Geist und Ungeist

English translation: The spirit and spook of the time

18:48 Jun 23, 2004
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - History
German term or phrase: Geist und Ungeist
Geist und Ungeist dieser Zeit ruhten auf dem Fundament des Zeitalters der Aufklärung
This text is concerning ideas by the American ethnologist L.H. Morgan
Christine Lam
Local time: 17:36
English translation:The spirit and spook of the time
Explanation:
I was looking for a synonym of specter and found spook in the following source:
http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn2.0?stage=1&wor...
I think it works well because of the alliteration that has some similarity to the german repetition of geist.
Selected response from:

Christina Oltmann
Canada
Local time: 17:36
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3The Zeitgeist, both positive and negative
Nancy Arrowsmith
4 +1reason and unreason
Susanne Rindlisbacher
4 +1A rewrite seems best here
gangels (X)
3 +1The spirit and spook of the time
Christina Oltmann


  

Answers


26 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
The spirit and spook of the time


Explanation:
I was looking for a synonym of specter and found spook in the following source:
http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn2.0?stage=1&wor...
I think it works well because of the alliteration that has some similarity to the german repetition of geist.

Christina Oltmann
Canada
Local time: 17:36
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Wenjer Leuschel (X): I like the alliteration with "sp."
6 hrs

neutral  CMJ_Trans (X): what on earth are "spooks" doing in here? It's another wonder for "ghosts" quite simply and, alliteration apart, is irrelevant - sorry!
10 hrs

neutral  Nancy Arrowsmith: I agree with you about the spooks - no way for them to be relevant here!
21 hrs
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The asker has declined this answer

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
reason and unreason


Explanation:
comes close and maintains the wordplay

Susanne Rindlisbacher
Portugal
Local time: 22:36
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 9

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Katrin Atienza (X): I like this one
49 mins
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
The Zeitgeist, both positive and negative


Explanation:
Spook has nothing to do with this sentence. It's about the positive and negative developments of a certain time.

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Note added at 8 hrs 31 mins (2004-06-24 03:20:26 GMT)
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sorry - zeitgeist is not sapitalized in English

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Note added at 8 hrs 32 mins (2004-06-24 03:20:52 GMT)
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capitalized

Nancy Arrowsmith
Local time: 15:36
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Orla Ryan
5 mins

agree  Siegfried Armbruster
22 mins

agree  Heike Behl, Ph.D.: Ungeist is even in Langenscheidt: evil (oder pernicious) zeitgeist
5 hrs
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17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
A rewrite seems best here


Explanation:
The epoch's spirit, revelling in both glory and wickedness, rested on foundations identified with the age of enlightenment.

gangels (X)
Local time: 15:36
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nancy Arrowsmith: Anything, anything but spooks!
4 hrs
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