May 16, 2014 04:40
10 yrs ago
3 viewers *
German term
New Zealand
Committed to the Customer
Native in: English (Variant: New Zealand) 
Works in: French to English, German to English, Spanish to English
Was schwebt Dir so vor?
German to English
Marketing
Furniture / Household Appliances
Furniture Brochure
"Was schwebt Dir so vor?
Dieser Schwebetürenschrank ist ein echter Hin-und-weg-Kucker.
Ganz gleich, ob die Fronten in reinem Lack gehalten sind oder mit dem Dekor perfekt harmonieren die zwei unterschiedlichen Höhen und vier Breiten lassen immer genügend Platz für ganz viel Raum."
From a furniture catalogue. "Vorschweben" means "to have in mind", so "Was schwebt Dir so vor?" literally means "What have you got in mind?" Usually I ask questions because I don't know what something means, but that is not the issue this time (unless I've misunderstood the phrase). The issue, which the wider context hopefully shows, is that there is a pun going on, and I can't think of any clever word play to use in my English text. Any good ideas, or do I just go with the literal meaning and lose the word play altogether? Seems rather a shame to do that though. TIA for your help.
Dieser Schwebetürenschrank ist ein echter Hin-und-weg-Kucker.
Ganz gleich, ob die Fronten in reinem Lack gehalten sind oder mit dem Dekor perfekt harmonieren die zwei unterschiedlichen Höhen und vier Breiten lassen immer genügend Platz für ganz viel Raum."
From a furniture catalogue. "Vorschweben" means "to have in mind", so "Was schwebt Dir so vor?" literally means "What have you got in mind?" Usually I ask questions because I don't know what something means, but that is not the issue this time (unless I've misunderstood the phrase). The issue, which the wider context hopefully shows, is that there is a pun going on, and I can't think of any clever word play to use in my English text. Any good ideas, or do I just go with the literal meaning and lose the word play altogether? Seems rather a shame to do that though. TIA for your help.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+1
9 hrs
philgoddard
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Six languages into flawless English
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English, Spanish to English, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Selected
Outta space?
Yes, there is a pun, but there's no reason why it has to be related to sliding doors. Any play on words that relates to something in the text would be acceptable, which is why I suggest focusing on the word "space", one of the item's most important selling points.
Another possibility:
Space: the final frontier.
Another possibility:
Space: the final frontier.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Melanie Meyer
: I think 'outta space' is a great solution and does not sound forced.
3 mins
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| neutral |
Cilian O'Tuama
: I'm thinking this idea might be better explored in the "genügend Platz für ganz viel Raum" question.
10 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I went with this (let's not enter it in the glossary though, because it's very context-specific). Couldn't know for sure whether the sliding doors were suspended or not, and in any case, the space aspect is rather more of a selling point, so is a better thing to emphasise. Anyway, many thanks Phil, but thanks also to everyone else who offered an idea for this very curly problem. Appreciate everyone's help."
16 mins
Dhananjay Rau
India
India
Native in English
India
Quality Translations Engg and Life Sc.
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: German to English, English to German
What's on your mind?
one could also say "what are you thinking of?"
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Note added at 47 mins (2014-05-16 05:28:01 GMT)
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I don't think so. I think it is straight forward. The first and the following sentences are not necessarily connected.
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Note added at 47 mins (2014-05-16 05:28:01 GMT)
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I don't think so. I think it is straight forward. The first and the following sentences are not necessarily connected.
Note from asker:
| Yes, I know what it literally means, as I explained when asking the question, but the problem here, as I also explained, is that there is wordplay going on. |
2 hrs
A space glider doesn't have to be a shuttle
Maybe worth kicking the idea of glider/gliding around. Schwebetür = gliding door
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Note added at 3 hrs (2014-05-16 07:48:14 GMT)
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Or just "Space glider"
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Note added at 3 hrs (2014-05-16 07:48:14 GMT)
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Or just "Space glider"
13 hrs
Pauline Alexiou
Native in English
Accurate, speedy freelance translations
Native in: English (Variants: Australian, British) 
Works in: Greek to English, German to English
Looking for smooth moves?
Looking for smooth moves?
This wardrobe with sliding doors is a real eye-catcher!
This wardrobe with sliding doors is a real eye-catcher!
1 day 13 hrs
Slide, Clyde!
Research has revealed this suggestion to also have sexual connotations. I only know it and use it as an expression to animate a person to move over and make room for me to sit down.
+2
5 hrs
Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
Quality Translations since 1986
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, English, German, and 6 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
81
Oh, the suspense!
?
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Note added at 1 day23 hrs (2014-05-18 04:00:10 GMT)
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yes, literally it means "what kind of thing do you have in mind", asked here by an excited and enthusiastic marketing/sales person (in suspense).
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Note added at 1 day23 hrs (2014-05-18 04:00:10 GMT)
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yes, literally it means "what kind of thing do you have in mind", asked here by an excited and enthusiastic marketing/sales person (in suspense).
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Yorkshireman
: Oh, the pun-ishment! Not as bad as the reference book for budding lepidopterists - " Advice for young mothers"
2 mins
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You really think it hurts that bad? I didn't think it was forced. Oh well.
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| agree |
Armorel Young
: I love it (although Rowan still needs to tell us how he is translating Schwebetür so that we know whether we are talking about suspended, gliding or sliding doors)
1 hr
|
| neutral |
philgoddard
: I take Schwebetür to mean sliding door, so I don't think this works.
2 hrs
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I'd imagine most modern sliding/gliding wardrobe doors are "suspended" in some way or another
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| agree |
Kim Metzger
: Works nicely for a suspended sliding door. http://tinyurl.com/lrkwmnh
3 hrs
|
| neutral |
Ramey Rieger (X)
: A lovely pun. A bit of a stretch, though, for the context.
1 day 7 hrs
|
22 hrs
Michael Martin, MA
United States
United States
Native in German
&
English
United States
Creativity wins in the long run
Native in: German (Variant: Germany) , English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
10
Let us float this past you!
Perhaps, this will work in the context...
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Note added at 2 days7 hrs (2014-05-18 12:21:33 GMT)
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I am glad you brought that up, Cilian. I generally only delete previous entries to replace them with even better solutions as commenters (including me) are notoriously incapable of looking beyond the first line of entry. Getting qualified comments is even more of a crapshoot. But that’s okay. At this point, the most important thing is for outsourcers to be able to see my solutions.
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Note added at 2 days7 hrs (2014-05-18 12:21:33 GMT)
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I am glad you brought that up, Cilian. I generally only delete previous entries to replace them with even better solutions as commenters (including me) are notoriously incapable of looking beyond the first line of entry. Getting qualified comments is even more of a crapshoot. But that’s okay. At this point, the most important thing is for outsourcers to be able to see my solutions.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Cilian O'Tuama
: will you hide again if someone disagrees? // Aah, now I see. Thanks for explaining the most important thing is that you look good. I'd have thought most answerers - first and foremost - actually want to help.
1 day 21 mins
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See note//My record makes it obvious to anyone with a brain that I have helped plenty of people. Nice position to be in, helping people without even wanting to...
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Discussion
The text is talking about creating room/space with this wardrobe, so some sort of space pun could certainly work. Perhaps best to let the sliding puns, well, slide ...
So in this instance I don't think it's any accident that "vorschweben" is being used in conjunction with "Schwebetürenschrank".
For vorschweben I would perhaps go for something including "dreaming".
I wouldn't force the issue. My brain doesn't make an immediate connection between vorschweben and Schwebetür.