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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Sandkastenspiel

English translation:

child's play

Added to glossary by Robert Schlarb
Oct 28, 2005 09:05
18 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term

Sandkastenspiel

German to English Art/Literary History WW II
Considerations prior to Operation Barbarossa:

Vielmehr waren sich sämtliche Instanzen, die bei der Lageeinschätzung beteiligt waren, darüber einig, dass ein Krieg gegen die Sowjetunion im Vergleich zu den Konfrontationen im Westen und Süden Europas ein "Sandkastenspiel" werden würde.

Have not been able to corroborate "sandbox game" in the context of any existing translation.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +8 child's play
3 +3 sand table exercise
4 +2 "a walk in the park"
2 +3 toy soldiers
2 +3 a turkey shoot
3 child's play
3 -1 Sandpit showdown/game
3 -1 theoretical manoeuvrings

Discussion

Francis Lee (X) Oct 28, 2005:
Robert, what kind of people will this article be addressed to? As "Sandkastenspiel" is an original quote, you might indeed want to write "sand table exercise" (obscure as it is) with an accompanying note/explanation.

Proposed translations

+8
3 mins
Selected

child's play

;-

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Note added at 6 mins (2005-10-28 09:11:56 GMT)
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maybe more context needed: theoretical manoeuvres may also work
Peer comment(s):
agree Ulrike Kraemer : With "child's play", i.e. very easy when compared to what was awaiting them in Southern and Western Europe... Hi, Stephen! :-)
9 mins
indeed it was, thanks littlebalu, nice and sunny here today
agree Stephen Roche
37 mins
thanks stephen
agree Francis Lee (X) : I think this is the primary message here
38 mins
thank you frank
agree milinad
3 hrs
thanks milinad
agree Armorel Young : yes, a very standard phrase that fits well here
4 hrs
thanks armorel, had also thought of as easy as pie, think it's too colloquial
agree Rebecca Garber : this fits the sense of the paragraph
5 hrs
thanks rlg
agree tectranslate ITS GmbH : Also a good option, imo.
8 hrs
thanks tectranslate
agree Bjørn Anthun : a great fit in regards to "Sandkastenspiel"
18 hrs
thanks renate
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Although "sandtable exercise" (i.e. battle planning technique) is probably the correct literal translation, I see no way of communicating the idea without a footnote. Hence "child's play" seems to be the best alternative for getting across the main idea (it would be easy). Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas."
-1
5 mins

Sandpit showdown/game

since it is about politics
Peer comment(s):
disagree Ian M-H (X) : "sandpit showdown" might be a nice-sounding phrase in a different context, but it doesn't sound right here IMO
47 mins
Something went wrong...
4 mins

child's play

ich denke, das passt hier

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Note added at 5 mins (2005-10-28 09:10:55 GMT)
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...would be child's play (in comparison).
Something went wrong...
-1
8 mins

theoretical manoeuvrings

they all agreed that.....would merely be (or consist of???) theoretical manoeuvrings.
that´s what PONS suggests, but not too sure how to correctly put it into proper English here :-)
Peer comment(s):
disagree Ian M-H (X) : This might fit if "Sandkastenspiel" was solely referring, rather than jlluding to, table-top manoeuvres - but in this context something different is needed
46 mins
neutral Stephen Sadie : i had already written this in my note added, also with ian though
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
+3
14 mins

sand table exercise

as given by Muret Sanders

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Note added at 15 mins (2005-10-28 09:21:38 GMT)
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http://www.stormingmedia.us/85/8518/A851883.html


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 mins (2005-10-28 09:22:19 GMT)
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http://www.firewise.org/pubs/wnn/vol18/no4/Page1.html
Peer comment(s):
agree Francis Lee (X) : this would be fine, EXCEPT I'm not sure how many people are familiar with the term "sand table". I wasn't ...
39 mins
Yes, depends on target audience and tone of the piece
agree Ted Wozniak : We just dealt with this in the GLD mailing list. This is also the definition in Wahrig (militärische Übung)
1 hr
agree Siegfried Armbruster
1 hr
neutral Stephen Sadie : absolutely with francis, a drawback that it's very uncommon
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
+3
20 mins

toy soldiers

like playing toy soldiers compared to ...
like a game of toy soldiers ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2005-10-28 09:32:32 GMT)
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http://www.megagames.com/news/show.cgi?&idtype=previews&data...
"The fighting in the West was like fighting with toy soldiers compared to what the Russians and Germans did in the East"
Eben, es war eher umgekehrt ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 39 mins (2005-10-28 09:44:56 GMT)
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I would initially have thought of "child's play", but perhaps you do need some kind of military element in there.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 17 mins (2005-10-28 10:23:38 GMT)
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- a scale-model demonstration ?
Peer comment(s):
agree Ian M-H (X)
29 mins
agree Stephen Sadie : a good option
32 mins
agree Rachel Ward
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
+3
1 hr

a turkey shoot

Results 1 - 10 of about 234 for "it would be a turkey shoot". (Mostly with military context)
Actually, I don't like this phrase at all but a North American reader might. It is, in any case, probably completely the wrong register here, hence CL2.
Peer comment(s):
agree Frosty : There was a naval battle in the Pacific that became referred to as "The Great Marianas Turkey-Shoot", where the Jap force was totally wiped out.
7 mins
agree Francis Lee (X) : a good option - provided the Asker has sufficient liberty
45 mins
agree Ian M-H (X) : I think this actually catches the tone rather nicely.
7 hrs
Something went wrong...
+2
4 mins

"a walk in the park"

Idiomatic - i.e. very easy.

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Note added at 23 hrs 29 mins (2005-10-29 08:35:25 GMT)
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Or a "Walkover"

Or a "pushover"
Peer comment(s):
agree Kathi Stock : oder "a piece of cake"
5 hrs
Thanks! - or a walkover perhaps.
agree tectranslate ITS GmbH : I've heard this one in connection with military ops before, yes.
8 hrs
Something went wrong...
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