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örökös szemrehányás

English translation: constant reproach

12:34 Aug 16, 2010
Hungarian to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Hungarian term or phrase: örökös szemrehányás
Context:

(...) A mi fiunk, Dezső is eltűnik nappal, mint a többiek, és ez nem is baj, mert ha itt van, az olyan, mint valami örökös szemrehányás, azért is a mi fiunk, mert senki sem tudja, ki az apja. (...)

I am now taking my first steps in Hungarian>Bulgarian translation, and I had this short story by a Hungarian author to try with. The problem is that the person who had to review my draft, translated this sentence in a very different way from what I struggled to find, and I'm not sure if it's right.
The way I see it, it means that when the boy is there, it's like some inherited shame, and that is why they call him "our boy", because he is like some kind of an inheritance, not having a father etc.
Please if you are a native speaker, give me a detailed explanation of what this means, it doesn't matter if it's with the right words, I just need to know if it's different from how I understand it.

Thank you, I'd be very grateful if you could give me the whole sentence too, it doesn't have to be perfect or to sound nice, just right :)

Thanks again :)
Teodora Grigorova
Local time: 02:08
English translation:constant reproach
Explanation:
simply translated:
Our son Dezső disappears in the night too, just like the others, which is actually not a bad thing, because his being around is like a constant reproach -- after all, he is our boy because no one knows who his father is.



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Note added at 9 mins (2010-08-16 12:44:13 GMT)
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PS: I think you were slightly mislead in the original translation by thinking of "örökös" as a noun (that is, "heir", "successor" -- hence, I suspect, the idea of a heritage...); however, here the word functions as an adverb and means "constant", "continuous"...

hope this helps!
Selected response from:

Ilona Roberts
Norway
Local time: 01:08
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3constant reproach
Ilona Roberts
4constant rebuke
Annamaria Amik


  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
constant reproach


Explanation:
simply translated:
Our son Dezső disappears in the night too, just like the others, which is actually not a bad thing, because his being around is like a constant reproach -- after all, he is our boy because no one knows who his father is.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2010-08-16 12:44:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

PS: I think you were slightly mislead in the original translation by thinking of "örökös" as a noun (that is, "heir", "successor" -- hence, I suspect, the idea of a heritage...); however, here the word functions as an adverb and means "constant", "continuous"...

hope this helps!

Ilona Roberts
Norway
Local time: 01:08
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RomanianRomanian, Native in HungarianHungarian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: I really was mislead, what you wrote here was my first guess, it sounded more obvious even to me ;) But after repeatedly reading it and checking every meaning of every word just to make sure, it came to this. And it made more sense in the end, because of the father thing... But thank you, it really was the first thing I wrote, I shouldn't have changed my mind :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ildiko Santana: I would prefer "reproach" over "rebuke." For "örökös" there are a number of alternatives: perpetual, incessant, constant, non-stop...
1 hr
agree  Tradeuro Language Services
6 days
agree  juvera
12 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
constant rebuke


Explanation:
Inherited shame is an interesting solution, but the words actually mean: constant rebuke (örökös does not mean inherited, but constant, permanent, incessant).

Of course, rebuke does (should) create shame.

Here's an example, somewhat contrasting the premises of your sentence, but generating the same effect:
It was probably in these years that Elizabeth had to suffer the hostility of the more frivolous members of the Thuringian court, to whom the contemplative and pious child was a constant rebuke.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05389a.htm

They don't mind when the boy is missing during the day, because his presence acts like a constant reproach/blame/opprobrium.

Annamaria Amik
Local time: 02:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian, Native in RomanianRomanian
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, this example made it more clear :) See my comment on the above answer, too - I knew the meaning of the word, but found out it had another one and got totally confused in the end :) Thanks :)

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