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Varizenbildung am dorsolateralen US
Eigennebel
Aug 6, 2009 06:06
14 yrs ago
German term

dem Leben sehr zugewandt

German to English Art/Literary Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
From a press release about a new movie about Hildegard of Bingen. I am drawing a blank on this one, and would appreciate any suggestions.

Here is the full sentence:

Hildegard von Bingen war Heilkundige, Seherin, Äbtissin und Komponistin, eine im Mittelalter dem Leben sehr zugewandte Frau, deren Strahlkraft bis in unsere Gegenwart weiterwirkt.

TIAFYH!!
Proposed translations (English)
3 +9 with a very positive attitude towards life
2 +3 who threw herself wholeheatedly into life
3 closely/intimately/firmly wedded to life in the Middle Ages
3 led a very active life
3 very engaged in life

Discussion

Jim Tucker (X) Aug 6, 2009:
Claudio's and Annett's suggestion ...of "vital" is free from anachronism, and appropriate. Very good.

"Positive attitude" smacks of the 20th-century and just doesn't seem right for a 12th-century figure.
Annett Kottek (X) Aug 6, 2009:
positive? practical? It should be something along the lines 'enjoying life to the full', although its corny and needs rewording, it captures the sentiment; 'vital' is thus not far off. I really don’t see the positive or practical connection (especially with ‘Seherin and ‘Komponistin’). The phrase follows on from a list of the many different things von Bingen had done in her life, and this suggests activity to me (although a positive attitude and life-affirmation can be implied). Could it be that she led a life that transcended the limitations of her sex?
Ellen Kraus Aug 6, 2009:
If the practical

if the practical side is to be emphasized, I would suggest " with both a positive and very practical approach to life "
silvia glatzhofer Aug 6, 2009:
Gegensatz zu "vergeistigt" Durch die Angabe im "Mittelalter" soll betont werden, dass Hildegard für ihre Zeit sehr praktisch orientiert war und nicht wie andere ihres Standes total vergeistigt war.
claudiocambon (asker) Aug 6, 2009:
Vital? is that too reductive?

Proposed translations

+9
11 mins
Selected

with a very positive attitude towards life

I´d say

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Note added at 12 Min. (2009-08-06 06:18:23 GMT)
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OR:r in a very close touche with life

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Note added at 13 Min. (2009-08-06 06:19:18 GMT)
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TOUCH with an e, of course.

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Note added at 1 Stunde (2009-08-06 07:41:26 GMT)
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as an additional alternative I would suggest " with a very practical approach to life " or one could combine practical and positive by saying " with both a postive and very practical approach to life "

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 Stunde (2009-08-06 07:45:44 GMT)
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as an additional alternative I´d suggest "with a positive and very practical approach to life "
Peer comment(s):
agree franglish : "with an affirmative attide towards life"
26 mins
thank you !
agree silvia glatzhofer : "with a very practical attitude" - ich glaube, es muss der praktische im Gegensatz zum vergeistigten Ansatz herausgestrichen werden
46 mins
danke, Silvia. dann wäre vielleicht in close touch with life zutreffend.
neutral writeaway : don't understand how a positive, affirmative, practical or any other 'attitude' enters into it.
58 mins
and what about the second alternative ?
agree Amphyon : yes!
1 hr
thank you !
agree Astrid Elke Witte
2 hrs
thank you !
agree Lonnie Legg : with "in close touch with life"
3 hrs
thank you, Lonnie !
agree Bianca Jacobsohn : or "positive outlook on life"
4 hrs
thank you, Bianca !
agree Inge Meinzer
6 hrs
danke, Inge !
agree Rolf Keiser
10 hrs
danke, Goldcoaster !
agree robin25
4 days
thank you, robin25 !
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+3
1 hr

who threw herself wholeheatedly into life

As others have said, I think the distinction by implication is with people for whom the spiritual life involves cutting themselves off from the world - I'm not sure that "positive attitude" really gets this across.
Peer comment(s):
agree Ulrike Kraemer
21 mins
agree Andrea Flaßbeck (X) : Yes, but wholehea*r*tedly :)
39 mins
oops - thanks for pointing that out; wish I could change it in my answer.
agree Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
1 hr
agree seehand
1 hr
disagree Lonnie Legg : "zugewandt" is an attitude. The dynamic verb "threw" attributes an action--and one which in Bingen's case may be off-mark anyway.
1 hr
neutral silvia glatzhofer : sorry, but from everything I know about her life she did NOT throw herself wholeheartedly into life, she was still a nun after all
2 hrs
neutral Annett Kottek (X) : 'threw herself..' I don't think is the right tone for this sentence
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
2 hrs
German term (edited): im Mittelalter dem Leben sehr zugewandt

closely/intimately/firmly wedded to life in the Middle Ages

...is how I read it.
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

led a very active life

See my discussion entry above. I agree with Silvia that 'wholeheartedly' or, as I say, 'to the full' could be too strong, hence my more carefully worded 'led a very active life'. The ramifications of all that activity are still felt today.

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Note added at 6 hrs (2009-08-06 12:42:49 GMT)
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Or: a woman who was actively engaged in the affairs of her days. Of course, it also depends on how 'Strahlkraft' will be translated.


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Note added at 12 hrs (2009-08-06 18:40:33 GMT)
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Or: a woman who gave her life unrestrained expression (via 'sich ausleben')
Something went wrong...
14 hrs

very engaged in life

This suggests action as well as attitude and is not out of keeping with the lifestyle of a nun in the Middle Ages.
Something went wrong...
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