This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. German to English
  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

Nun hätte es eine Sternsekunde geben können

English translation: This could have been a historic moment

10:47 Dec 2, 2011
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / history book
German term or phrase: Nun hätte es eine Sternsekunde geben können
This is from a description of a trial in the GDR times.

The boys on trial have admitted to watching a few Western TV programmes.

"Letztgenannte Sendung, sagte der Vorsitzende, ein in seiner korrekten Verhandlungsführung sympathischer Mann, zeichne sich besonders aus, wie ihm berichtet worden sei vielleicht sah er sicherheitshalber nicht fern durch Beiträge zur Herabsetzung der DDR.
**Nun hätte es eine Sternsekunde geben können**. Die berühmte Stecknadel wäre zu Boden gefallen, hörbar; heutzutage fällt vielleicht ein Chip."

Thanks for any suggestions!
Rachel Ward
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:42
English translation:This could have been a historic moment
Explanation:
I imagine Sternsekunde is a play on 'Sternstunde', except that 'Stunde' really wouldn't have fitted into this context

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 Stunde (2011-12-02 11:59:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or: could have turned into a historic moment
Selected response from:

Phoebe Indetzki
Local time: 20:42
Grading comment
Thanks everyone.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2This could have been a stellar moment ...
Usch Pilz
3 +2This could have been a historic moment
Phoebe Indetzki
3For a stunned second, you could have heard a pin drop....
Ramey Rieger (X)
2Now there could have been a magic moment.
Barbara Wiebking
Summary of reference entries provided
Sternsekunde
Wendy Streitparth

Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
This could have been a stellar moment ...


Explanation:
This possibility sticks with the image of the 'star' within the phrase.

Usch Pilz
Local time: 20:42
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Horst Huber (X): Good job.
8 hrs
agree  Clarissa Hull: Best in this context
9 hrs
neutral  Nicola Wood: Sorry, but stellar moment doesn't sound natural to me as a native speaker of BE, and I would ahve no clear conception of what was meant. It may be just me, but that is my opinion
22 hrs
  -> Yes, very true. I don't think I picked it up in Britain. Must have got it in the States.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
This could have been a historic moment


Explanation:
I imagine Sternsekunde is a play on 'Sternstunde', except that 'Stunde' really wouldn't have fitted into this context

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 Stunde (2011-12-02 11:59:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or: could have turned into a historic moment

Phoebe Indetzki
Local time: 20:42
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks everyone.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jonathan Bourg: a la Stefan Zweig....
10 hrs
agree  Nicola Wood: Yes, historic or definining moment is absolutely clear.
22 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Now there could have been a magic moment.


Explanation:
Another alternative... or also simply "great moment".

Barbara Wiebking
Germany
Local time: 20:42
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
For a stunned second, you could have heard a pin drop....


Explanation:
......today it would be a (micro) chip

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 hrs (2011-12-03 08:06:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Now what could have been a stunned second, where you could perceive/hear the proverbial pin dropping, elapsed/was lost. Today, it would be a micro chip.


So, here's another go at it...it's a nice sentence to puzzle with. I feel there must be an added verb, to make the irony clear. What do you people think?

Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 20:42
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 70

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Phoebe Indetzki: Hi Ramey, while 'stunned second' is a nice turn of phrase, I think the whole point of the German conjunctive is to emphasise that it wasn't that sort of moment - just could have been....
23 mins
  -> Hi PhoebeRuth, thanks! This is what has been bugging me, there is a heavy bit of irony, I believe. "Stunned second"appealed to me, too, but the rest? How make this clear? I'll give it another go.......have a good weekend!
neutral  Clarissa Hull: Good suggestion, but agree with phoeberuth
4 hrs
  -> Thank you Clarissa, let's see what comes up..........be well.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)




Reference comments


12 hrs
Reference: Sternsekunde

Reference information:
www.astronomia.de/zeit.htm


Daraus folgt, das eine Sternsekunde immer so lang ist wie 0,99726957 Sonnensekunden. In vielen Observatorien und Astronomischen Vereinen hängen ...

Sorry, have lost the web page, but Sternsekunde is not the same as Sternstunde!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2011-12-02 23:25:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To use Ramey's suggestion:

For a fleeting second you could have heard a pin drop

Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 11
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search