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German to English translations [PRO] Bus/Financial - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase:"die Drähte glühen"
Dann müssen die Drähte zwischen den Abteilungen glühen, um...
I know that this means that communication needs to intesify, but am struggling for a similar phrase. I found "the lines run hot", but I've never heard that expression before.
I really struggled deciding between this phrase and the "safe" option. I like buzzing, because it does portray the same sense of urgency and activity as the original phrase and works outside of the "telephone limitation". 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
@ Bernhard lines don't really glow or burn or whatever either, but the same increased activity is indicated. Some of the discussion took place in the discussion box, some in the answerer's space, so the thought process and order of posts is maybe not entirely clear and maybe I responded to entries too quickly after they were made. When choosing an option there is a box for the entry, in which I made the required amendment to the answer. It does not show up, which is unfortunate, but out of my control.
Hello Diana. I wanted to just say that I wouldn't use "keep the "lines of communication" between departments "buzzing" - it doesn't sound natural to me - those lines of communication don't real buzz, let alone betrween departments IMO. But they do for some (806 GHits). Also, the phrase you really wanted was "Drähte müssen glühen" and not "Drähte glühen". "Müssen" is clearly not a simple add-in, there are various meanings of "müssen", yours being "need to be". Staff can edit your term if you ask them - it would help for the glossary. If you don't change the original question, simply adding "wires were buzzing" - the chosen answer - into the glossary wouldn't express "Drähte glühen" either. "Were" is the wrong tense. Also, I noticed that the answerer you chose basically repeated almost the exact phrase another contributor had already entered except for the word "buzzing". It must have been that phrase you wanted. Just some thoughts.
NO phonelines. Lines of communication. (This has been stated a few times, if you follow the discussion - both up here and below.) There is a problem. Therefore departments must communicate, so that the problem can be solved. I don't know, where all the phone lines are coming from. I think I stated clearly in the original question that the meaning "communication needs to intensify" is to be conveyed. The other half of the sentence doesn't change that. Adding it would be more distracting than helpful. Either way, between Andrew and Lie I think I got what I was looking for. From there, its only really a matter of taste, which the other half of the sentence doesn't change either. I'm now trying to evaluate both suggestions against the other metaphors used in the entire text. And I can hardly post a few pages up here to provide that type of context. The system tells me to keep the question open for 24 hours though.
David Moore (X)
Hello Diana,
13:51 Feb 16, 2013
and welcome to ProZ.
You have cut off the end of the sentence, which makes it less easy to commit to any of the answers suggested. The phone lines are supposed to be heating up as a result of what? That is a little bit of context which is essential here, IMO
I definitely like "buzzing". Just finding it really hard to get the formulation right. I'm thinking this just now: This is when the lines of communication between departments have to be buzzing in order to...
It is an article on organisational behaviour. The rest of the sentence doesn't add anything to the context. I thought that by stating the meaning that is to be conveyed, for which I needed a similar metaphorical phrase, all the required information was given. Thanks to Andrew for taking that into account.
I found a few similar articles. I've just never come across this expression before, plus none of the articles seem to have originated in English speaking countries. Still feeling unsure.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
6 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +2
the phone lines must be running hot
Explanation:
Phone lines running hot before New Year | South China Morning Pos www.scmp.com/.../phone-lines-runni... - Hongkong - Diese Seite übersetzen TELEPHONES and fax machines have been in constant Christmas use as holidaying jockeys and trainers fix up riding arrangements for the big New Year's Day
Ellen Kraus Austria Local time: 08:13 Native speaker of: German PRO pts in category: 12
peer agreement (net): +2
