Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
Schlingarm
English translation:
writhing limbs
Added to glossary by
Jon Reynolds
Oct 13, 2009 10:02
14 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term
United Kingdom
Experienced & reliable
Native in: English (Variant: UK) 
Works in: German to English, French to English
Schlingarm
German to English
Art/Literary
Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
Not sure whether art/literary is the right category for this, but it is from a description of an art installation in Brazil.
"Die Finanzmärkte pumpen ihre Geldströme durch den Dschungel. Der Glaube an das endlose Wachstum der Wirtschaft hat seine **Schlingarme** weit in die Lüfte über die höchsten Bäume hinauswachsen lassen."
"Die Finanzmärkte pumpen ihre Geldströme durch den Dschungel. Der Glaube an das endlose Wachstum der Wirtschaft hat seine **Schlingarme** weit in die Lüfte über die höchsten Bäume hinauswachsen lassen."
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +1 | writhing limbs |
Henry Schroeder
|
| 3 +1 | creepers |
Kerstin Green
|
| 3 +1 | tendrils |
Stephen Reader
|
| 3 | branch out |
libelulariae
|
| 3 | tentacles |
Taunuston (X)
|
| 2 | tangled offshoots |
Annett Kottek (X)
|
References
| Duden - Schlingen |
Henry Schroeder
|
Proposed translations
+1
2 hrs
Henry Schroeder
United States
United States
Native in English
Works in field
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
:
60
Selected
writhing limbs
One can imagine their young roots burrowing into the dark soil as their gently writhing limbs reach skyward...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Stephen Reader
: post-event, post vote, but: Nice one, Henry! LG!
3 days 59 mins
|
|
Hey Stephen, hopefully we're going to be seeing each other soon, I'm planning to visit my friend in Dusseldorf in November, I'll contact you before when I know for sure. Take care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks Henry, I liked the image this creates! Jon"
+1
34 mins
Kerstin Green
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in German
United Kingdom
With passion for language and technology
Native in: German
Works in: English to German, German to English
46 mins
libelulariae
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
by words the mind is winged-Aristophanes
Native in: English 
, Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, German to Spanish, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
branch out
The German term suggests "tentacles" (or indeed creepers), but in English sounds too specific and lacks musicality. To give it a poetic tone, you can compose a sentence more gracefully with "branching out," since they are already mentioning trees... I also like Kerstin Buessenshuett's "vines," the term also seems to fit the artsy tone.
+1
50 mins
tendrils
Thought of 'tentacles' which might be too animal, strictly speaking (but the context is figurative anyway). For tendrils, see web. ref.
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Lonnie Legg
: Thought of 'tendrils', but they're the smaller outgrowths of creepers & vines ("slender threadlike appendage of a climbing plant ... that stretches out and twines around any suitable support" Am.Oxf.Dict.)"
14 mins
|
| agree |
mill2
6 hrs
|
|
Late thanks, Mill!
|
1 day 22 hrs
tangled offshoots
Schlingarme = tangled offshoots
It's quite a complex extended metaphor, a bit clumsily executed perhaps, but I think that the image the author attempts to create is quite striking. Here's my attempt (low confidence level):
'The belief that economic growth is unstoppable has itself grown out of control, having developed a network of tangled offshoots that now extends high above the forest canopy.'
It's quite a complex extended metaphor, a bit clumsily executed perhaps, but I think that the image the author attempts to create is quite striking. Here's my attempt (low confidence level):
'The belief that economic growth is unstoppable has itself grown out of control, having developed a network of tangled offshoots that now extends high above the forest canopy.'
2 days 2 hrs
tentacles
bildlich gesehen passt's.
Reference comments
29 mins
Henry Schroeder
United States
United States
Native in English
Works in field
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
:
60
Reference:
Duden - Schlingen
Schlingen
1}schlin|gen <st. V.; hat> [mhd. slingen, ahd. slingan = hin und her ziehend schwingen; winden, flechten, auch: sich winden, kriechen, schleichen]:
1. a) um etw. winden od. legen [u. die Enden verknüpfen od. umeinanderlegen]: einen Schal um den Hals s.;
b) (Arme, Hände) fest um jmdn., etw. legen: die Arme um jmdn., um jmds. Hals s.;
c) <s. + sich> sich um etw. herumschlingen, winden: Efeu schlingt sich um den Baumstamm.
1}schlin|gen <st. V.; hat> [mhd. slingen, ahd. slingan = hin und her ziehend schwingen; winden, flechten, auch: sich winden, kriechen, schleichen]:
1. a) um etw. winden od. legen [u. die Enden verknüpfen od. umeinanderlegen]: einen Schal um den Hals s.;
b) (Arme, Hände) fest um jmdn., etw. legen: die Arme um jmdn., um jmds. Hals s.;
c) <s. + sich> sich um etw. herumschlingen, winden: Efeu schlingt sich um den Baumstamm.
Discussion