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nervig

English translation: high-spirited, intense, vivacious, vibrant

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:nervig
English translation:high-spirited, intense, vivacious, vibrant
Entered by: Helen Shiner

10:17 Feb 10, 2012
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting / Book on Klimt
German term or phrase: nervig
This is a quotation from Berta Zuckerkandl on the way Klimt paints women.

Can "nervig" really mean "annoying" here, or is it used more in the wine-related sense: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/german_to_english/wine_oenology_vi... ?

„Klimt malt die Frau seiner Zeit. Die Struktur ihres Gerüstes, die Kontur ihrer Formen, die Modellierung ihres Fleisches, die Maschinerie ihrer Bewegungen hat er bis in die geheimsten Wesensfasern verfolgt und seinem Gedächtnis für immer eingeprägt. Auf diesem sicheren, festen Boden stehend, variiert er das Thema des Weibes in all seinen Beziehungen zur Schöpfung, zur Natur. Bald grausam wollüstig, bald heiter sinnlich, malt er Frauen voll rätselhaftem Reiz. Der schillernde Fleischton ihres schlanken Körpers, der phosphoreszierende Glanz der Haut, der quadratische Schnitt des breitgewölbten Schädels und die sündhaft rötliche Mähne geben ein Ganzes
von tiefster psychologischer und malerischer Wirkung. Im Portrait schafft er **nervige,** rassige, lebensdurstige
oder lebensverträumte Frauengestalten, die alle trotz ihrer charakteristischen Verschiedenheiten von Klimts
Gnaden sind. Als Idealfigur aber löst er den Frauenkörper in herrliche, dekorative Linien auf. Alles Zufällige,
alles Individuell-Charakteristische fällt ab, nur das rein Typische, der sublimierte Extrakt des modernen Frauentypus, wie der Künstler ihn ausgelöst hat, bleibt in vollster Stilreinheit zurück.“

Thank you!
Rachel Ward
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:23
high-spirited, intense, vivacious, vibrant
Explanation:
Just some more suggestions....

Even 'nervy', like the race horses suggested elsewhere.

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Note added at 12 hrs (2012-02-10 22:52:04 GMT)
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I don't believe that this is a physical description as sinewy would suggest, but rather a description of an emotional state or constitutional way of being.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day6 hrs (2012-02-11 16:45:22 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

That's probably the safest option. Thanks, Rachel.
Selected response from:

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:23
Grading comment
"high-spirited" works for me - keeping with the race horse theme.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1sinewy
Parrot
4Please choose from selection below
thefastshow
3high-spirited, intense, vivacious, vibrant
Helen Shiner
2quick (sth between scintillating and alert, lively)
Stephen Reader


Discussion entries: 14





  

Answers


25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
sinewy


Explanation:
would fit.

Parrot
Spain
Local time: 15:23
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Stephen Reader: They often are, aren't they. But is nervig used that way (sth. tells me it can be...)? Regional differences? Obviously 'irritating' isn't what's meant.
1 hr
  -> If they didn't look so haunted, sth like the roaring 20s flapper type. (Or Gothics? They struck me as vaguely vampy)
disagree  Werner Hehn: Nothing to do with sinews. Irritating is the best general translation here.
6 hrs
agree  Nicole Schnell: I need to neutralize the previous, nonsensical comment.
6 hrs
neutral  Helen Shiner: I'm not sure that a physical description is what is required here. More a state of mind or emotional state.
12 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Please choose from selection below


Explanation:
difficult to say ... I've never come across the wine thing that's for sure... but to get back to your question it depends on the style of your own translation I'd say..
It would be helpful if you could give us an example.
From reading your source text phrases like nervous, high strung, provocative, alluring , challenging if not even anxious spring into mind .. you could also say annoying but I'd say it sort of sounds not quite appropriate maybe brash or intrusive would be more apt .. in connection with Klimts paintings one can also find the word "feinnervig" in a lot of German texts which tries to poetically express an aura based on the anatomy (fine weak nerves). The latter could be translated as sensitive, delicate,thin skinned, subtle maybe even ephemeral... ... please take your pick .. how bout that? :))

PS: Oh if you're describing a specific painting then it would have been good if you had mentioned the title since in art it's all about perceiving emotions and interpretation

thefastshow
Germany
Local time: 15:23
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
quick (sth between scintillating and alert, lively)


Explanation:
Hunch via possibly faux-amis in some connotations of French 'nerveux' - if it isn't just plain 'nervous' (*Austrian usages of nervig=?*)
In fact, w/ thefastshow terms 1-3; and then alternatively with 'feinnervig'.

Stephen Reader
Local time: 15:23
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 115
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
high-spirited, intense, vivacious, vibrant


Explanation:
Just some more suggestions....

Even 'nervy', like the race horses suggested elsewhere.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2012-02-10 22:52:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I don't believe that this is a physical description as sinewy would suggest, but rather a description of an emotional state or constitutional way of being.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day6 hrs (2012-02-11 16:45:22 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

That's probably the safest option. Thanks, Rachel.

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:23
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 275
Grading comment
"high-spirited" works for me - keeping with the race horse theme.
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