Feb 24, 2006 14:19
18 yrs ago
2 viewers *
German term
Erkenntnis ist der erste Schritt zur Besserung
German to English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Hi
Gibt es eine Entsprechung im Englischen fuer dieses Sprichwort? wie wuerdet ihr es uebersetzen?
Vielen Dank fuer eure Muehe
Vampyre
Gibt es eine Entsprechung im Englischen fuer dieses Sprichwort? wie wuerdet ihr es uebersetzen?
Vielen Dank fuer eure Muehe
Vampyre
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Feb 24, 2006 16:02: Steffen Walter changed "Term asked" from "erkenntniss ist der erste schritt zur besserung" to "Erkenntnis ist der erste Schritt zur Besserung" , "Field (specific)" from "General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters" to "Idioms / Maxims / Sayings" , "Field (write-in)" from "Proverb" to "(none)"
Proposed translations
+5
4 mins
German term (edited):
erkenntniss ist der erste schritt zur besserung
Selected
recognition is the first step toward improvement
or acknowledgement, I've heard both.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
oxygen4u
: :)
4 mins
|
| agree |
Lucia [Lulu] Lay
47 mins
|
| agree |
Susan Keller
: surely it has to be improvement, and not recovery etc. in the given context - people can do their job better, improve themselves, if they know what they need to address (Erkenntis being the feedback or knowledge)
11 hrs
|
| agree |
Ulrike Kraemer
: I would use "insight" instead of recognition, and it's definitely "improvement" in the context, not recovery. Here, Besserung = VERBesserung (= getting better in doing sth., not recovering from sth.).
18 hrs
|
| agree |
Michaela Sommer
: works best in this context
19 hrs
|
| neutral |
Francis Lee (X)
: if you've "heard both", why have neither I nor anyone else on the Net? Of course this makes sense, but it's not a set phrase (and I'm not keen on "recognition" without a noun)
22 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
13 mins
German term (edited):
erkenntniss ist der erste schritt zur besserung
Accepting that a problem exists is the first step towards solving it
or "... is a prequisite for solving it"
Are we talking about management principles here or attitudes to health care or what?
Are we talking about management principles here or attitudes to health care or what?
+2
9 mins
German term (edited):
erkenntniss ist der erste schritt zur besserung
admission is the first step to recovery
I guess that's the equivalent. Otherwise e.g. "admitting there's a problem ..."
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Note added at 35 mins (2006-02-24 14:55:09 GMT)
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Well, some 884 Google hits seem to imply this is indeed the standard saying ...
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Note added at 40 mins (2006-02-24 15:00:14 GMT)
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If it is indeed "Selbsterkenntnis":
Admitting/knowing/realizing/acknowledging/being aware of your faults is the first step towards correcting/curing them
But surely the author meant just "Erkenntnis" if they wrote it, nöh?
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Note added at 35 mins (2006-02-24 14:55:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Well, some 884 Google hits seem to imply this is indeed the standard saying ...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 40 mins (2006-02-24 15:00:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
If it is indeed "Selbsterkenntnis":
Admitting/knowing/realizing/acknowledging/being aware of your faults is the first step towards correcting/curing them
But surely the author meant just "Erkenntnis" if they wrote it, nöh?
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
1 hr
|
| agree |
Rachel Ward
1 hr
|
| neutral |
Henry Schroeder
: Why do employees with feedback need to recover? Wouldn't "improvement" be more logical in the context explained in the note?
15 hrs
|
|
This is a common SPRICHWORT (as requested by the Asker), which I posted before more context was provided; still more applicable than the German ;-)
|
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| neutral |
Ulrike Kraemer
: With Henry (see my comment to Steven's suggestion above). // Die Übersetzung kann ruhig unpassend sein... Hauptsache, es ist eine "common phrase"?
18 hrs
|
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"recognition is the first step toward improvement" is not a common phrase, but a literal translation; "insight" passt hier übrigens überhaupt nicht // Aber nein, an sich natürlich nicht, but what canya do? ;-)
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| neutral |
Michaela Sommer
: So sorry Francis - I meant to agree with Steven's answer, I'm not quite with it this morning:-(
18 hrs
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Hey, I'm very much normalsterblich myself 8-)
|
1 hr
German term (edited):
erkenntniss ist der erste schritt zur besserung
acceptance is the first step to recovery
"acceptance is the first step to recovery"
some google hits also (426)
some google hits also (426)
2 hrs
Self-admission is the first step on the road to recovery
or 'recognizing your failings is the ...'
7 hrs
Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Canada
Native in German
Canada
Friendly, fast & certified!
Native in: German (Variants: Swiss, Platt / Nieder (Low German), Austrian, Germany) 
Works in: English to German, German to English, German
Related KudoZ points
:
90
a fault confessed is half redressed
{_ Einsicht_ ist der erste Weg zur Besserung}
maybe this works
maybe this works
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Michaela Sommer
: I love this one, Johanna, but I think it's too negative in this particular context as it implies that the employee is at some sort of 'fault'.
10 hrs
|
|
hach!! Und da dachte ich, das wäre eine wahre Glanzleistung!!! Aber was solls- wie heisst's noch so schoen: 'Einsicht ist...;)
|
15 hrs
Henry Schroeder
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
20 years of experience, certified, ATA
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English, Russian to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
2
Knowing is half the battle
A little late...
In your context with "feedback on performance", I would tranlate Kenntnis as "knowing" rather than "recognition" or "admission" which are not appropriate here.
If you want to translate an idiom with an idiom here is a nice option.
Here is the example from the reference:
be half the battle (won)
to be the most difficult part of a process so that once you have completed this part, you have almost succeeded. When you're training a dog, getting it to trust you is half the battle.
See also: half
In your context with "feedback on performance", I would tranlate Kenntnis as "knowing" rather than "recognition" or "admission" which are not appropriate here.
If you want to translate an idiom with an idiom here is a nice option.
Here is the example from the reference:
be half the battle (won)
to be the most difficult part of a process so that once you have completed this part, you have almost succeeded. When you're training a dog, getting it to trust you is half the battle.
See also: half
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Susan Keller
: although i like "knowing" even better than recognition, isn't. "battle" a bit harsh? Agree with you on phrases with "half" .
12 hrs
|
1 day 22 hrs
Annette Urbschat
Native in German
&
English
bilinguist, childrens' lit. and arts
Native in: English 
, German
Works in: German to English, English to German
Related KudoZ points
:
3
Awareness is the first step towards change
Not an idiom but might work in this context. I also keep flashing on the saying: If you don't learn from history, you are likely to repeat it.
Discussion