Gemüter heftig in Wallung bringen

English translation: tempers flare; spark/cause outrage; infuriate; incense; make people’s blood boil

21:38 Dec 5, 2019
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Government / Politics / international economic cooperation and development
German term or phrase: Gemüter heftig in Wallung bringen
This sentence, "Nur anekdotisch sei hier noch erwähnt, dass (Erhard) Eppler mit seiner Charakterisierung der Entwicklungshelferinnen als „friedliche Revolutionäre“ manche Gemüter heftig in Wallung gebracht hatte.", appears in an article recounting the history of the German Entwicklungshelfer-Gesetz (Development Workers Act), which was originally passed by the Bundestag in 1969.

The target audience is people interested in international economic cooperation and development.

I think I know what the phrase ("Gemüter heftig in Wallung bringen") means, but would welcome ideas as to how best to translate it into English.
Gordon Matthews
Germany
Local time: 07:53
English translation:tempers flare; spark/cause outrage; infuriate; incense; make people’s blood boil
Explanation:
I think I should note that while I maintain that most of what I said in the d-box holds true, I found “Gemüt wallt," as well as a usage note, when I looked up "Wallung" in that big Brothers Grimm dictionary:
"von affekten (vgl. oben sp. 1278 f. das herz, die seele, das gemüt wallt), z. b. zorn, schrecken, verdrusz"

and

"auch sonst steht wallung für leidenschaftliche erregungen, ohne dasz dabei immer an die damit verbundene bewegung des blutes gedacht wird"
http://woerterbuchnetz.de/cgi-bin/WBNetz/wbgui_py?sigle=DWB&...

I also found "Gemüter in Wallung bringen" on the following page: https://www.redensarten-index.de/suche.php?suchbegriff=Gemüt...

Thus, the phrase may not be an amalgam of Gemüter erregen and Blut in Wallung bringen, though I can find both way more often and in much older books on Google.

It doesn’t really matter anyway. Here’s the Duden: "(in übertragener Bedeutung:〉 er, sein Gemüt, sein Blut geriet in Wallung (er geriet in heftige Erregung)"
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Wallung

As you can see, whether it’s er, Gemüt or Blut, the outcome is always the same, i.e., "heftige Erregung." This is true regardless of whether it’s the person, their temper or their blood that is "erregt," so all three words are pretty much interchangeable in meaning.

If you like option 1, you could say caused outrage/an uproar/(quite) a stir [among/in some quarters]…
[In my experience, anything, say, more poetic than cause or maybe spark is a bit too much in this context.]

If you like option 2, you could say tempers flared…
[This would describe an Affekt, a spontaneous reaction, as mentioned above.]

If you like option 3, you could say caused [some] people’s blood to boil…
[…or make, of course.]

If you don’t like any of the above, you could use infuriate, a word that is quite popular among journalists in the US.

I do like your idea for "manche" (which wasn’t part of the heading, so I didn’t include it), but I don’t agree that you should turn "some" into “many” people. Based on what I’ve read, his speech had a relatively limited impact; not even the political opposition seemed bothered by it.

Actually, his words seemed to spark outrage only among members of the governing coalition (and he led one of the government's agencies at the time).

I found examples for all of the above. Here’s one example that combines "tempers flared" and "in some quarters" (see the news report at the bottom of the left page): https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19790828&id=...

Or: "Some tempers flared, but it was never the case, nor will it be the case, that CNN would be denied credentials or the ability to cover New Year's Eve,' wrote the organization."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6551321/Andy-C...

And here is one that uses infuriate: "The move infuriated Trump's allies and prompted Republicans to turn on a senator they had previously championed as a calculated leader during tense investigations."
https://www.businessinsider.de/trump-justin-amash-impeachmen...

Incensed is another possibility. The choice is yours.
Selected response from:

Björn Vrooman
Local time: 07:53
Grading comment
Thanks for the thorough research! I think I like "make people's blood boil" as the best solution. Thanks for pointing out that in this case it was only some people's blood that was boiling. I think that is important. I, personally, would have applauded Erhard Eppler!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5stirred up a lot of anger
Michael Martin, MA
4 +1really upset a lot of people/ a great many people
David Moore (X)
3 +2unleashed/invoked (no little) outrage/indignation (in some)
Ramey Rieger (X)
3tempers flare; spark/cause outrage; infuriate; incense; make people’s blood boil
Björn Vrooman


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
stirred up a lot of anger


Explanation:
stirred up fury among...

Lots of possibilities. These are popular options..


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 50 mins (2019-12-05 22:28:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here's another one that's closer to the German imagery - "brought some tempers to a boil". This would work especially for a scenario where something had been going on for a while and eventually came to a head.

Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 02:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 76

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Simon Vigneault
54 mins

agree  Kim Metzger: tempers to a boil
57 mins

agree  David Hollywood: "stirred up" was my first thought Michael and agree
1 hr

agree  philgoddard
3 hrs

agree  Michele Fauble
21 hrs
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51 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
really upset a lot of people/ a great many people


Explanation:
Another couple of options...

David Moore (X)
Local time: 07:53
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 49

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Hollywood: "really upset" is a good one too
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
unleashed/invoked (no little) outrage/indignation (in some)


Explanation:
Another journalistic option

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs (2019-12-06 14:09:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Evoked, not invoked. One of those daze

Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 07:53
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Hollywood: and a good one too, so asker has his plate full lol
45 mins
  -> Rage against the storm!

agree  Wendy Streitparth: Like unleashed (or triggered?) indignation best.
9 hrs
  -> Hi Wendy. I considered triggered, but it's an article from 1969. Trigger was the name of a horse.

neutral  Armorel Young: I think you mean "evoked", not "invoked"
11 hrs
  -> Yes, you're right, damn dyslexia!

neutral  Steffen Walter: Re. your response to Wendy's comment, the article itself is recent and publicly accessible (just search for "als „friedliche Revolutionäre“ manche Gemüter heftig in Wallung gebracht hatte", and you'll dig up the source). It just looks back to 1969.
1 day 11 hrs
  -> Okay, thanks!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
tempers flare; spark/cause outrage; infuriate; incense; make people’s blood boil


Explanation:
I think I should note that while I maintain that most of what I said in the d-box holds true, I found “Gemüt wallt," as well as a usage note, when I looked up "Wallung" in that big Brothers Grimm dictionary:
"von affekten (vgl. oben sp. 1278 f. das herz, die seele, das gemüt wallt), z. b. zorn, schrecken, verdrusz"

and

"auch sonst steht wallung für leidenschaftliche erregungen, ohne dasz dabei immer an die damit verbundene bewegung des blutes gedacht wird"
http://woerterbuchnetz.de/cgi-bin/WBNetz/wbgui_py?sigle=DWB&...

I also found "Gemüter in Wallung bringen" on the following page: https://www.redensarten-index.de/suche.php?suchbegriff=Gemüt...

Thus, the phrase may not be an amalgam of Gemüter erregen and Blut in Wallung bringen, though I can find both way more often and in much older books on Google.

It doesn’t really matter anyway. Here’s the Duden: "(in übertragener Bedeutung:〉 er, sein Gemüt, sein Blut geriet in Wallung (er geriet in heftige Erregung)"
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Wallung

As you can see, whether it’s er, Gemüt or Blut, the outcome is always the same, i.e., "heftige Erregung." This is true regardless of whether it’s the person, their temper or their blood that is "erregt," so all three words are pretty much interchangeable in meaning.

If you like option 1, you could say caused outrage/an uproar/(quite) a stir [among/in some quarters]…
[In my experience, anything, say, more poetic than cause or maybe spark is a bit too much in this context.]

If you like option 2, you could say tempers flared…
[This would describe an Affekt, a spontaneous reaction, as mentioned above.]

If you like option 3, you could say caused [some] people’s blood to boil…
[…or make, of course.]

If you don’t like any of the above, you could use infuriate, a word that is quite popular among journalists in the US.

I do like your idea for "manche" (which wasn’t part of the heading, so I didn’t include it), but I don’t agree that you should turn "some" into “many” people. Based on what I’ve read, his speech had a relatively limited impact; not even the political opposition seemed bothered by it.

Actually, his words seemed to spark outrage only among members of the governing coalition (and he led one of the government's agencies at the time).

I found examples for all of the above. Here’s one example that combines "tempers flared" and "in some quarters" (see the news report at the bottom of the left page): https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19790828&id=...

Or: "Some tempers flared, but it was never the case, nor will it be the case, that CNN would be denied credentials or the ability to cover New Year's Eve,' wrote the organization."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6551321/Andy-C...

And here is one that uses infuriate: "The move infuriated Trump's allies and prompted Republicans to turn on a senator they had previously championed as a calculated leader during tense investigations."
https://www.businessinsider.de/trump-justin-amash-impeachmen...

Incensed is another possibility. The choice is yours.

Björn Vrooman
Local time: 07:53
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks for the thorough research! I think I like "make people's blood boil" as the best solution. Thanks for pointing out that in this case it was only some people's blood that was boiling. I think that is important. I, personally, would have applauded Erhard Eppler!
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