Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
The house must make no insistent demands for itself
English answer:
the house must not take up too much attention and energy
Added to glossary by
Patricia Townshend (X)
Oct 10, 2007 21:49
17 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
Canada
Conference interpreter, MBA, ATIO, ATA
Native in: Chinese 
Works in: Chinese to English, English to Chinese, Russian to Chinese, and 8 more.
The house must make no insistent demands for itself
English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
quotation
The house must make no insistent demands for itself, but rather aid as a background for life in work. This house acts as re-orientator and shock absorber.
Change log
Oct 15, 2007 05:49: Patricia Townshend (X) Created KOG entry
Responses
+2
7 hrs
Patricia Townshend (X)
South Africa
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
Related KudoZ points
:
36
Selected
the house must not take up too much attention and energy
Whilst I agree in part with both the earlier answers, I would add that I think that this is speaking of more than simply maintenance. I think it is also saying that the house must not take up all the energy of the inhabitants and be a focus in itself, but serve as a background to support and re-energise those people who live in it.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you very much."
+1
4 mins
Mark Berelekhis
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
United States
Exemplary quality, truly bilingual
Native in: Russian 
, English
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, English
Related KudoZ points
:
206
must not stand out, be the spotlight
This seems to be the meaning.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Michael Tovbin
: I tend to agree. I do not think they are talking about actual maintenance but rather the fact that a house should not attract too much attention, per se.
2 hrs
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Thank you, Michael.
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| disagree |
Alexander Demyanov
: Whatever Mark's and Michael's guesses might be, the actual context doesn't support this reading.
3 hrs
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| agree |
ErichEko ⟹⭐
7 hrs
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Thank you, Erich.
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| neutral |
Sheila Wilson
: I don't read that from it
9 hrs
|
+1
23 mins
Alexander Demyanov
Specializes in field
Software Engineering background
Native in: Russian
Works in: English, Russian, Russian to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
38
the house shouldn't require extensive maintenance, should be part of the means, not the purpose
The surrounding context supports this reading.
For a married couple both occupied professionally with mechanical experiment and graphic presentation. Work and recreation are involved in general activities: Day and night, work and play, concentration, relaxation with friend and foe, all intermingled personally and professionally with mutual interest. Basically apartment dwellers, there is a conscious effort made to be free of complication relating to maintenance. The house must make no insistent demands for itself, but rather aid as background for life in work. This house�in its free relation the ground, the trees, the sea�with constant proximity to the whole vast order of nature acts as re-orientor and "shock absorber" and should provide the needed relaxations from the daily complication arising within problems.
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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-10-11 00:57:19 GMT)
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In other words, the house is to serve the inhabitants, support their life style, not the other way around.
For a married couple both occupied professionally with mechanical experiment and graphic presentation. Work and recreation are involved in general activities: Day and night, work and play, concentration, relaxation with friend and foe, all intermingled personally and professionally with mutual interest. Basically apartment dwellers, there is a conscious effort made to be free of complication relating to maintenance. The house must make no insistent demands for itself, but rather aid as background for life in work. This house�in its free relation the ground, the trees, the sea�with constant proximity to the whole vast order of nature acts as re-orientor and "shock absorber" and should provide the needed relaxations from the daily complication arising within problems.
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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-10-11 00:57:19 GMT)
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In other words, the house is to serve the inhabitants, support their life style, not the other way around.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Cilian O'Tuama
: which "surrounding context"? But it's very generous of you to devote so much thought to this incomplete Q.
2 hrs
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The one I quote in the "explanation" field of my suggested answer.
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| agree |
Sheila Wilson
: Where did the context come from? Are you translating the same text into Russian?
8 hrs
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Thanks, Sheila. Just found it in the Web.
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