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Wertübergabeprotokoll
Dec 20, 2005 15:03
18 yrs ago
2 viewers *
German term

über fünf Ecken

German to English Marketing Advertising / Public Relations Product promotion
"Warum also über fünf Ecken, wenn es auch direkt geht?"

This is about being able to order directly from the manufacturer of high-tech materials used in measurement technology.

The previous sentences read as follows:

"Probieren Sie es doch selbst aus: Bestellen Sie Ihre Taster und Tastelemente oder Ihre Erstausstattung in Zukunft direkt bei YYY. Wenn die Weltmarktführer uns vertrauen, sollten Sie es auch!
Die Rechnung ist ganz einfach. Sie erhalten höchste Qualität, zum besten Preis, auf schnellstem Weg. Warum also über fünf Ecken, wenn es auch direkt geht?"

Thank you for your help so far and for any creative suggestions on this one! :-)
Proposed translations (English)
3 +3 Why waste time when you can go right to the source?
4 +2 Direct service - for direct satisfaction
4 (why)go around the houses(when you can go in a straight line.)
4 Why search high and low when you could order [it] directly from us?
3 +1 all around Robin Hood's barn
3 +1 Be smart and order directly from us!
4 -1 jump through hoops
3 Cut out the middleman - get it direct(ly) from us!
4 -1 why beat around the bush.....

Proposed translations

+3
5 mins
German term (edited): �ber f�nf Ecken
Selected

Why waste time when you can go right to the source?

or "Why not get it straight from the source?"

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Note added at 8 mins (2005-12-20 15:11:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Better:
Save time and money by ordering direct.
Peer comment(s):
agree Stephen Sadie : i like the original proposal
36 mins
Thanks, Stephen.
agree Steven Sidore : I also like the original, but not the alternative, for the same reasons mentioned in my comment to Orla's answer.
47 mins
Thanks, Steven.
agree Marnen Laibow-Koser : I think this is the one I like best so far. It's surprisingly hard to do a direct translation of the German here.
4 hrs
Thanks, Marnen.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I ended up going with this one. Thank you! :-)"
2 mins
German term (edited): �ber f�nf Ecken

(why)go around the houses(when you can go in a straight line.)

one possibility.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Marnen Laibow-Koser : I don't know what your target audience is, but you should be aware that this idiom is decidedly not North American usage.
4 hrs
no,its u.k. usage,an often used one too.,a bit like original,where no structure has 5 corners.also,target audience nothing to do with me.
Something went wrong...
5 mins
German term (edited): �ber f�nf Ecken

Why search high and low when you could order [it] directly from us?

Feel free to adapt that if you want! :)

Peer comment(s):
neutral Steven Sidore : I like the high and low part, but it's not always a good idea in marketing to ask a question like the second part does--because sometimes it makes the customer come up with the wrong answers ("hmm, because last time you were twice as expensive...")
46 mins
that's a good point, i was thinking in terms of first-time customers as repeat customers will already know that they can order goods directly from the firm
Something went wrong...
+2
5 mins
German term (edited): �ber f�nf Ecken

Direct service - for direct satisfaction

I think you need to take a whole new approach with this one. How about "Direct service - for direct satisfaction", with or without the dash.
Peer comment(s):
agree Steven Sidore : Good for the US, anyway. A little too direct (pun intended) for the British crowd?
47 mins
Should be jes' fine for the UK and Irish market
agree Nancy Arrowsmith : order directly - for best results all around
1 hr
Something went wrong...
-1
12 mins
German term (edited): �ber f�nf Ecken

jump through hoops

Just one more suggestion among others that are also good.

"Why jump through hoops when you can go right to the source?"
Peer comment(s):
disagree Marnen Laibow-Koser : I think "jump through hoops" doesn't quite capture the right nuance: it means "follow complicated rules", not "look all over the place" (the sense of the German).
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
15 mins
German term (edited): �ber f�nf Ecken

Cut out the middleman - get it direct(ly) from us!

another suggestion

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 33 mins (2005-12-20 15:37:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Why use a middleman - ...
Something went wrong...
+1
54 mins
German term (edited): �ber f�nf Ecken

all around Robin Hood's barn

"Why go all around Robin Hood's barn, when you can go straight to us?"

Your author has already explained his services in modern, simple language. S/He appears to want to use an idiomatic phrase here, so perhaps we should too.

Here is the explanation and history:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/1405.htm...

Peer comment(s):
neutral IanW (X) : Isn't this a little obscure - I've never heard it before at any rate? / Hey, maybe it's just me, a 30-year-old whippersnapper ...
1 min
Sorry, it came immediately to mind when I read the question. I've known the expression all my life and, man, is that a long time! :-)
agree Richard Hall
2 mins
Thanx
neutral muitoprazer (X) : don't think RH had a barn,also never heard this expression.
1 hr
Thank you, you're right, RH didn't have a barn, how silly of me! Please try reading the explanation and history before you make such foolish evaluations.
neutral Marnen Laibow-Koser : The expression is unfamiliar to me as well, and in any case it's probably too verbose to match the feel of the original.
3 hrs
Right, this is nearly double the number of German keystrokes, English is occasionally more verbose than German. Besides that, if YOU don't know the phrase, Derek certainly shouldn't use it. Talk about leaving yourself open for a left jab! ;-)
Something went wrong...
-1
1 hr

why beat around the bush.....

wnhen you can get it straight from us
Peer comment(s):
disagree Marnen Laibow-Koser : "Beat around the bush" does not have this sense. It refers to not coming to the main point in a conversation.
3 hrs
I am speechless - your interpretation is not wrong but it is surely not exclusive
Something went wrong...
+1
10 hrs
German term (edited): �ber f�nf Ecken

Be smart and order directly from us!

or perhaps: "Direct order is the way to go!"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs 8 mins (2005-12-21 01:11:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or a bit longer: "Be smart and order directly from the source!"
Peer comment(s):
agree Nicole Schnell : Directly from the source is perfect.
1 hr
Something went wrong...
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