Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
gleich drei
English translation:
no fewer than three
Added to glossary by
Rachel Ward
May 18, 2009 11:09
15 yrs ago
German term
gleich drei (riesige Bagger)
Non-PRO
German to English
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
fantasy novel
This is from a fantasy novel, but the setting for this chapter is Rio de Janeiro. The main character is considering the ongoing battle between the favelas (shanty towns) and the respectable parts of the city.
I'm not quite sure what the "gleich" means here. Is it "precisely" or "all of" or something? Thanks!
"Im Augenblick tobte nicht einmal weit entfernt eine weitere Schlacht in diesem nur scheinbar ungleichen Krieg. Nur einen Steinwurf hinter Jesus und ihr waren **gleich drei** der Ehrfurcht gebietenden Kriegsmaschinen der anständigen Bürger Rio de Janeiros aufgefahren, flankiert von einer ganzen Kohorte ihrer besten Krieger. Man hätte es auch anders ausdrücken können: Gute zwei oder drei Dutzend Bauarbeiter mit gelben, roten und blauen Helmen - deren unterschiedliche Farben etwas bedeuten mochten oder auch nicht - über denen sich die Schaufeln von **gleich drei** riesigen Baggern erhoben, bereit, sich mit ihren gewaltigen Stahlzähnen in die aus Wellblech und morschem Holz errichteten Gebäude zu fressen, die es gewagt hatten, die imaginäre Grenzlinie zwischen dem Elendsviertel und der anständigen Leuten vorbehaltenen Seite der Straße zu überschreiten."
I'm not quite sure what the "gleich" means here. Is it "precisely" or "all of" or something? Thanks!
"Im Augenblick tobte nicht einmal weit entfernt eine weitere Schlacht in diesem nur scheinbar ungleichen Krieg. Nur einen Steinwurf hinter Jesus und ihr waren **gleich drei** der Ehrfurcht gebietenden Kriegsmaschinen der anständigen Bürger Rio de Janeiros aufgefahren, flankiert von einer ganzen Kohorte ihrer besten Krieger. Man hätte es auch anders ausdrücken können: Gute zwei oder drei Dutzend Bauarbeiter mit gelben, roten und blauen Helmen - deren unterschiedliche Farben etwas bedeuten mochten oder auch nicht - über denen sich die Schaufeln von **gleich drei** riesigen Baggern erhoben, bereit, sich mit ihren gewaltigen Stahlzähnen in die aus Wellblech und morschem Holz errichteten Gebäude zu fressen, die es gewagt hatten, die imaginäre Grenzlinie zwischen dem Elendsviertel und der anständigen Leuten vorbehaltenen Seite der Straße zu überschreiten."
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+10
1 hr
Selected
no less than three (huge excavators)
This is the appropriate 1:1 idiomatic English translation. The inherent stress in the German phrase is on the fact that so many excavators were driven up, where one would have been frightening enough. Hence, in English - no less than
Peer comment(s):
agree |
franglish
3 mins
|
agree |
Colin Rowe
: You appear to have just pipped me to it!
4 mins
|
agree |
Thomas Pfann
: Streng genommen eigentlich 'no fewer than three', oder? Auch wenn mittlerweile beides im Sprachgebrauch akzeptiert wird.
25 mins
|
agree |
Inge Meinzer
30 mins
|
agree |
Jutta Wappel
53 mins
|
agree |
Erik Freitag
: Can't wait to see BrigitteHilgner's response to this one - just kidding!
1 hr
|
agree |
Rebecca Garber
1 hr
|
agree |
Nicole Y. Adams, M.A.
3 hrs
|
agree |
Katharine Oden
6 hrs
|
agree |
sallyw
17 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks Werner - and also Colin! Going with this answer because it hit my inbox a minute or so earlier!"
3 mins
at once / at a time
Gleich is here used in the sense that it is three at the same time.
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Note added at 11 mins (2009-05-18 11:20:54 GMT)
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OH, and I wouldn't use 'all of', as that implies that there were 'no more than three', which seems to be the opposite to what is meant in the text.
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Note added at 11 mins (2009-05-18 11:20:54 GMT)
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OH, and I wouldn't use 'all of', as that implies that there were 'no more than three', which seems to be the opposite to what is meant in the text.
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Erik Freitag
: No, it doesn't, see my discussion entry above (though your translation might work).
2 mins
|
neutral |
David Williams
: Normally yes, but I have to agree with efreitag here. Why only a discussion, not a proposed answer, efreitag?
9 mins
|
+1
14 mins
a total of three
This helps to place emphasis on the number, since this is of importance to the context.
+3
18 mins
German term (edited):
gleich drei
as much as three
Ok, I'll take the plunge after David's encouragement (thanks!):
It means as much as "not one, not two, but three!" It emphasizes that three is a big number here. "As much as" might convey the meaning, though I'm not too sure in all my non-nativeness ;-)
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Note added at 31 Min. (2009-05-18 11:40:59 GMT)
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Steffen is of course right: as many as.
Also, I'd like to add that "gleich" (to me) has a remote connotation of "three, where you'd normally expect only one or two".
It means as much as "not one, not two, but three!" It emphasizes that three is a big number here. "As much as" might convey the meaning, though I'm not too sure in all my non-nativeness ;-)
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Note added at 31 Min. (2009-05-18 11:40:59 GMT)
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Steffen is of course right: as many as.
Also, I'd like to add that "gleich" (to me) has a remote connotation of "three, where you'd normally expect only one or two".
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Steffen Walter
: "as MANY as three" (these are countable objects) / otherwise agree
4 mins
|
Yes, of course. Point taken, thanks!
|
|
agree |
Kerstin Green
: yes, this is better!
8 mins
|
Thanks!
|
|
agree |
Ingeborg Gowans (X)
: I also like your comment: not only one or two, but three or: as many as three (for emphasis)
51 mins
|
Thanks!
|
|
neutral |
BrigitteHilgner
: Da es immer wieder ein beträchtlicher Aufwand ist, Englischschülern den Unterschied zwischen "much" und "many" beizubringen, bin ich versucht, hier ein rot unterstrichenes "disagree" einzugeben. In diesem Forum sollten solche Fehler nicht vorkommen.
51 mins
|
Und aus eben diesem Grunde wollte ich mich ursprünglich auf einen Diskussionsbeitrag beschränken, statt eine Übersetzung vorzuschlagen.Die wesentliche Information ist die Erläuterung,ich erhebe keinen Anspruch auf fehlerfreies oder auch nur gutes Englisch
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|
agree |
franglish
: as many
55 mins
|
1 hr
three whole
Agree with efreitag's explanation but "as many as" sounds like the narrator isn't sure how many but thinks it's no more than three.
Depending on the tone you could try "three whole" for one of the phrases, maybe three whole bulldozers. efreitag's idea with not one not two but three isn't bad either...
Depending on the tone you could try "three whole" for one of the phrases, maybe three whole bulldozers. efreitag's idea with not one not two but three isn't bad either...
+5
1 hr
no less than three
There were no less than three giant ....
efreitag has certainly got the discussion on the right track:
"not just one or two, but three..."
Here a possible variant to add to the collection.
efreitag has certainly got the discussion on the right track:
"not just one or two, but three..."
Here a possible variant to add to the collection.
Example sentence:
There are *no less than three* BND departments focusing on Kosovo, including Department Five, responsible for organized crime
Nikon has today announced *no less than three* new Speedlight flash units.
Reference:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,593713,00.html
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0202/02022102nikonspeedlights.asp
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Thomas Pfann
: Streng genommen eigentlich 'no fewer than three', oder? Auch wenn mittlerweile beides im Sprachgebrauch akzeptiert wird.
21 mins
|
Duly chastised! Thanks!
|
|
agree |
Inge Meinzer
29 mins
|
Thanks!
|
|
agree |
Jutta Wappel
50 mins
|
Thanks!
|
|
agree |
Erik Freitag
: Can't wait to see BrigitteHilgner's response to this one - just kidding!
1 hr
|
;-)
|
|
agree |
Nicole Y. Adams, M.A.
3 hrs
|
Thanks!
|
Discussion