This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. German to English
  3. Law (general)

Stillschweigen bewahren

English translation: do not ... divulge

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Stillschweigen bewahren
English translation:do not ... divulge
Entered by: CathyFS

11:41 Mar 23, 2006
German to English translations [PRO]
Law/Patents - Law (general) / Company security
German term or phrase: Stillschweigen bewahren
I know what this normally means, but I'm having difficulty wording it in the given context:

Um Panik zu vermeiden, ist gegenüber unbeteiligten Personen unbedingt Stillschweigen zu bewahren.

So far I've come up with a few variations of: To avoid panic, secrecy is imperative around uninformed persons.

However, I'm not sure whether 'secrecy' in fact the correct word here, or whether it should perhaps be 'confidentiality'. The text concerns the possibility of a telephone call be received by a company, threatening the company's security. If you're the one to receive the call, you are not allowed to tell anyone bar security personnel, who will first assess the level of the threat, and then decide what action to take, if any.
CathyFS
Local time: 20:05
do not ... divulge
Explanation:
do not under any circumstances divulge the [information] [nature of the call] to [uninvolved] [unauthorised] persons

I think a workaround is required. You're not going to maintain silence; on the contrary you're going to want to tell someone pdq.

Unbeteiligt is a further problem. If someone's threatening to blow up the building, surely everyone in the building is "involved". Perhaps "indiscriminately to uninvolved persons", "except on a need-to-know basis". Get your client to reword it!
Selected response from:

Nick Somers (X)
Local time: 21:05
Grading comment
I got a lot of good suggestions, but I particularly liked this one.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2maintain strictest silence
Maya Jurt
3 +1complete discretion must be maintained
Terence Ajbro
4to maintain silence
kk ll (X)
3 +1do not ... divulge
Nick Somers (X)
3(to) keep confidential (from)
Derek Gill Franßen
3keep quiet (about this)
Protradit
3knowledge ... restricted/strictly limited ...
Francis Lee (X)


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
complete discretion must be maintained


Explanation:
--

Terence Ajbro
Sweden
Local time: 21:05
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jane Luther: I like this, but it may prove difficult to incorporate the unbeteiligte Personen
13 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
maintain strictest silence


Explanation:
That's how I would put it.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2006-03-23 11:48:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I have given my word to maintain strictest silence and I shall adhere to this at all times and toward all people.

In regard to this order you will have to maintain the strictest silence, even as far as your superiors are concerned.

The contractor shall maintain the strictest silence about all information regarding 110PRO LTD. that does not occur in official publicity materials,

etc.

Maya Jurt
Switzerland
Local time: 21:05
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jane Luther: this is good, too
15 mins
agree  Colette Kinsella
55 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
(to) keep confidential (from)


Explanation:
...would be my take on it. In this case you could express "ist ... unbedingt" using "must" (IMHO).
:-)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2006-03-23 11:50:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Also see http://www.google.com/search?hl=de&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGL...

Derek Gill Franßen
Germany
Local time: 21:05
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 728
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
keep quiet (about this)


Explanation:
In order to avert panic, it is absolutely imperative to keep quiet (about this) in the presence of those not involved.

Protradit
Local time: 12:05
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to maintain silence


Explanation:
das würde ich so sagen

kk ll (X)
Germany
Local time: 21:05
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 1
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
knowledge ... restricted/strictly limited ...


Explanation:
- ... it is imperative that this knowledge be restricted/strictly limited to (those directly involved)
Otherwise:
- absolute secrecy is imperative vis-à-vis ...

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 21:05
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 64
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
do not ... divulge


Explanation:
do not under any circumstances divulge the [information] [nature of the call] to [uninvolved] [unauthorised] persons

I think a workaround is required. You're not going to maintain silence; on the contrary you're going to want to tell someone pdq.

Unbeteiligt is a further problem. If someone's threatening to blow up the building, surely everyone in the building is "involved". Perhaps "indiscriminately to uninvolved persons", "except on a need-to-know basis". Get your client to reword it!

Nick Somers (X)
Local time: 21:05
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 57
Grading comment
I got a lot of good suggestions, but I particularly liked this one.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ian M-H (X): I'd agree that "divulge", and probably "need-to-know", would be helpful - it certainly needs reworking
28 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search