Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
sonst haben sie hier nichts verloren
English translation:
otherwise they are worse than useless
Added to glossary by
Ventnai
Jan 21, 2010 05:55
14 yrs ago
2 viewers *
German term
sonst haben sie hier nichts verloren
German to English
Marketing
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
marketing
Die Lösungen müssen exakt den Anforderungen der einzelnen Bereiche entsprechen und sich intuitiv bedienen lassen, sonst haben sie hier nichts verloren.
I am translating a brochure which describes security systems in hospitals and other health care facilities. Can anyone help with a good phrase here? Thanks.
I am translating a brochure which describes security systems in hospitals and other health care facilities. Can anyone help with a good phrase here? Thanks.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+5
58 mins
British Diana
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Specializes in field
Germany
enthusiast
Native in: English (Variant: British) 
Works in: German to English, English to German, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Selected
otherwise they are worse than useless
Might be too colloquial for your text, but it brings over the emphasis.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Krikor
: I agree, but it seems an odd construction. Just by itself I would have translated, or rather interpolated, the target phrase in colloquial or advertizing American English as: 'What do you have to lose?'
1 hr
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No, it's not about encouraging someone to risk sth.: "What do you have to lose?", the point is that the equipment is not only useless if it is not accurate etc., it might even be harmful. That is why the text says, "Sie haben hier nichts verloren!"
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| agree |
Daniela Gieseler-Higgs
: Very good in this context
2 hrs
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Thanks a lot, Daniela !
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| agree |
Michele Johnson
: Or a waste of time.
2 hrs
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Thanks, Michele !
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| agree |
mill2
: If the solutions aren't xxx they are useless
4 hrs
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Thanks, mill !
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| agree |
Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
14 hrs
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Thanks, Harald !
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks for everybody's input. "
+2
13 mins
otherwise they don't belong here
*
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Rosa Foyle
: This has the right register (tone) for your sentence.
1 hr
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| agree |
Rolf Keiser
2 hrs
|
27 mins
...or else they don't have any business here
since you are in a business context, I thought this idiom would fit.
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Note added at 28 mins (2010-01-21 06:23:25 GMT)
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or shorter:
...or else they have no business here.
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Note added at 28 mins (2010-01-21 06:23:25 GMT)
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or shorter:
...or else they have no business here.
1 hr
BrigitteHilgner
Austria
Austria
Native in German
Austria
b2b/economics/marketing/market research/
Native in: German 
Works in: German to English, French to German, English to German
Related KudoZ points
:
23
... that's a must (have)
that request must be met
I would try to rephrase and not opt for a fairly literal translation.
I would try to rephrase and not opt for a fairly literal translation.
+1
2 hrs
Andrea Garfield-Barkworth
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Works in field
Germany
Reach a wider audience
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
otherwise they are redundant
redundant adj 1 not needed; superfluous. 2 said of an employee: no longer needed and therefore dismissed. 3 said of a word or phrase: superfluous; expressing an idea or sense already conveyed by another word or phrase, and therefore able to be removed without affecting the overall meaning of the sentence, etc. redundantly adverb.
ETYMOLOGY: 17c: from Latin redundare to surge.
ETYMOLOGY: 17c: from Latin redundare to surge.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Peter Manda (X)
19 hrs
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Discussion