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This question was closed without grading. Reason: Other
Oct 27, 2009 08:43
14 yrs ago
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Indonesian term

di ujung tanduk

Indonesian to English Social Sciences Government / Politics governance
This is, I think, an Indonesian colloquial expression that I find difficult to translate to idiomatic English. Literally, it means "at the tip of a horn" but it could mean "hangs in the balance." I'd like to find an expression that is appropriate to the context.

The sentence is as follows:

Nasib upaya pemberantasan korupsi, yang kini **di ujung tanduk,** sungguh ironis di tengah derasnya pujian dunia terhadap Indonesia di bidang ekonomi.

TIA
Proposed translations (English)
5 +1 in a precarious situation
5 critical
5 hangs by a hair
5 in a perilous situation
4 +1 at a critical juncture
3 +1 hangs by a thread
3 at a critical point

Discussion

argosys (asker) Nov 10, 2009:
Most of the answers given are accurate translations of the metaphor, but writer seems to have used an exaggeration. Falling short of target is not necessarily disastrous as the phrase implies. I still prefer "hangs in the balance."
Thanks, everyone.
argosys (asker) Nov 2, 2009:
Thanks, Erich. This is a figure of speech (simile) which translates to: "like an egg (balancing) on the tip of a horn." Unless one is a magician, the egg is sure to fall. My question is: Does it mean that the efforts to end corruption are certain to fail? Or does it mean that if falls one way it will be a success and that it falls the other way it will be a failure? Thanks.
ErichEko ⟹⭐ Oct 27, 2009:
telur di ujung tanduk The quoted proverb (?) is actually incomplete; it should be like this: .... yang kini **bak telur di ujung tanduk** .....

Proposed translations

+1
3 mins

hangs by a thread

imho
Peer comment(s):
agree Adrian Prasetya : bisa juga "hangs in the balance" koq
1 hr
Something went wrong...
12 mins

critical

.
Something went wrong...
16 mins

hangs by a hair

Something went wrong...
19 hrs

at a critical point

salah satu versi yang bisa digunakan, saya kira
Something went wrong...
1 day 7 hrs

in a perilous situation

"Di ujung tanduk" means "in a very dangerous position."

according to www.dictionary.com

perilous means "involving or full of grave risk or peril; hazardous; dangerous". that is what happens when an egg (telur) is put on the tip (ujung) of a horn (tanduk). it would not be stable and it is literally in a dangerous situation. One slip, and noone can save Humpty Dumpty.

the closest phrase I can think of, IMHO, is "in perilous situation."
Something went wrong...
+1
3 days 19 hrs

in a precarious situation

Actually, all the terms suggested are possible to use. It depends how you want the tone of your writing to be. You can use : hanging by a thread/hanging in the balance/on thin ice, if you wish to be figurative; otherwise use : in a precarious situation / in a critical situation.
Peer comment(s):
agree BruceJak : I think it should be "hangs on a knife edge" - that to me is the best way of saying it, and the way we would say it in English (to refer to a critical situation where things can go well, or not).
4246 days
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+1
51 mins

at a critical juncture

Events are unfolding in a way that one just cannot predict which way things will go

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 days (2009-11-04 07:25:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In reference to context, I can add that "critical juncture" implies that important and perhaps difficult decisions are needed. Leave things to chance, and disaster looms. The gist is, it's time to look at decisive action, not laissez-faire, which is what I understand from attempting to combat corruption in Indonesia.
Peer comment(s):
agree BruceJak : I think it should be "hangs on a knife edge" - that to me is the best way of saying it, and the way we would say it in English (to refer to a critical situation where things can go well, or not).
4250 days
Something went wrong...
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