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Tateinheit

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Zerstreuung

English translation:

diversions

Added to glossary by British Diana
Mar 25, 2015 07:23
9 yrs ago
2 viewers *
German term

Zerstreuung

German to English Art/Literary Philosophy Text for bereavement thankyou card
Hallo, I am translating the card a widow is sending to people who have written to commiserate on the death of her husband. This aphorism is printed on the front of the card, followed by the words "Herzlichen Dank". Inside there are a couple of straightforward sentences thanking for people's sympathy and their donations etc.

Für den Verlust von Personen, die uns lieb waren, gibt es keine Linderung als die Zeit und sorgfältig und mit Vernunft gewählte Zerstreuung, wobei uns unser Herz keine Vorwürfe machen kann ...
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742-1799), Aphorismen

As she has received letters from America, the widow wants to have the card translated into English. I couldn't find an English version of the aphorism. "Zerstreuung" is a key word and I can't think of anything suitable. Possibly I don't quite understand the meaning....Any ideas? Many thanks in advance!
Proposed translations (English)
3 +10 (carefully considered) diversions
4 +4 distraction
3 pastimes/recreations
3 engagements
References
diversions
Versuch eines vollständigen grammatisch-kritischen Wörterbuches... / Johann Christoph Adelung

Discussion

British Diana (asker) Mar 26, 2015:
@Yorkshireman Yoou are right, it isn't really a question of whether a word is now kind of obscure and might call for a footnote. I certainly wouldn't advocate rephrasing world literature into Globish; but if there was a key word involved that had completely different connations today, I might considere replacing it . Example: gay or geil. (as I said: The English term needs ideally to be a word that fits the18h century but still has the right meaning today. )
However I don't think that "diversions" will make the readers think exclusively of road works, so your suggestion is perfect! In one hour (24-hour rule) I can give you the award!
Christin Gaebel Mar 25, 2015:
Absence I have checked this and thought of absence as in absent minded.
Yorkshireman Mar 25, 2015:
Modern-day Americans? Which means you would also have to rephrase Mark Twain, rewrite the poetry of Walt Whitman. Perhaps even reformulate the Declaration of Independence? :-)

I think not.
British Diana (asker) Mar 25, 2015:
N.B. The most suitable term should preferably - even if it fits the 18th century - still be understandable by modern-day Americans without them having to rush for their dictionaries!
Ramey Rieger (X) Mar 25, 2015:
Precisely Diana It has to be a word that infers distraction from grief and at the same time careful enjoyment, so that the one grieving doesn't lose contact with the brighter side of life.
British Diana (asker) Mar 25, 2015:
Thanks! Thank you for the first answers. I can see you are pondering the same questions as I am. The English term needs ideally to be a word that fits the18h century but still has the right meaning today. And the "Zerstreuung" mustn't sound too "fun", I think the idea is to keep one's mind off the grief, isn't it?

Proposed translations

+10
53 mins
Selected

(carefully considered) diversions

I think this takes the period into account.
Peer comment(s):
agree Armorel Young
52 mins
Hi Armorel, thanks!
agree Nicola Wood
1 hr
Thanks Nicola
agree mill2
2 hrs
Thanks
agree Sam Townshend : Yes, you're right - this one most closely represents the time period. An alternative might be 'disport' although that is even more archaic.
2 hrs
Yes. Though divers disports does sound a little medieval - like merry capers and jollities.
agree Lancashireman : Agree. 18th-century word called for here.
3 hrs
Ta!
agree oa_xxx (X) : "carefully and rationally chosen diversions" is what they used in the most recent translation "The Waste Books"//Yes, indeed! I think I might even prefer your "considered".
4 hrs
Wow! - looks like I got pretty close at first stab :-) Thanks for the quote
agree Rebecca Garber
6 hrs
THX Rebecca
agree Horst Huber (X) : Cf. the reference to Adelung.
6 hrs
Danke Horst!
agree Eckhard Boehle
7 hrs
Thanks Eckhard
agree Jacek Konopka
10 hrs
Hi Jacek, thanks
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you Yorkshireman, your supporters and everyone who helped me so much"
+4
7 mins

distraction

In this context, Zerstreuung is likely to mean distraction in the sense of keeping busy in order not to dwell on your grief.
Peer comment(s):
agree BrigitteHilgner
1 hr
agree Michael Martin, MA : Indeed. People are distracted, not diverted from their grief.
4 hrs
agree Donald Jacobson
6 hrs
agree Jacek Konopka
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
9 mins

pastimes/recreations

this seems the most 'decorous' word.
Others are

distractions
amusements
entertainment
Something went wrong...
33 mins

engagements

... sensibly chosen engagements, that our heart cannot reproach us with.
Though distraction is correct, it does sounds somewhat frivolous.
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

5 hrs
Reference:

diversions

See the translation of his Aphorismen:
The Waste Books (New York Review Books Classics) Paperback – September 30, 2000
by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (Author), R.J. Hollingdale (Translator)

"For the loss of those we have loved there is no alleviation but time and carefully and rationally chosen diversions..."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2015-03-25 14:14:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Couldn't see the rest of the sentence in the Amazon preview but according to a different source it ends with "...such as will not cause our heart to reproach us.”
https://econstudentlog.wordpress.com/2014/04/05/the-waste-bo...

Not sure how reliable that link is but they are presumably quoting directly from the book (bzw. Hollingdale's translation of the book).
Example sentence:

(book found on amazon.com)

Note from asker:
Well, Orla, this definitely clinches it! Thank you so much for your time and trouble doing the Research.
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree Yorkshireman : Good research!
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
7 hrs
Reference:

Versuch eines vollständigen grammatisch-kritischen Wörterbuches... / Johann Christoph Adelung

"Zerstreuen ... (b) Theilen, und dadurch unwirksam oder unmerklich machen. Jemandes Furcht zerstreuen ... Jemandes Besorgnisse zerstreuen ... (c) Die Aufmerksamkeit auf mehrere fremdartige Dinge lenken. So zerstreut man einen Bekümmerten, wenn man dessen Aufmerksamkeit von dem Gegenstande seines Grames auf andere Dinge lenket ..." (The noun is explained the same way, without the examples. Adelung also gives readings where the word denotes distraction from duties which would not apply here).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 Stunden (2015-03-25 16:05:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry, typo. It is, of course, "So zerstreuet man..."
Example sentence:

s. above

Note from asker:
Dear Horst, thank you, too, for looking the word up in a period dictionary, I hadn't thought of doing that.
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree Yorkshireman : Indeed - to divert ones attention from the objects of one’s grief/sorrows to other things (wonderful language, too)// Fremdartig = unusual in the sense of not usual, rather than strange.
28 mins
Thank you. I guess we would not say "fremdartig". "Mehrere" certainly points toward "diversion".
Something went wrong...
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