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ins vereinigte Deutschland gerettet

English translation: preserved and passed down for the eventual reunification of Germany

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:ins vereinigte Deutschland gerettet
English translation:preserved and passed down for the eventual reunification of Germany
Entered by: Kim Metzger

22:25 May 3, 2006
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics / encyclopaedia of watches
German term or phrase: ins vereinigte Deutschland gerettet
I understand the point: the knowledge and skill required to fabricate high-quality watches did not die out but was preserved in the watchmaking families of a united Germany - oder so.

Can someone suggest a more precise rendering of "gerettet" here?

Kriege und die DDR (mit der Massenproduktion billiger Quarzuhren) konnten den Weltruf dieses Ortes nicht
auslöschen oder dauerhaft beschädigen: Das für den Bau hochwertiger Uhren nötige Wissen und Können wurde in den Uhrmacherfamilien ins vereinigte Deutschland gerettet.
Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 20:52
preserved for the (possible) (re-)united Germany
Explanation:
"rescued" does not work here. Having lived there for many years, many people hoped for a reunification, but no one knew for sure that it would happen until, finally, in 1989, it really did. I think that the technical know-how, etc. was preserved and passed down in the watch-making families until such a time when they would be permitted to do it again.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day14 mins (2006-05-04 22:39:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It could also be translated as: "preserved for the eventuality of a reunited Germany."
Selected response from:

Kathleen
Local time: 19:52
Grading comment
Thanks a lot, Kathleen and everybody else. And, yes, Andrew, I have sprinkled the entries liberally with timepieces and also liked your clockmaker families.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +6preserved for the (possible) (re-)united Germany
Kathleen
3 +3safeguarded...ready for the eventual reunification of Germany.
Lancashireman
3 +1carried over
Trudy Peters
2salvaged
Johanna Timm, PhD


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
salvaged


Explanation:
Later, in the unified Germany, the families would then be able to draw upon their salvaged knowledge ...
9could use some native speaker improvements, but I just love the word salvage)

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 19:52
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  writeaway: but salvage implies things are in ruins and you pick up what is still worth saving.
57 mins
  -> thanks- appreciate the clarification:)
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
carried over


Explanation:
maybe not as strong as retten, but implies that it persevered.

Trudy Peters
United States
Local time: 22:52
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  JSolis
4 hrs
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40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
safeguarded...ready for the eventual reunification of Germany.


Explanation:
The knowledge and skills required for manufacturing high-quality timepieces were safeguarded by these clockmaker families, ready for the eventual reunification of Germany.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2006-05-04 00:25:12 GMT)
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safeguarded > kept ticking over?

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Note added at 10 hrs (2006-05-04 08:57:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Under the stewardship of these clockmaker families the knowledge and skills required for manufacturing high-quality timepieces were kept 'ticking over' so that they could flourish once again following the unification of Germany.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewardship

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 hrs (2006-05-04 09:48:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Re 'timepieces' (Ian's comment in the AtA box), 'Uhren' covers both clocks and watches so it seems wrong to focus exclusively on the wrist-borne variety.

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:52
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 32

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Francis Lee (X): "kept ticking over" (ready for) - another Swiftian coup! Howz about "in readiness for"?
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, F. "...in readiness for..." sounds good
agree  Ian M-H (X): Not sure about the whole sentence, but definitely "safeguarded": "...was safeguarded over the years ... to flourish again following the unification of Germany..."? // Nice, but "ticking over" merits a groan. Another tack would be "custodians of tradition"
9 hrs
  -> Thanks for the 'flourish'. How about 'stewardship'? (See above)
agree  Craig Meulen: timepieces : yes / safeguarded: yes / ticking over: groan / flourish : yes.
13 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
preserved for the (possible) (re-)united Germany


Explanation:
"rescued" does not work here. Having lived there for many years, many people hoped for a reunification, but no one knew for sure that it would happen until, finally, in 1989, it really did. I think that the technical know-how, etc. was preserved and passed down in the watch-making families until such a time when they would be permitted to do it again.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day14 mins (2006-05-04 22:39:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It could also be translated as: "preserved for the eventuality of a reunited Germany."

Kathleen
Local time: 19:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks a lot, Kathleen and everybody else. And, yes, Andrew, I have sprinkled the entries liberally with timepieces and also liked your clockmaker families.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Teresa Reinhardt
31 mins
  -> Thanks!! (-:
agree  Sabine Odinga: preserved yes, but then I'd go on: until Germany was reunited or leave out the possible
5 hrs
  -> Thanks!! (-: — (Possible) is in parentheses. In my opinion, although many hoped for a reunification, no one really knew that there would eventually be one.
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X)
12 hrs
  -> Thanks!! :-)
agree  Mario Marcolin: with Sabine - for the reunited Germany - the text looks post-reunification
20 hrs
  -> Thanks!! :-)
agree  Erik Macki
2 days 18 hrs
agree  oa_xxx (X): No eventual or possible is mentioned in the text at all - I hope that wasnt added to the glossary!
11 days
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