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Fristansetzung
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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Nur Reisen ist Leben, wie umgekehrt das Leben Reisen ist.

English translation:

The journey alone is living, much as life [itself] is a journey

Added to glossary by Cynthia Göttle-Greenwood
Jun 1, 2010 17:56
13 yrs ago
German term

Nur Reisen ist Leben, wie umgekehrt das Leben Reisen ist.

German to English Art/Literary Philosophy
A thought from Jean Paul.
Does anyone know of an official translation or a webside where I could find it?
Proposed translations (English)
4 +9 The journey alone is living, much as life [itself] is a journey
2 +1 Only travel is life, as life is travel
References
Quelle

Discussion

Johanna Timm, PhD Jun 1, 2010:
Jean Paul :-) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Paul
Jonathan MacKerron Jun 1, 2010:
with Phil
philgoddard Jun 1, 2010:
There's no such thing as an "official translation", so you can translate it any way you like. Are there any bits you don't understand? And who is Jean Paul? Sartre? If so, the quotation would have been in French.

Proposed translations

+9
1 hr
Selected

The journey alone is living, much as life [itself] is a journey

My stab at it.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days15 hrs (2010-06-04 09:17:35 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Cynthia
Peer comment(s):
agree Armorel Young : Yes, if we're talking about spiritual journeys rather than tourists flocking to Marbella, "journey" is a distinctly better word than "travel"
1 hr
Thanks, Armorel - more fitting perhaps for a Romantic writer!
agree Bernhard Sulzer : the spiritual way/path. / I find "living" very appropriate; it's movement in time.
2 hrs
Thanks, Bernhard
agree Lancashireman : Or "Bon voyage - c'est la vie" as they say in France.
3 hrs
Evidement. Thanks, Andrew
agree DFTS (X) : I like it. I would however consider "The journey alone is life, much as life itself is a journey", because it is still correct in my ears to say that something is life like "that is the life", and using the same words conversely seems ideal if possible.
4 hrs
Thanks, Dave122, yes, that works just as well. Lacks a little in poetry without the juxtaposition of living and life, but since that is not there in the German ...
agree Vera H. : I am with Dave122, it sounds smoother!
6 hrs
Thanks, Vera H
agree British Diana : Disagree with the previous two peers - the juxtaposition of "living" and "life" is necessary and brillliant!
9 hrs
Thanks, British Diana - I prefer it that way, too.
agree Rolf Keiser
11 hrs
Thanks, Goldcoaster
agree Lirka : it sounds very well indeed, but I second Armorel's comment; it would not work as a tourist slogan...
15 hrs
Thanks, lirka, but since it is Jean Paul, it is unlikely to be a tourist slogan. I believe Armorel was supporting me in that!
agree Reinhold Wehrmann
15 hrs
Thanks, Reinhold
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks Helen and everybody else for their comments. Confirms my thinking."
+1
20 mins

Only travel is life, as life is travel

a place to travel
Peer comment(s):
agree Bernhard Sulzer : or: only travelling is living, as living is travelling
3 mins
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

7 hrs
Reference:

Quelle

Das Zitat stammt übrigens aus Jean Pauls Roman "Das Kampaner Tal" (The Campanian Valley), 1797. Not sure if it's available in translation.
Note from asker:
Many thanks for the tip Joanna.
Something went wrong...
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