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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

Urgestein

English translation: icon or long term contributor

12:31 Jul 17, 2008
German to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase: Urgestein
Harald, ein Urgestein der deutschen Spacerock /EM Szene, spielte mit Ashra und Christian Schulze, den Kosmischen Kurieren.
Reuben Proctor
Local time: 00:17
English translation:icon or long term contributor
Explanation:
If Harald is famous within the deutschen Spacerock /EM Szene "icon" can be used. This is highly positive and might attribute more to Harald than what he did... If not so famous; long-term contributor is a fairly neutral word. However, dinosaur is also cute.
Selected response from:

EC Translate
Norway
Local time: 00:17
Grading comment
Daß ein einzelnes Wort so herausfordern kann! Letzten Endes habe ich aufgrund der Beiträge "seminal and iconic figure" gewählt. Da dieser Vorschlag dem am nächsten kommt, erhält er den Zuschlag.
Vielen Dank an alle, die mir grholfrn haben.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2icon or long term contributor
EC Translate
4 +2old hand
Stephen Roche
3 +1dinosaur
Andrea Winzer
3 +1cornerstone ... in the beginning
matmcv (X)
3top dog / big shot
Robert Feuerlein
3a heavyweight since day one
Ken Cox
3permanent fixture
Maureen Millington-Brodie
2Primary figure/Primary musician
Shai Navé


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
dinosaur


Explanation:
oder veteran ?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2008-07-17 12:51:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Im Oxford Duden wird "founding father" vorgeschlagen
Er ist ein politisches Urgestein = He is a founding father among politicians

Vielleicht passt das besser?




Andrea Winzer
United States
Local time: 18:17
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 12
Notes to answerer
Asker: "Dinosaur(ier)" hat, genauso wie "Fossil", auch negative Assoziationen, was bei "Urgestein" an sich nicht der Fall ist. Ich möchte einen durchgehend positiv behafteten Begriff finden.

Asker: Veteran kommt dem schon näher, mir fehlt dabei aber das "Wuchtige" in "Urgestein"


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  hazmatgerman (X): "seasoned" veteran, perhaps. Dinosaurs has occasionally been used for M.Jagger and his ilk. If backdrop is dependability, "bedrock" might fit.
28 mins
  -> Thank you!
neutral  Stephen Roche: veteran is ok but dinosaur is pejorative - not sure that's intended here. I like founding fathers, though
1 hr
  -> Thank you, Stephen!
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Primary figure/Primary musician


Explanation:
My German is not great, but this is how I understand it.

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Note added at 21 mins (2008-07-17 12:53:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Although it is literal, maybe one of the founders or keystones will fit

Dinosaur as Andrea suggest sound good to me too.

Shai Navé
Israel
Local time: 01:17
Native speaker of: Native in HebrewHebrew, Native in EnglishEnglish
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30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
icon or long term contributor


Explanation:
If Harald is famous within the deutschen Spacerock /EM Szene "icon" can be used. This is highly positive and might attribute more to Harald than what he did... If not so famous; long-term contributor is a fairly neutral word. However, dinosaur is also cute.

EC Translate
Norway
Local time: 00:17
Native speaker of: Native in NorwegianNorwegian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Daß ein einzelnes Wort so herausfordern kann! Letzten Endes habe ich aufgrund der Beiträge "seminal and iconic figure" gewählt. Da dieser Vorschlag dem am nächsten kommt, erhält er den Zuschlag.
Vielen Dank an alle, die mir grholfrn haben.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lancashireman: iconic figure
1 hr
  -> even better! Thanx Andrew:o)
agree  Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
6 hrs
  -> Danke!
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34 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
top dog / big shot


Explanation:
other options...
in diesem Zusammenhang evtl. verwendbar...

Robert Feuerlein
Local time: 06:17
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 12
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
old hand


Explanation:
another option

Stephen Roche
Local time: 00:17
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  eloso (X)
29 mins
agree  Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
5 hrs
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28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
a heavyweight since day one


Explanation:
as in 'a heavyweight in the xxxx scene since day one'

(since you asked for something weighty)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2008-07-17 15:42:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another possibility is 'fixture' (more often applied to events or objects, but it can be applied to people)

Ken Cox
Local time: 00:17
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 65
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
permanent fixture


Explanation:
another idea
also "old stalwart"

Maureen Millington-Brodie
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 36
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
cornerstone ... in the beginning


Language variant: ...in its earliest days

Explanation:
I like Ken's and mbrodie's, they are closest. This is another shot at capturing the precise sense in a natural English idiom. Hopefully it's 'wuchtig' enough. :)

Notes:
I earlier thought of "from the beginning", but actually "Ur-" doesn't imply the situation has continued.
Could substitute "its" ( = the scene's) for "the".
"Cornerstone" because it's good equivalent of "Gestein" and implies similar things (he was around and important, not necessarily 'top dog', icon etc.)
It would nice to use "original" for "Ur-" but with "cornerstone" it doesn't sound idiomatic to me.


Example sentence(s):
  • Harald, a cornerstone of the space rock/electronic music scene in the/its beginning...
  • Harald, a cornerstone of the space rock/electronic music scene in its earliest days...
matmcv (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Harald Moelzer (medical-translator): I like this one, although it makes me look really old... ;-))
3 hrs
  -> Thankyou Harald! I'm sure you enjoyed yourself, back in the day! ;)
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