucker.de/2004/taz04-02-16a.htm
Roddy Stegemann
United States
Local time: 14:49
companions in fate
Explanation:
or companions of destiny? Reading your text, there's a little bit of humor involved too. So 'companions in fate' would fit nicely, imo.
Selected response from:

Fantutti (X)
Local time: 14:49
Grading comment
I rejected the more popular response "to share a common destiny" as it completely ignores the fundamental problem of the question: How to link the two notions of "Schicksal" and "Gemeinschaft" into a single English expression.

Though "partners in crime" certainly made me chuckle, it would be a far too skewed expression in this context.

Having limited my alternatives to "community of fate" and "companions in fate" I chose "companions in fate". This is because it emphasizes the personal, conscious decision-making aspect that each of us must make to belong to a political party -- no matter the emblem, stripes, or colors.

The real dilemma was grammatical in nature. Would it be better to write "companions in fate" or "companions of fate". I finally sided with Fantutti because the preposition "of" appears far too fatalistic for such a conscionable decision. Unconscious political decisions are simply not acceptable, even if it does mean following the crowd.

Well done Fantutti!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3to share a common destiny
Mimch
4community of fate
Olaf Reibedanz
3partners in crime
Ralf A. Schumacher
3companions in fate
Fantutti (X)


  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
to share a common destiny


Explanation:
IMO

Mimch
Local time: 22:49
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ingrid Blank: common fate
2 hrs
agree  Aniello Scognamiglio (X): perhaps: share a common political fate and destiny
14 hrs
agree  Brandis (X)
2 days 6 hrs
  -> Thank you
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
community of fate


Explanation:
:-)

Olaf Reibedanz
Colombia
Local time: 17:49
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 8
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
companions in fate


Explanation:
or companions of destiny? Reading your text, there's a little bit of humor involved too. So 'companions in fate' would fit nicely, imo.

Fantutti (X)
Local time: 14:49
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
I rejected the more popular response "to share a common destiny" as it completely ignores the fundamental problem of the question: How to link the two notions of "Schicksal" and "Gemeinschaft" into a single English expression.

Though "partners in crime" certainly made me chuckle, it would be a far too skewed expression in this context.

Having limited my alternatives to "community of fate" and "companions in fate" I chose "companions in fate". This is because it emphasizes the personal, conscious decision-making aspect that each of us must make to belong to a political party -- no matter the emblem, stripes, or colors.

The real dilemma was grammatical in nature. Would it be better to write "companions in fate" or "companions of fate". I finally sided with Fantutti because the preposition "of" appears far too fatalistic for such a conscionable decision. Unconscious political decisions are simply not acceptable, even if it does mean following the crowd.

Well done Fantutti!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
partners in crime


Explanation:
...is what comes to my mind as an idiomatic expression, but I'm not too sure whether connototations are strictly negative. Probably, a political party would not enjoy such a connection to the word "crime" from the start, even though its merely irony. On the other hand, partners in crime, or "complices", tend to stick together both in getting away or in being caught.

Ralf A. Schumacher
Japan
Local time: 07:49
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Johanna Timm, PhD: I think that's an excellent suggestion for this specific context; in the sense of "mitgehangen, mitgefangen'
3 hrs
disagree  Aniello Scognamiglio (X): not in this context; the paragraph beginning with "Ministerpräsident Peer Steinbrück muss historisch schon weit ausholen, um..." makes clear why.
5 hrs
  -> A cynical thought: opponents of the Hartz IV (HIV?) unemployment benefit reforms might be regarding the SPD similar to "Bismarcks Junker". ;) (OK,I admit this is a historically uninformed utterance, yet not even an opinion.)
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