fikir orospusu

English translation: intellectual prostitute

12:48 Jul 30, 2009
Turkish to English translations [PRO]
Slang
Turkish term or phrase: fikir orospusu
Şimdiden özür dilerim. Şöyle bir yerde geçiyor:

Her dönemin egemenlerini destekleyen, ancak desteklediği fikirler ile yakından uzaktan ilgisi olmayan biriydi. Önce karayı ardından akı savunurdu. Kişisel ve meslek yaşamının ideallerle hiç bir ilgisi yoktu. Tek bir düşmanı vardı ve bu düşmanına zarar verebilmek için "düşmanımın düşmanı dostumdur" ilkesini benimser ve her yolu mübah görürdü. Onu tanımlarken kullanabileceğim en güzel söz "fikir orospusu" idi......
Nahit Karataşlı
Türkiye
Local time: 06:58
English translation:intellectual prostitute
Explanation:
From the text (which is well written), I gathered that the translation should not be too vulgar.

I therefore suggest "intellectual prostitute", which more or less renders the meaning while being less vulgar than the original word. The main idea seems to be that people are ready to sell themselves (in this case their ideas), more than the sexual connotations associated with the word.
What do our colleagues think ?
Selected response from:

Michael Mestre
France
Local time: 05:58
Grading comment
Thanks a lot for your time.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3intellectual prostitute
Michael Mestre
4hired pen
Emin Arı
1Outbitching Intellectual
foghorn


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
intellectual prostitute


Explanation:
From the text (which is well written), I gathered that the translation should not be too vulgar.

I therefore suggest "intellectual prostitute", which more or less renders the meaning while being less vulgar than the original word. The main idea seems to be that people are ready to sell themselves (in this case their ideas), more than the sexual connotations associated with the word.
What do our colleagues think ?

Michael Mestre
France
Local time: 05:58
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks a lot for your time.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks a lot!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kagan Ocak: Essentially, manipulating or faking who we are in order to get what we think will bring us "success". An example of this would be a student who has zero interest in Latin starting a Latin Club so that Harvard will find him sophisticated.
44 mins
  -> Thanks, Kagano !

agree  Mehmet Hascan: Sounds good to me!
1 hr
  -> Thanks Mehmet !

agree  Tim Drayton: http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-You-a-Free-Thinker-or-an-Intel...
1 day 1 hr
  -> Thank you Mr Drayton, I had missed that one.
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
hired pen


Explanation:
a man or woman who can serve his/her intellectual abilities and skills to anyone who pays like in the text

Emin Arı
Türkiye
Local time: 06:58
Works in field
Native speaker of: Turkish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Sağolun Emin Bey, ancak burada sözü edilen kişi kalemini satan değil, daha baskın bir tip. Bir amacı/hedefi var; o da para, ün, kişisel çıkar değil. Daha ziyade saplantılı bir düşmanlığı var. Bu doğrultuda farklı zamanlarda olmayacak kişileri destekliyor. Mata Hari vari bir kişilik.

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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
Outbitching Intellectual


Explanation:
Perhaps little more reflective of the intellectual attitude contained in that. Argumentative in the same direction and yet with altogether different (and morally despicable) motives.

foghorn
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in TurkishTurkish, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Sağolun.

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