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Leitungsanlagenrichtlinie
ganz oben sein

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Grenzgänge zwischen Erfolg und Misserfolg

English translation:

The fine line between success and failure

Added to glossary by SCarlson
Aug 17, 2012 13:33
11 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term

Grenzgänge zwischen Erfolg und Misserfolg

German to English Marketing Marketing Pressetexte
Grenzgänge zwischen Erfolg und Misserfolg

Titel aus einem Vortrag in dem darüber diskutiert wird, wie wichtig auch Misserfolge sind um zum Erfolg zu gelangen
Proposed translations (English)
4 +6 The fine line between success and failure
3 +2 Straddling the line between success and failure
4 at the border between success and failure
3 the narrow line between succes and failure
3 the tight line between success and failure
4 -4 Success with the skin of teeth
Change log

Aug 26, 2012 16:00: SCarlson Created KOG entry

Discussion

Horst Huber (X) Aug 17, 2012:
Wendy and Johanna, both, thanks for helping my confidence. It seems important to retain the idea of the walk, or hike, or "treading". It is not just the dividing line that matters, but that someone walks along and across it and experiences something from two or or from many viewpoints.
Wendy Streitparth Aug 17, 2012:
@ Horst: the borderline between..... sounds just right to me.
Horst Huber (X) Aug 17, 2012:
What I find for "Grenzgänge" is just an even a mix of the literal and the metaphorical. It is quite fashionable in the literary world, but also in reference to environmental interests. I find more or less the same for "borderline walks", tourism, psychology, art. Wondering how the native speakers see it?

Proposed translations

+6
38 mins
Selected

The fine line between success and failure

Talking about how two things that seem different can be the same, "fine line" is most appropriate.
Peer comment(s):
agree Kate Collyer
4 mins
agree Phoebe Indetzki
59 mins
agree Helen Shiner
6 hrs
agree philgoddard
21 hrs
agree gangels (X)
1 day 1 hr
agree Nicola Wood
1 day 20 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
31 mins

the narrow line between succes and failure

to get things started...
Something went wrong...
35 mins

the tight line between success and failure

yet another line ...
Peer comment(s):
neutral Kate Collyer : how about 'tightrope' if you want to introduce some tension (ho ho)?
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
47 mins

at the border between success and failure

Fits best with the context IMO.
Grenzgänge = borderlines
Something went wrong...
-4
4 hrs

Success with the skin of teeth

IOmho
Peer comment(s):
disagree Lancashireman : with > by: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/83000.html
5 hrs
disagree gangels (X) : hope you don't practice dentistry
21 hrs
disagree Kate Collyer : Wrong both in phrasing and meaning.
1 day 5 hrs
disagree Kim Metzger : For the linguistic reasons given above.
1 day 6 hrs
Something went wrong...
+2
7 hrs

Straddling the line between success and failure

A title sounds more vivid if it contains a verb.

I also like "straddling" because it emphasizes the Grenzgängigkeit of the whole expression.

Other options:

"Walking the tightrope between success and failure."

"Navigating the fine line between success and failure"


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Note added at 11 Stunden (2012-08-18 01:07:44 GMT)
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"Hovering between success and failure" comes to mind as well.

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Note added at 14 Stunden (2012-08-18 03:34:50 GMT)
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"Criss-crossing the divide between success and failure"

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Note added at 14 Stunden (2012-08-18 03:39:58 GMT)
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"Oscillating between success and failure"

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Note added at 14 Stunden (2012-08-18 03:44:15 GMT)
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"Drifting between success and failure"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 Stunden (2012-08-18 03:59:33 GMT)
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Negotiating the grey areas of success and failure
Note from asker:
tightrope sounds good in this context as a comparison is made between economy and mountaineering and thanks a lot for your help!!
Peer comment(s):
agree Trudy Peters : I like the tightrope option
3 hrs
Thanks, Trudy.
neutral Kate Collyer : I suggested tightrope as an alternative to Brigitte's answer... // Thanks :)
1 day 2 hrs
I hadn't seen your comment when I posted this. I will tell Simona to disregard "walking the tightrope" among the options I presented.
agree Nicola Wood
1 day 13 hrs
Something went wrong...
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