Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
were undone by a Dutch masterclass
English answer:
The Dutch gave an expert performance that the English couldn't beat
Added to glossary by
B D Finch
Apr 11, 2016 10:53
8 yrs ago
English term
21 books translated
Native in: Russian 
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, Spanish to Russian, and 1 more.
were undone by a Dutch masterclass
English
Other
Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
Hello everyone,
A narrator in a documentary about Marco van Basten talks about the match between England and Holland at Euro 88.
"Van Basten scored twice more – not so much a hat-trick as a statement of intent. The English were undone by a Dutch masterclass, one which ultimately led to a semi-final showdown with old rivals West Germany. For some, there were scores to settle."
Does "The English were undone by a Dutch masterclass" mean that the Dutch played much better than the English (i.e. they taught them a lesson on how to play football, the Dutch being the master and the English being the students, so to speak), or does "a Dutch masterclass" refer specifically to Marco van Basten?
Thank you
A narrator in a documentary about Marco van Basten talks about the match between England and Holland at Euro 88.
"Van Basten scored twice more – not so much a hat-trick as a statement of intent. The English were undone by a Dutch masterclass, one which ultimately led to a semi-final showdown with old rivals West Germany. For some, there were scores to settle."
Does "The English were undone by a Dutch masterclass" mean that the Dutch played much better than the English (i.e. they taught them a lesson on how to play football, the Dutch being the master and the English being the students, so to speak), or does "a Dutch masterclass" refer specifically to Marco van Basten?
Thank you
Change log
Apr 12, 2016 15:35: B D Finch Created KOG entry
Responses
+6
18 mins
Selected
The Dutch gave an expert performance that the English couldn't beat
A masterclass is a class given by one or more professionals and experts in their field. In this case, the English didn't stand a chance, because the Dutch demonstrated such expertise they were like teachers and the English side and spectators were like their students.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Many thanks to everyone.
Thank you, B D Finch."
26 mins
Philippe ROUSSEAU
France
France
France
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Native in: French (Variant: Standard-France) 
Works in: English to French, Tagalog to French, Latin to French, and 3 more.
ont été surclassés par les Pays-Bas/Les Pays-Bas ont donné une lecon de football a l'Angleterre
On pourrait comprendre que que cela s'applique à. Marco Van Basten, vu qu'il a marqué tous les buts de son équipe (3-1). Mais il n'aurait rien pu faire sans ses coéquipiers. Le football est un sport d'équipe, et cette victoire a été construite collectivement. Elle est donc celle de toute une équipe, les Pays-Bas.
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