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German to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / idiom
German term or phrase:Die Eile ist des Teufels
Hello honored Colleagues! Once more, my author has given me an idiom to translate. This one is the motto of a comfortable character, who is only in a hurry when his nicotine level sinks and he needs a smoke.
The first and probably most common translation is "haste makes waste". Ugh! Such lovely lines as "hurry up and run into the Devil's arms" are too obscure and too long, and probably the invention of my incredibly creative grandma. Research - at least the passionately perused Google - has turned up a blank. Any ideas? Here is some context:
»Richard, halten Sie bitte kurz!« Brunner ließ den Wagen an der rechten Straßenseite ausrollen. Jeder andere hätte wahrscheinlich sofort auf die Bremse getreten, doch Richard war nun mal der gemütliche Typ. »Die Eile ist des Teufels«, pflegte er zu sagen. Und diese Aussage hatte immerhin so lange Bestand, bis sein Nikotinspiegel abfiel und er ziemlich rasch Nachschub benötigte. Doch auf der Fahrt hierher hatte er seinen Pegel ausreichend aufgeladen, um jetzt entspannt agieren zu können. Als der Van schließlich stand, schaltete er den Motor ab und kam nach hinten zu den anderen.
Target language is American English. It doesn't HAVE to be a globally recognized idiom!
Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions and lively discussion. I will ust haste is the Devil's advocate, deed or calling - still not completely settled. Be well unti we meet again! 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
...at the German, the simplest interpretation now seems to me to be "Haste belongs to the devil"
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
ASKER
@Helen
15:42 Jul 8, 2014
I agree with your first statement and your second one as well. I have my doubts as to the adulthood of any human being, as both words (adult and human) have yet to be clearly and joyfully defined §( :-)! Take care and have a devil of a time!
Oh, Ramey, it is just a Kudoz question. No need for guilt. We are all adults and we don't have to contribute. This will be a great resource for expressions relating to the Devil, either way! Please return to your happy self.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
ASKER
Help!
15:15 Jul 8, 2014
First of all, Helen, since I do feel rather guilty about not making everyone happy, I thank you for your revision. As I said, I'm not settled yet, and am honestly leaning towards 'haste is the Devil's deed', to which, to be honest some more (a habit I can't break), Stephen led me. Yes, Andrew, your point has occurred to me. I REALLY wish there was some way of getting the support I needed, and will need again - I'm not too proud to ask, without stepping on anyone's literary toes or with distributing points for inspiration, easing pressure, having fun with words, and simply for being part of this community. Could I therefore say, the Devil made me do it?
Reading that back makes me realise it sounds harsh when it was only meant as a joke. No offence intended at all, Ramey. Just another silly attempt to get the Devil in there somewhere.... Apologies.
Me neither. I thought we were looking for an established idiom. Lots of creative minds at work here, so Ramey is really spoilt for choice and can sup with the Devil, if she so chooses! ;)
a person who advocates an opposing or unpopular view, often for the sake of argument http://www.thefreedictionary.com/devil's advocate The selected answer makes no sense whatsoever. What case is 'hurry' arguing here?
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
ASKER
Hi Stephen
12:41 Jul 8, 2014
I AM happy with your suggestion! But there are always SO many possibilities! Pleayse don't be annoyed, I've just thought of more - haste is Hell, haste is the Devil calling, hurry is the Devil's deed, you see?
Actually, on second thought I am not so sure about the suitability of grandma's invention. It is an entirely different register: "Die Eile ist des Teufels" kommt eher etwas dozierend-besserwisserisch daher; das würde jemand sagen, der Wert darauf legt, nicht gedrängt zu werden, und mit seiner Langsamkeit auch gern andere provoziert - weniger jemand, der von Natur aus eine behäbige Gangart hat (und Letzteres wäre bei einem Kettenraucher ja eher ungewöhnlich).
Good morning, Ramey :-) Why should an unhurried person use a very short and snappy slogan - "Hurry up [and run] into the devils arms" is not that long!
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
ASKER
Good Morning!
07:15 Jul 8, 2014
At least to those of you experience mornings - good evening to the night owls when they come out.
@ Helen - I'm nearly positive I'll have an opportunity to usse your suggestion somewhere down the line in this book. I didn't realize how important the the Devil aspect was until the answers started coming in. Sorry for my hindsight!
@Amorel - Yes, you hit it.
@Anne - If I could shorten it to a slogan, I would. But the beauty of my grandma's adages come in part from her use of language.
Precisely - "more haste, less speed" means you'll get there faster if you slow down: in other words "getting there faster" is the goal. But in this case "getting there faster" may not be the goal (cf, for example, the "slow food" movement).
That's interesting. I've never understood the idiom to mean speed is preferable, rather the contrary, i.e. you'll get there faster if you slow down. But Ramey has said she wants to find something with the Devil in there, so, in that sense, it is not appropriate for the context, in her view. The devil is in the detail! Just wish she'd said so at the start, otherwise I wouldn't have posted it, but it can stay there, in case it helps anyone on another occasion.
... "more haste, less speed" in this context. Its implication is that speed is a good thing, and it is achieved by not hasting. It is often used where something a bit intricate needs doing, and if you rush you mess things up and take longer overall. This text isn't about that sort of thing - it seems to me to be more about adopting a generally relaxed attitude to life. I'd go for one of the wordings with "devil".
"Die Eile ist des Teufels" is not that unusual, just a bit older than Google. And my choice would actually be your grandma's invention as a slogan for this character ;-)
Horst Huber (X)
United States
"Haste is of the devil"
14:47 Jul 7, 2014
may be better -- one would be looking for something suitable as the persons' favorite slogan. He is not just saying "Eile mit Weile" or anything of the bland cliché variety.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
ASKER
Hi Phil
13:41 Jul 7, 2014
The author has a faible for using idioms unusually (I've already asked three from this book). The quote from St. Jerome is also relatively well-known in AE, and is probably the author's source. I'll have to ask.
I'm not sure what you mean by "my author has given me an idiom to translate", but this seems to imply that you're in contact with him/her. I'd be tempted to ask why they chose this unusual formulation, which doesn't get many Google hits. It sounds like the people involved are European, and the most obvious thing to say here, as Helen points out, is "more haste, less speed". "Only the devil hurries" is something a non-European might say.
Asker: Thank you Christiane, Freekfluweel already entered this in the discussion box 2 minutes prior to your suggestion. To avoid hard feelings, please read first - I've done this often enough myself, reaping general disapproval. Thank you for your support!
