Sep 12, 2017 15:22
6 yrs ago
German term
die Pole alles Lebendigen
German to English
Art/Literary
Philosophy
Treue und Wandel, das Bewahrende und das Fortschreitende, sind die Pole alles Lebendigen. This is a quotation from Wieland Wagner (grandson of Richard), the late Bayreuth stage director. Fidelity and change, preserving and progressing, are the poles of all living things. Or the poles of our existence, or whatever. But the word "poles" doesn't really mean anything to an English speaker, although the term used in this way is not uncommon in German. But I'm stumped as to what to substitute. The two lodestars of our existence? The pillars of our philosophy? Any ideas would be welcome! Nina
Change log
Sep 12, 2017 15:22: changed "Kudoz queue" from "In queue" to "Public"
Sep 12, 2017 23:36: Karen Zaragoza changed "Vetting" from "Needs Vetting" to "Vet OK"
Proposed translations
9 hrs
Selected
[the] dichotomies that are present in all living creatures / in all life
Dichotomy: "A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different."
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/dichotomy
[the] dichotomies that are characteristic of all living creatures / in all life
alles Lebendigen (neuter singular, genitive) = all that is living
aller Lebendigen (plural, genitive) = all living creatures
Here is the context: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UpFrAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT228&lp...
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/dichotomy
[the] dichotomies that are characteristic of all living creatures / in all life
alles Lebendigen (neuter singular, genitive) = all that is living
aller Lebendigen (plural, genitive) = all living creatures
Here is the context: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UpFrAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT228&lp...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Special thanks for the excellent idea of "dichotomy"! And thank you in general for your time and interest."
9 hrs
Michael Martin, MA
United States
United States
Native in German
&
English
Works in field
United States
Creativity wins in the long run
Native in: German (Variant: Germany) 
, English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
28
opposite poles of life
The expression is more crisp, if we qualify poles with 'opposite' and life with nothing.
Compare with this:
"It is designed to accommodate the personal and the planetary, political awareness and head-in-the-sand retreat. These opposite poles of life are dressed in identical trappings, and we’re invited to react to them with a single, limited set of coded responses." https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-big-and-small-of...
Compare with this:
"It is designed to accommodate the personal and the planetary, political awareness and head-in-the-sand retreat. These opposite poles of life are dressed in identical trappings, and we’re invited to react to them with a single, limited set of coded responses." https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-big-and-small-of...
Note from asker:
| Thank you very much for your helpful suggestions! |
+1
13 hrs
Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Canada
Native in German
Specializes in field
Canada
Friendly, fast & certified!
Native in: German (Variants: Swiss, Platt / Nieder (Low German), Austrian, Germany) 
Works in: English to German, German to English, German
Related KudoZ points
:
28
[rephrase]
Stability and change, stasis and progress – (our) life fluctuates between these (two) poles.
...we all live in the tension between these poles
...we all live in the tension between these poles
Note from asker:
| Thank you very much for your help! I much prefer constancy and preservation to stability and stasis, as both of the latter words sound a bit negative to me. Your comments were very helpful. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
franglish
: Constancy and change, preservation and transformation - all life fluctuates between these two poles.
2 hrs
|
|
Lieben Dank! "Preservation and transformation" is a great alternative.
|
10 hrs
Herbmione Granger
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
An American scholar based in Germany
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: French to English, German to English, English
the poles between which all life forms cycle
Constancy and Change. Conserving and Progressing. These are the poles between which all life forms cycle.
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Note added at 10 hrs (2017-09-13 02:12:33 GMT)
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"Living things" is better if talking about music: These are the poles between which all things must cycle to live.
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Note added at 17 hrs (2017-09-13 09:14:27 GMT)
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I tried out the "pole," but I agree that this is not natural in this context.
Using "phases" might cover what is in the speech/bulletin: http://frankenland.franconica.uni-wuerzburg.de/login/data/19...
Compare to a phase diagram: http://chemguide.co.uk/physical/phaseeqia/phasediags.html
"Constancy, conserving, progressing, change. These are the phases that enable things to live."
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Note added at 18 hrs (2017-09-13 09:51:39 GMT)
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Actually, it is possible to drop the "Pole" altogether to avoid clashing with other references to these later on.
"Constancy,... are what enable things to live."
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Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2017-09-13 18:36:57 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you for the feedback, Nina. Glad I helped. Indeed a tough one. Best of luck!
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Note added at 10 hrs (2017-09-13 02:12:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"Living things" is better if talking about music: These are the poles between which all things must cycle to live.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2017-09-13 09:14:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I tried out the "pole," but I agree that this is not natural in this context.
Using "phases" might cover what is in the speech/bulletin: http://frankenland.franconica.uni-wuerzburg.de/login/data/19...
Compare to a phase diagram: http://chemguide.co.uk/physical/phaseeqia/phasediags.html
"Constancy, conserving, progressing, change. These are the phases that enable things to live."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2017-09-13 09:51:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Actually, it is possible to drop the "Pole" altogether to avoid clashing with other references to these later on.
"Constancy,... are what enable things to live."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2017-09-13 18:36:57 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Thank you for the feedback, Nina. Glad I helped. Indeed a tough one. Best of luck!
Note from asker:
| Many thanks for your thoughtful (and thought-provoking) response. I particularly like the suggestion of "constancy" rather than "fidelity". This was a hard nut to crack! |
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