Jan 21, 2009 16:55
15 yrs ago
German term
in sich leben
German to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Er lebte viel in sich, und wenn er mit andern war, so vierhielt er sich gewöhnlich nur handelnd gegen sie. Brach nun einmal unter Freunden seine Rede los, wie wir schon öfter gesehen haben, so rollte sie ohne Rücksicht fort, verletzte oder heilte, wie es sich gerade fügen wollte.
Goethe, Die Wahlverwandtschaften
Goethe, Die Wahlverwandtschaften
Proposed translations
(English)
References
| Translation on the web |
Armorel Young
|
Proposed translations
+4
5 mins
Andrea Winzer
United States
United States
Native in German
Specializes in field
United States
Top Quality: Fast, reliable & certified
Native in: German 
Works in: English to German, German to English, Latin to German, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
23
Selected
he kept to himself/he lived in his own world
That's how I understand it.
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "lived in his own world works best for my argument, thank you!"
46 mins
He was apt to withdraw in his shell (from the outside world)
The emphasis is on the EMOTIONAL aspect of, it's more than just eschewing company as 'keeping to yourself' suggests; his state of mind was one of self-absorption and likely to internalize things, in which vein Werther's character was indeed drawn
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Paul Cohen
: "...withdraw inTO his shell" Yes, my initial thought was that he tended to shut himself off from the outside world, but that seemed too wordy.
1 hr
|
| neutral |
Kim Metzger
: What's Werther got to do with it? The main character in Elective Affinities is Edward.
1 hr
|
+2
2 hrs
Kim Metzger
Mexico
Mexico
Native in English
Specializes in field
Mexico
Committed to Quality and Service
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
213
introspection
I think Andrea's translation is fine, but here's an alternative by Hollingdale.
Hollingdale's translation, page 290:
He was given to much introspection, and when he associated with others it was usually in the sense of actively assisting them.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0140442421/ref=sib_dp_srch_p...
Er lebte viel in sich, und wenn er mit andern war, so vierhielt er sich gewöhnlich nur handelnd gegen sie. Brach nun einmal unter Freunden seine Rede los, wie wir schon öfter gesehen haben, so rollte sie ohne Rücksicht fort, verletzte oder heilte, wie es sich gerade fügen wollte.
http://www.wissen-im-netz.info/literatur/goethe/wahlver/2-18...
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Note added at 2 hrs (2009-01-21 19:27:55 GMT)
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Click on look inside! and enter much introspection
Elective Affinities (Classics) (Paperback)
by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (Author), R.J. Hollingdale (Translator) "EDUARD was the name of a wealthy baron in the prime of life and he had been spending the best hour of an April afternoon..."
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elective-Affinities-Classics-Johann-...
Hollingdale's translation, page 290:
He was given to much introspection, and when he associated with others it was usually in the sense of actively assisting them.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0140442421/ref=sib_dp_srch_p...
Er lebte viel in sich, und wenn er mit andern war, so vierhielt er sich gewöhnlich nur handelnd gegen sie. Brach nun einmal unter Freunden seine Rede los, wie wir schon öfter gesehen haben, so rollte sie ohne Rücksicht fort, verletzte oder heilte, wie es sich gerade fügen wollte.
http://www.wissen-im-netz.info/literatur/goethe/wahlver/2-18...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2009-01-21 19:27:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Click on look inside! and enter much introspection
Elective Affinities (Classics) (Paperback)
by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (Author), R.J. Hollingdale (Translator) "EDUARD was the name of a wealthy baron in the prime of life and he had been spending the best hour of an April afternoon..."
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elective-Affinities-Classics-Johann-...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
mill2
: always makes sense to quote the published translation...
15 hrs
|
| agree |
Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
18 hrs
|
2 hrs
He lived much within himself
"He lived much within himself, and when he was with others his only relation to them generally was in active employment on their behalf; but if once, when among his friends, his tongue broke fairly loose, as on more than one occasion we have already seen, he rolled out his words in utter recklessness, whether they wounded or whether they pleased, whether they did evil or whether they did good."
This is at the translation given at
http://www.archive.org/stream/electiveaffiniti00goetuoft/ele...
- but you have to go to the pdf version to find it and then scroll down to Chapter 36 (the version under "see full text" for some reason stops before this point).
I can't see the translator's name on it.
This is at the translation given at
http://www.archive.org/stream/electiveaffiniti00goetuoft/ele...
- but you have to go to the pdf version to find it and then scroll down to Chapter 36 (the version under "see full text" for some reason stops before this point).
I can't see the translator's name on it.
+1
21 hrs
his thoughts often turned inwards
just one little additional idea
Example sentence:
His thoughts were often turned inwards and whenever he was in the company of others, he expressed himself towards them in actions.
If on any occasion speech did erupt - as we have often witnessed - words poured forth relentlessly, wounding or healing, whatever happened to be the case.
23 hrs
he was very introverted
----
Reference comments
14 mins
Reference:
Translation on the web
A full translation of the book into English is available here:
http://www.archive.org/stream/electiveaffiniti00goetuoft/ele...
http://www.archive.org/stream/electiveaffiniti00goetuoft/ele...
Peer comments on this reference comment:
| agree |
Kim Metzger
: It's in ch 18 here http://www.wissen-im-netz.info/literatur/goethe/wahlver/2-18... but I searched the translation in vain.
1 hr
|
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Thanks, Kim - yes, it's ch. 18 of Part 2, or ch. 36 in some versions, and for some reason that translation doesn't go as far as that (but the pdf version of it does - see above)
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