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Querlichtband
Jun 20, 2008 16:45
15 yrs ago
German term

etwas beschwören

German to English Social Sciences Anthropology
This is from an article about local people living in a small village in Britain refusing to accept that new developments and technologies may eventually destroy their traditional way of life. A wind farm is to be built near the village to the dismay of villagers.

“Sie *beschwören* das Leben, das sie und ihre Vorfahren seit ewigen Zeiten in diesem Dorf führen, ein Leben, das hauptsächlich aus dem Hüten von Schafen besteht.“

„Cling to“ could work, but it’s not exactly the same.
Proposed translations (English)
2 +2 evoke / conjure up /
4 +5 swear by (something)
4 +2 stand by
3 to hanker after something
3 summon

Discussion

Trans-Marie (asker) Jul 1, 2008:
Thanks everybody. I used "invoke".
Eike Seemann DipTrans Jun 21, 2008:
@Bernhard: :-) es müssen ja nicht immer alle einer Meinung sein, und es geht ja auch nicht um 'richtig oder falsch', das Übersetzen ist halt eben keine Wissenschaft... ;-)
Bernhard Sulzer Jun 21, 2008:
mir sagt der Orginaltext nicht "auf das alte Leben geloben/schwören/dem alten Leben geloben?.." aber ich lass mich gern eines Besseren belehren.:)
Eike Seemann DipTrans Jun 21, 2008:
genau, Bernhard, im Sinne von 'geloben', das funzt im Deutschen wie im Englischen... ;-), s.a. 'Legal Business's Vorschlag...
Bernhard Sulzer Jun 21, 2008:
http://www.answers.com/swear by
Eike Seemann DipTrans Jun 21, 2008:
@Johanna: nicht nur der Kontext ist anders, sondern auch die Wortbedeutung in diesem Fall; in dem Zitierten ist die Bedeutung mAn "erbitten" (ich stimme da übrigens auch *nicht* mit Trudy's Wahl überein), *hier* ist die Bedeutung jedoch "geloben" (mMn)
Johanna Timm, PhD Jun 20, 2008:
Ich könnte schwören, wir hatten das schon mal :-) http://shortify.com/7514
Zugegeben, etwas anderer Kontext, aber vielleicht ein paar gute Anregungen?
Kim Metzger Jun 20, 2008:
refusing to accept that new developments and technologies may eventually destroy their traditional way of life? So they are eager to accept new technologies, etc?

Proposed translations

+2
1 min
Selected

evoke / conjure up /

couple of options for starters

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Note added at 14 mins (2008-06-20 17:00:24 GMT)
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dedicate themselves anew

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Note added at 33 mins (2008-06-20 17:19:11 GMT)
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they're not about to give up the life

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Note added at 4 hrs (2008-06-20 21:00:23 GMT)
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sworn to upholding the traditions ...
Note from asker:
Thanks Jonathan, I was thinking of "evoke" as well.
Peer comment(s):
agree Vittorio Ferretti : I would use "evoke" in this context
3 mins
neutral Gisela Greenlee : that would be "heraufbeschwören", though.
5 hrs
agree franglish : "invoke", that would be my take...
14 hrs
neutral Eike Seemann DipTrans : agree with giselrike, this is not quite *it*, IMO//answer: ;-) it's not even a conclusion...
15 hrs
but we don't have enough information to even make that conclusion
neutral Jim Tucker (X) : This would only work if the old way of life had already died out and they wanted to bring it back. Context suggests that this is not the case here. "Evoke" in any case would be approp for a *description* of that life, not for ppl actually living it.
18 hrs
evoke is not my only suggestion here
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks. "
+5
36 mins

swear by (something)

Why not?
They swear by the way of life their forefathers had lead since time immemorial, ...

to swear by something = to strongly believe in something
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/swear
Example sentence:

Though there's no scientific evidence for this method of finding water, some farmers swear by it.

OR "Some teachers swear by stickers as a teaching tool and use them to teach kids everything."

Note from asker:
Thanks definitions. But doesn't "swear by" mean "auf etwas schwoeren"?
Peer comment(s):
agree Catherine Winzer : sounds convincing to me
13 mins
agree eloso (X)
1 hr
neutral Jonathan MacKerron : sounds a bit odd in this specific context though
3 hrs
agree Gisela Greenlee : swear by is used extensively to describe when someone believes in something, e.g. they swear by this remedy - just google it!
4 hrs
agree KKS
8 hrs
disagree Bernhard Sulzer : (IMO) that's the meaning for "schwören auf" as in "really believe in it"; what is meant here is to strongly call for/wish for // in this context maybe also plead for..., beg for the good old ways to remain/stay http://www.answers.com/swear by
11 hrs
agree Eike Seemann DipTrans : "etwas beschwören" heißt *in diesem Fall* "auf etwas schwören" (auch auf die Frage des Fragers hin...)
15 hrs
agree Kristian Madar : Agree
19 hrs
Something went wrong...
1 hr

to hanker after something

meaning that they still have a longing for that kind of life (even though they may have mixed feelings about the new developments)
Note from asker:
Thanks Dave.
Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

stand by

They stand by the life they have known up until now and are reticent to change.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-06-20 18:24:00 GMT)
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etwas beschwören means to take an oath. In the same sense one asks "do you stand by that statement" - beschwören Sie's ?
Note from asker:
Thanks Legal Business.
Peer comment(s):
agree Eike Seemann DipTrans : genau, im Sinne von "geloben"!
18 hrs
agree Jim Tucker (X)
1 day 3 hrs
Something went wrong...
12 hrs

summon

or:
to request to appear
strongly call for a return of the good old days
call for a return to the good old days.

strongly wish/call for
desperately call for

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-79357569.html
Banker changes tune to call for a return to the good old days.

http://www.answers.com/summon


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Note added at 19 hrs (2008-06-21 11:49:23 GMT)
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Okay, here are a couple of more thoughts.
"beschwören" does not mean "swear by" and if that's what is meant here, then the author used the wrong word in the original text.
The use of "beschwören" seems odd to me anyway.
Considering the rest of the sentence, I could imagine that it was supposed to mean:

to strongly request/call for the good old way of life to "remain/stay"
plead for the old life
To beg for urgently, entreat (implore)

(that this would imply that they swear by the old life is true but it's not what "beschwören" expresses directly, at least in my opinion)

http://www.answers.com/implore
http://www.answers.com/entreat

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Note added at 20 hrs (2008-06-21 12:50:02 GMT)
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http://germazope.uni-trier.de/Projects/WBB/woerterbuecher/dw...


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Note added at 20 hrs (2008-06-21 12:59:32 GMT)
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http://dictionary.reverso.net/german-english/beschwören
beschwören

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Note added at 20 hrs (2008-06-21 13:02:21 GMT)
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maybe also "invoke" as in: they invoke the spirit of the old days.
http://www.answers.com/topic/invoke


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Note added at 21 hrs (2008-06-21 13:57:46 GMT)
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maybe "beschwören" can mean "schwören auf" as in"schwören auf die Bibel" but that's "swear on" (IMO)
Note from asker:
Thanks Bernhard.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Eike Seemann DipTrans : Jonathan's version revisited. Not quite *it*, IMO.
3 hrs
thanks! agree with your "not quite it" for "wishing something 'back' - unless it's the spirit or such of something"; and considering the rest of the sentence - see my add on; but I would not go as far as saying "beschwören" means "swear by" .
Something went wrong...
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