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  3. Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting

Schlingarm

English translation: writhing limbs

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Schlingarm
English translation:writhing limbs
Entered by: Jon Reynolds

10:02 Oct 13, 2009
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
German term or phrase: Schlingarm
Not sure whether art/literary is the right category for this, but it is from a description of an art installation in Brazil.
"Die Finanzmärkte pumpen ihre Geldströme durch den Dschungel. Der Glaube an das endlose Wachstum der Wirtschaft hat seine **Schlingarme** weit in die Lüfte über die höchsten Bäume hinauswachsen lassen."
Jon Reynolds
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:10
writhing limbs
Explanation:
One can imagine their young roots burrowing into the dark soil as their gently writhing limbs reach skyward...
Selected response from:

Henry Schroeder
United States
Local time: 07:10
Grading comment
Thanks Henry, I liked the image this creates! Jon
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +1creepers
Kerstin Green
3 +1tendrils
Stephen Reader
3 +1writhing limbs
Henry Schroeder
3branch out
libelulariae
3tentacles
Taunuston (X)
2tangled offshoots
Annett Kottek (X)
Summary of reference entries provided
Duden - Schlingen
Henry Schroeder

Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


34 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
creepers


Explanation:
or simply 'vines'

Kerstin Green
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:10
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lonnie Legg
24 mins
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46 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
branch out


Explanation:
The German term suggests "tentacles" (or indeed creepers), but in English sounds too specific and lacks musicality. To give it a poetic tone, you can compose a sentence more gracefully with "branching out," since they are already mentioning trees... I also like Kerstin Buessenshuett's "vines," the term also seems to fit the artsy tone.

libelulariae
United States
Local time: 13:10
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
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50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
tendrils


Explanation:
Thought of 'tentacles' which might be too animal, strictly speaking (but the context is figurative anyway). For tendrils, see web. ref.


    Reference: http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0406.htm
Stephen Reader
Local time: 13:10
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 115

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Lonnie Legg: Thought of 'tendrils', but they're the smaller outgrowths of creepers & vines ("slender threadlike appendage of a climbing plant ... that stretches out and twines around any suitable support" Am.Oxf.Dict.)"
14 mins
agree  mill2
6 hrs
  -> Late thanks, Mill!
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
writhing limbs


Explanation:
One can imagine their young roots burrowing into the dark soil as their gently writhing limbs reach skyward...

Henry Schroeder
United States
Local time: 07:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 60
Grading comment
Thanks Henry, I liked the image this creates! Jon

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Stephen Reader: post-event, post vote, but: Nice one, Henry! LG!
3 days 59 mins
  -> Hey Stephen, hopefully we're going to be seeing each other soon, I'm planning to visit my friend in Dusseldorf in November, I'll contact you before when I know for sure. Take care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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1 day 22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
tangled offshoots


Explanation:
Schlingarme = tangled offshoots

It's quite a complex extended metaphor, a bit clumsily executed perhaps, but I think that the image the author attempts to create is quite striking. Here's my attempt (low confidence level):

'The belief that economic growth is unstoppable has itself grown out of control, having developed a network of tangled offshoots that now extends high above the forest canopy.'

Annett Kottek (X)
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 12
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2 days 2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
tentacles


Explanation:
bildlich gesehen passt's.

Taunuston (X)
Local time: 12:10
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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Reference comments


29 mins
Reference: Duden - Schlingen

Reference information:
Schlingen

1}schlin|gen <st. V.; hat> [mhd. slingen, ahd. slingan = hin und her ziehend schwingen; winden, flechten, auch: sich winden, kriechen, schleichen]:

1. a) um etw. winden od. legen [u. die Enden verknüpfen od. umeinanderlegen]: einen Schal um den Hals s.;

b) (Arme, Hände) fest um jmdn., etw. legen: die Arme um jmdn., um jmds. Hals s.;

c) <s. + sich> sich um etw. herumschlingen, winden: Efeu schlingt sich um den Baumstamm.

Henry Schroeder
United States
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 60
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