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Zehn kleine Nergerlein

English translation: "Ten little bankers ......... is the Swiss market too small?"

20:18 Apr 3, 2001
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
Marketing
German term or phrase: Zehn kleine Nergerlein
Zehn kleine Nergerlein ....... [beginning of a rhyme] Ist der Schweitz Markt zu klein?

Want this to be 'gnomes' as in 'gnomes of Zurich', but can't prove it.
Phy
English translation:"Ten little bankers ......... is the Swiss market too small?"
Explanation:
http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_98/vronsky060898.html

http://www.usagold.com/gildedopinion/RocketSchool/20000318.h...

http://www.schweizerzeit.ch/1898/Was_nun.htm

"«The gnomes of Zurich» Der Name stammt aus der Zeit nach 1945, als Grossbritannien sein Pfund Sterling als Weltwährung nicht mehr halten konnte und der Finanzplatz Zürich Londons Austeritätsmassnahmen unterlief. Er drückte den Ärger speziell der britischen Labour-Regierung aus, und er blieb kleben. Es ist heute in der Schweiz eine Art Witz, sich als Gnomen von Zürich anderen Finanzkreisen überlegen zu fühlen, und wir meinen es eigentlich ganz lieb. Aber die Holocaust-Krise muss uns daran erinnern, dass der Name gerade in der angloamerikanischen Finanz seine Bedeutung als Schimpfwort nicht verloren hat. Ein Beweis: Das ausgezeichnete Wirtschafts-Wörterbuch Wilhelm Schäfers, 4. Auflage 1992 (Vahlen, München), übersetzt Gnome mit «Gnom, m. ie. secretive financial institution, eg. in Zurich», also «heimlich arbeitende Finanzinstitution, z. B. in Zürich»."

The above Gnomes of Zurich (the originals, not the music, punk, discography GoZ) might indeed fit your context, if you mean the Swiss financial establishment. The context probably means that the number starts with 10 and goes down to one or zero as with a market that is too small for the number of players, gnomes, bottles, Negerlein, or Indians. In English, the version of "Ten little Indians" is considerably older than the "bottles" version and was meant for children.

I am not sure how many large Swiss banks there were in the beginning, perhaps it was ten, but for sure, there are fewer now and probably even fewer to come.

"Indians" and "Negerlein" are definitely politically incorrect and very dangerous these days, especially if your readership is international. You cannot really say "ten young indigenous Americans of less than average height" though.

I would write "Ten little bankers ……….. is the Swiss market too small?"

I believe everyone would understand.

HTH - Dan

Selected response from:

Dan McCrosky (X)
Local time: 00:25
Grading comment
Thank you so much - Wasn't really functioning late last night - text was about a WLL operator who had to close down.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
naten little Indians , preferably not ten green bottles
Uschi (Ursula) Walke
na"Ten little bankers ......... is the Swiss market too small?"
Dan McCrosky (X)
naNergerlein or Negerlein?
Myriam Coppieters-Jarsky (X)


  

Answers


55 mins
ten little Indians , preferably not ten green bottles


Explanation:
Sorry, I don't think you can turn those Negerleins into Zurich gnomes ;)

Of course, this is a nursery rhyme (see http://ingeb.org/Lieder/zehnklei.htmt) which compares to the English 'Ten green bottles, hanging on the wall ...'

The German version of Agatha Christie's play 'Ten little Indians' is 'Zehn kleine Negerlein'. I suggest to use that. The message is the same: the original players keep disappearing, one by one.

You probably don't want to compare the players in any kind of swiss market with bottles.
Good luck and regards


    as above
Uschi (Ursula) Walke
Local time: 08:25
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 492

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
Mats Wiman
Phyllis Egan
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs
"Ten little bankers ......... is the Swiss market too small?"


Explanation:
http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_98/vronsky060898.html

http://www.usagold.com/gildedopinion/RocketSchool/20000318.h...

http://www.schweizerzeit.ch/1898/Was_nun.htm

"«The gnomes of Zurich» Der Name stammt aus der Zeit nach 1945, als Grossbritannien sein Pfund Sterling als Weltwährung nicht mehr halten konnte und der Finanzplatz Zürich Londons Austeritätsmassnahmen unterlief. Er drückte den Ärger speziell der britischen Labour-Regierung aus, und er blieb kleben. Es ist heute in der Schweiz eine Art Witz, sich als Gnomen von Zürich anderen Finanzkreisen überlegen zu fühlen, und wir meinen es eigentlich ganz lieb. Aber die Holocaust-Krise muss uns daran erinnern, dass der Name gerade in der angloamerikanischen Finanz seine Bedeutung als Schimpfwort nicht verloren hat. Ein Beweis: Das ausgezeichnete Wirtschafts-Wörterbuch Wilhelm Schäfers, 4. Auflage 1992 (Vahlen, München), übersetzt Gnome mit «Gnom, m. ie. secretive financial institution, eg. in Zurich», also «heimlich arbeitende Finanzinstitution, z. B. in Zürich»."

The above Gnomes of Zurich (the originals, not the music, punk, discography GoZ) might indeed fit your context, if you mean the Swiss financial establishment. The context probably means that the number starts with 10 and goes down to one or zero as with a market that is too small for the number of players, gnomes, bottles, Negerlein, or Indians. In English, the version of "Ten little Indians" is considerably older than the "bottles" version and was meant for children.

I am not sure how many large Swiss banks there were in the beginning, perhaps it was ten, but for sure, there are fewer now and probably even fewer to come.

"Indians" and "Negerlein" are definitely politically incorrect and very dangerous these days, especially if your readership is international. You cannot really say "ten young indigenous Americans of less than average height" though.

I would write "Ten little bankers ……….. is the Swiss market too small?"

I believe everyone would understand.

HTH - Dan



Dan McCrosky (X)
Local time: 00:25
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1541
Grading comment
Thank you so much - Wasn't really functioning late last night - text was about a WLL operator who had to close down.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
Phyllis Egan
Parrot
Michaela Sommer
Vesna Zivcic
Judith Schmid
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10 hrs
Nergerlein or Negerlein?


Explanation:
No context was given. There is no way of knowing whether the translator made a spelling mistake. Nerger is a family name. If the correct spelling is Nergerlein, then we must assume that the translation is "Ten little Nergers". I know this sounds silly but how are we to know?

Myriam Coppieters-Jarsky (X)
Local time: 17:25
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