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wenn man als Krabbeltier schon längst auf den Beinen ist
English translation: Most humans are still fast asleep while bugs are already going about their day.
GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:
wenn man als Krabbeltier schon längst auf den Beinen ist
English translation:
Most humans are still fast asleep while bugs are already going about their day.
02:15 Mar 17, 2020
The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2020-03-20 19:54:44 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
German to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
German term or phrase:wenn man als Krabbeltier schon längst auf den Beinen ist
Die Laus verkündet „Ich brauche das umgekehrt“. „Ich brauche einen Menschen, der für MICH nützlich ist.“ Die Ameise, die Spinne, die Biene und der Schmetterling zucken mit den Schultern. Sie haben keine Ahnung, ob Menschen nützlich sein können. Die meisten kugeln noch in ihrem Bett herum, wenn man als Krabbeltier schon längst auf den Beinen ist. „Warum sollte ein Mensch für dich da sein?“, überlegt die Spinne.
I don't understand the meaning of this phrase:"Die meisten kugeln noch in ihrem Bett herum, wenn man als Krabbeltier schon längst auf den Beinen ist."
The task here is to find the term that best fits all those animals. I maintain that "bug" is the term you're looking for. I haven't seen anything better here (anything with "creep" or "crawl" not only has a negative connotation, but is at least as bad as "bug" at capturing something like a butterfly.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
@Eric
12:02 Mar 19, 2020
As I said, they are characters. Evidently, we have different approaches, which is what makes the world of language so colorful. So, the next time you're translating a book with a louse, a spider, a butterfly and an ant as characters, you will call them bugs. I wouldn't. And that's fine, too.
That movie lumps them together in just the way you are describing. "Bug" is a catch-all.
Of course spiders or butterflies could be considered "bugs", depending on the context. If I said that I washed all the bugs off my windshield, would anybody think that I wasn't talking about the butterflies? If my child is afraid of bugs, would I assume that he is not afraid of spiders?
Also, butterflies are insects, so that can't be the criterion for excluding them from the "bug" category. So what is the criterion?
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
These are characters
11:40 Mar 19, 2020
in a book. Lumping them together under one term denies their individual qualities. As in Wind in the Willows. Neither a spider nor a butterfly are bugs. Solutions are often a process. Patience my friends. And stay healthy.
Yes, I was just having this discussion with a friend. Spiders have eight legs, lice, butterflies and ants have six legs - arthropods. I feel sure that bugs doesn't cut the mustard, especially for a children's book. Happy translating and thanks for the interesting question. I adjusted my suggestion to 'two-legged....more-legged'
It's all about bugs, no names. Just Ameise, Laus, Spinne und Schmetterling. Thank you!
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Dear Ahmad
14:26 Mar 17, 2020
As you can see, we need some input from your side. Is this a children's book with an environmental approach? Do the characters have names other than Butterfly, Spider, etc? Or are they, like "Wind in the Willows", named for what they are (Rat, Mole, Badger, Toad)? If this is the case, 'bugs' will not do at all since a butterfly is not a bug and would detract from the character's inherent nature. Please help us here, as we are trying to help you.
I'm not at all sure that a butterfly isn't a bug; in any case, I think bugs is as close to fulfilling neutrality and describing the category precisely as you're going to get.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
more-legged
12:31 Mar 17, 2020
Okay, the humans are two-legged and insects more-legged: Most two-legged are still lolling in bed when we more-legged have been up and about for hours. A butterfly is neither a bug nor a creepy-crawly, so you need a term that includes butterflies, too.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
42 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +2
we crawly creatures have been out and about for a while
Explanation: While most of them are still rolling around in bed, we crawly creatures have (already) been up/out and about for a while.
Michael Martin, MA United States Local time: 06:59 Works in field Native speaker of: German, English PRO pts in category: 43
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Michael :)
8 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +2
Most humans are still fast asleep while bugs are already going about their day.
Explanation: Krabbeltier- I would normally translate with creepy crawlers but since this sentence is a bugs’ viewpoint, I wouldn’t use creepy.
Gloria Černoch United States Local time: 06:59 Specializes in field Native speaker of: German PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 hrs confidence:
long after the other bugs have gotten up
Explanation: There is no first person in the source.
"Bug" seems to be more neutral (as is "Krabbeltier") than any suggestion that includes a version of "crawl" (a suggestion often offered as a synonym is the clinical "Insekt", which won't work here because the list includes spiders).
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 hrs (2020-03-17 12:35:39 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Just noticed a mistake in my translation: can't be "other bugs" of course. Should just be "bugs".
Eric Zink Local time: 12:59 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
when (us) eight-legged have been up and about for hours
Explanation: SORRY wrong crawler!
They have no idea/haven't a clue if humans are useful, they're still lolling in bed when us eight-legged have been up and about for hours.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 hrs (2020-03-17 12:26:20 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Aws CRUMBS! It IS the louse! six-legged is correct. Shouldn't let myself get distracted.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 hrs (2020-03-17 12:52:00 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
So, finished up counting here (jeeez). since we're talking about several smaller creatures, when need to include them all and make this appealing/humorous for children: Louse announces, "I need it to be the other way around. I need a human that's good for ME!" Ant, Spider Bee and Butterfly shrug their collective shoulders. They haven't the foggiest idea what humans could be good for. Most two-legged are still lolling/lounging/rolling in their beds when us more-legged have been up and about for hours.
Or something along those lines.
Ramey Rieger (X) Germany Local time: 12:59 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 77
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peer agreement (net): +2
