etwas beschwören

English translation: evoke / conjure up /

16:45 Jun 20, 2008
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Anthropology
German term or phrase: etwas beschwören
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.
Trans-Marie
Local time: 17:46
English translation:evoke / conjure up /
Explanation:
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 ...
Selected response from:

Jonathan MacKerron
Grading comment
Thanks.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5swear by (something)
definitions
4 +2stand by
Legal and Business Translation Agency Inc.
2 +2evoke / conjure up /
Jonathan MacKerron
3to hanker after something
Dave 72
3summon
Bernhard Sulzer


Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
swear by (something)


Explanation:
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(s):
  • 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."
definitions
United Arab Emirates
Local time: 21:46
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in MalayMalay
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks definitions. But doesn't "swear by" mean "auf etwas schwoeren"?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
to hanker after something


Explanation:
meaning that they still have a longing for that kind of life (even though they may have mixed feelings about the new developments)

Dave 72
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:46
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Dave.

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
stand by


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

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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 ?

Legal and Business Translation Agency Inc.
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Legal Business.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Eike Seemann DipTrans: genau, im Sinne von "geloben"!
18 hrs

agree  Jim Tucker (X)
1 day 3 hrs
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1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +2
evoke / conjure up /


Explanation:
couple of options for starters

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

dedicate themselves anew

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 33 mins (2008-06-20 17:19:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

they're not about to give up the life

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2008-06-20 21:00:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

sworn to upholding the traditions ...

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Jonathan, I was thinking of "evoke" as well.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
summon


Explanation:
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)

Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 13:46
Native speaker of: German
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Bernhard.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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" .
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