https://www.proz.com/kudoz/german-to-english/poetry-literature/1013305-sich-k%C3%BCrzen.html

sich kürzen

English translation: to cancel each other out

01:17 Apr 26, 2005
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / philosophy, literature
German term or phrase: sich kürzen
Freundschaft kürzt sich nicht gegen Leidenschaft, erwiderte sie; Leidenschaft kürzt sich nicht gegen Schuld.
In a dialog between 2 characters about the interpretation of an opera.
Kurt Beals
United States
Local time: 07:07
English translation:to cancel each other out
Explanation:
so, friendship and passion, passion and guilt can co-exist.
Passion does not exclude friendship and guilt does not exclude passion.

So I hope.
Selected response from:

Uschi (Ursula) Walke
Local time: 00:07
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone - your answers all helped solidify the idea in my mind, but I decided to go with "exclude", so I'm picking Uschi's answer.

Kurt
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4to cancel each other out
Uschi (Ursula) Walke
4they are not mutually exclusive
CMJ_Trans (X)
3 +1is not lessened by/is not diminished by
lucasm (X)
3curtail
Christine Lam
3being incompatible
Johanna Timm, PhD
3set off against
Anne Schulz


  

Answers


18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
sich kürzen
curtail


Explanation:
in the sense of "place restrictions on"

Christine Lam
Local time: 10:07
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
sich kürzen
being incompatible


Explanation:
Ich deute das mal in Anlehung an die Bruchrechnung: sich kürzen lassen etwas reduzieren oder zum Verschwinden bringen, und zwar weil Zähler & Nenner ein ***gemeinsames Element*** enthalten.

Freundschaft kürzt sich nicht gegen Leidenschaft heißt demnach:
Freundschaft und Leidenschaft sind zwei grundvverschiedene Dinge

Friendship and passion are two very different things.
Leidenschaft kürzt sich nicht gegen Schuld.
And so are passion and guilt (meaning: they are irreconcilable, incompatible, unable to coexist)

Ich habe aber auch ein Beispiel gefunden, in dem der Ausdruck "sich herauskürzen" im Sinne von (so glaube ich) "zum Verschwinden bringen"( reduced) benutzt wird:

"Denn in einem solchen Versuch kulminieren die besonderen Aufbau- und Dauerprobleme gleich dreier - zwar jeweils unterschiedlicher, gleichwohl aber ähnlich prekärer - Unternehmungen, deren problematische Charakteristika **sich durch ihre Verbindung miteinander keineswegs herauskürzen**, sondern sich im Gegenteil noch wechselseitig zu einer Spirale (von Quadraturen des Kreises) verstärken können [...]
http://www.rli.at/Seiten/natwi/aufbau2.htm






Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 07:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 69
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
sich kürzen
to cancel each other out


Explanation:
so, friendship and passion, passion and guilt can co-exist.
Passion does not exclude friendship and guilt does not exclude passion.

So I hope.

Uschi (Ursula) Walke
Local time: 00:07
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone - your answers all helped solidify the idea in my mind, but I decided to go with "exclude", so I'm picking Uschi's answer.

Kurt
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
sich kürzen
set off against


Explanation:
I agree with Johanna that this expression is probably taken from the mathematical field: "You cannot set friendship off against passion, nor passion against guilt."

Anne Schulz
Germany
Local time: 15:07
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 8
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
they are not mutually exclusive


Explanation:
my take

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 15:07
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
sich kürzen
is not lessened by/is not diminished by


Explanation:
This was my first thought when I read the sentence above. I don't know that it is incompatible with Johanna's take on the German, either.

According to m-w, lessen means: to shrink in size, number, or degree, to lower in status or dignity.

Not sure if this fits in the context, though.


    Reference: http://m-w.com
lucasm (X)
Local time: 15:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Uschi (Ursula) Walke: diminished was my first thought, too. IMO by 'kürzen' both components can be cancelled out; or lower one is cancelled, the higher reduced, diminished.
15 hrs
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