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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

de drempel is te hoog

English translation: holding people back

13:45 Dec 4, 2017
Dutch to English translations [Non-PRO]
Social Sciences - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / religion
Dutch term or phrase: de drempel is te hoog
In een stuk over kerken, en waarom Nederlanders in eigen land nooit een kerk binnengaan:

"De drempel om een kerk binnen te gaan blijkt te hoog voor veel potentiële bezoekers. Is de kerk open? Verstoor ik misschien een mis?"

Hoe vertaal ik dit naar het Engels? Ik kom alleen op "the bar is too high" maar dat klopt in deze context niet, of "people are hesitant to go in" maar dat is te ver van de bron, vind ik.
Heddwen Newton
Germany
Local time: 00:43
English translation:holding people back
Explanation:
It seems there are too many things holding potential visitors back....
Selected response from:

Johan Venter
Czech Republic
Local time: 00:43
Grading comment
good solution, thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4holding people back
Johan Venter
3the threshold is (too) high
Anne Schulz


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
holding people back


Explanation:
It seems there are too many things holding potential visitors back....

Johan Venter
Czech Republic
Local time: 00:43
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 2
Grading comment
good solution, thanks!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Great, thanks, I changed "things" to "unknowns" and was pretty pleased :-)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Michael Beijer: Nice. Was trying to devise something clever myself, but my brain's too foggy today.
6 mins
  -> Thank you
agree  Kitty Brussaard
1 hr
  -> Thank you
agree  philgoddard
1 hr
  -> Thank you
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
8 hrs
  -> Thank you
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the threshold is (too) high


Explanation:
Wouldn't a literal translation work here?
The threshold for even trying to step into a church is too high.
It is a self-made threshold, made up of concerns like "it won't be open anyway", or "this invitation to enter can't really mean me".

Anne Schulz
Germany
Local time: 00:43
Works in field
Native speaker of: German

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tina Vonhof (X): I wouldn't use that. It's more a scientific term, not a word that people would use in everyday language.
4 hrs
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