Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
explain away
English answer:
justifying, explaining in such a way that it stops being offensive or problematic or difficult
Added to glossary by
Natalia Volkova
Jun 1, 2014 20:01
9 yrs ago
English term
Russian Federation
20+ Translated Books Published in Moscow
Native in: Russian (Variants: Standard-Russia, Moscow)
Works in: English to Russian, Italian to Russian, Spanish to Russian, and 2 more.
explain away
English
Social Sciences
Religion
Christianity. The Pauline doctrine
The Pauline doctrine has, in particular, been made the subject of almost endless discussion, chiefly, it must be confessed, with the object of softening its outlines or of explaining it more or less away.
Change log
Jun 6, 2014 16:31: Natalia Volkova Created KOG entry
Jun 6, 2014 16:33: Natalia Volkova changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/1083925">Natalia Volkova's</a> old entry - "explain away"" to ""explaining in such a way that it stops being offensive or problematic or difficult""
Responses
+4
8 mins
Selected
providing an explanation effectively saying it doesn't exist...
...or in some other way justifying or excusing it.
The exact wording you need will depend on exactly what the Pauline doctrine is, and in what way the writer believes it needs to be 'got rid of'.
To take a more prosaic example: "The boy explained away the broken window by saying it wasn't caused by his football, but a stone thrown up by a passing car."
So it is an explanation to try and make some problem associated with the subject go away...
The exact wording you need will depend on exactly what the Pauline doctrine is, and in what way the writer believes it needs to be 'got rid of'.
To take a more prosaic example: "The boy explained away the broken window by saying it wasn't caused by his football, but a stone thrown up by a passing car."
So it is an explanation to try and make some problem associated with the subject go away...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you. I like your explanation."
+6
24 mins
Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz
Poland
Poland
Specializes in field
Poland
Premium legal and business translator
Native in: Polish
Works in: English to Polish, Polish to English, Latin to Polish, and 5 more.
diluting its meaning in explanation until it holds no substance
Or exlaining in such a way that it stops being offensive or problematic or difficult but on the other hand no more substance remains in it (effectively negating the essence of something in the process of explaining it to others.)
Figuratively: explain + deal away with.
Figuratively: explain + deal away with.
Note from asker:
| Thank you very much, Lukasz for your valuable help. I sorry I can`t give the points to the both! I`ll give you the points some other time. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Agneta Pallinder
42 mins
|
| agree |
Charles Davis
: I agree entirely with "explaining in such a way that it stops being offensive or problematic or difficult", though I don't think it necessarily means that no more substance remains.
1 hr
|
| agree |
JaneTranslates
: Charles said exactly what I was thinking.
4 hrs
|
| agree |
acetran
9 hrs
|
| agree |
Tina Vonhof (X)
18 hrs
|
| agree |
Victoria Britten
: With Charles (and Jane).
1 day 10 hrs
|
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