Nov 10, 2004 17:52
19 yrs ago
3 viewers *
Deutsch term

Schmuddelkind

Deutsch > Englisch Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften Allgemeines/Konversation/Grußworte/Briefe general
Deshalb ist eine angemessene Wahrnehmung der Realität über die Medien von diesem Tag an ohne konspirologischen Blick überhaupt nicht mehr möglich. Das verschwörungstheoretische Denken rückte aus seiner randständigen Lage als Schmuddelkind der Erkenntnistheorie in das Zentrum nüchterner politischer Analyse.

Any suggestions for Schmuddelkind? I've thought of ragchild or Cinderella, but I'm not convinced.
Thanks.

Proposed translations

+3
6 Min.
Selected

black sheep

isn't it being used figuratively?
Peer comment(s):

agree Derek Gill Franßen : Yes, I think it is being used figuratively (I was answering at the same time). :-)
12 Min.
agree Alison Schwitzgebel : would work nicely here
2 Stunden
agree sonja29 (X)
5 Stunden
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Yes, it is being used figuratively. I think this fits best. I also wanted to preserve the image of dirty, messy so I might use "dirty black sheep". Thanks a lot for your help and thanks for all the other answers as well."
3 Min.

ragamuffin

A poorly clothed, often dirty child
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4 Min.

urchin; street urchin

according to my Langenscheidt
Peer comment(s):

agree sonja29 (X)
5 Stunden
danke
disagree barry fay : this is too literal. Schmuddelkind is almost ALWAYS used figuratively and urchin just does not work in those cases.
2295 Tage
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+4
14 Min.

outsider / the "bad boy"

I think this comes from some sort of children's rhyme or song that goes something like "Spiel nicht mit den Schmuddelkindern. Sing nicht ihre Lieder." I'm not totally sure, but I always got the feeling that these "Schmuddelkinder" were outsiders, precisely because no one would play with them. It is used figuratively in this sentence; this type of thinking was previously unapprovable, now it is the main topic... :-)
Peer comment(s):

agree Johanna Timm, PhD : actually, a F.J. Degenhardt song("... geh' doch in die Oberstadt, mach's wie deine Brüder!")// nee, nee,- das hat er selber geschrieben ( war ein echter "68er" und, nebenbei gesagt, auch Jurist!)??http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Josef_Degenhardt
22 Min.
Thanks Johanna. I wonder if Degenhardt wrote it or if it existed beforehand (I have no idea - I don't even know who Degenhardt is, though I've heard the name before). // I like the guy already! ;-)
agree Alison Schwitzgebel : Schmuddelkinder aren't always "outsiders" though - but here it would fit quite well as it is being used figuratively. I think I prefer Cilian's black sheep just a tad better though
1 Stunde
Thanks Alison! Yes, "black sheep" is good (though I about died laughing when I read "jabbering bag lady"). ;-)
agree Wenjer Leuschel (X) : Politically correct way to say it.
2 Stunden
Thank you Wenjer. Yes, it is PC (though I wasn't really trying to be). ;-)
agree sonja29 (X)
4 Stunden
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+3
7 Min.

stepchild

is sometimes used in this context

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2004-11-10 18:14:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Stepchild” has been used to denote inferiority and neglect - Example: “the graphics
division is the stepchild of the company” •
ssw.unc.edu/RTI/presentation/PDFs/stepfamily.pdf

Firefox, the
once-bastard stepchild of the Mozilla project, is suddenly taking off
whatdoiknow.org/archives/001908.shtml

BUL GARIA Housing Policy: the Stepchild of the Transition Local Government and
Housing in Bulgaria
lgi.osi.hu/publications/2003/223/PPH-Ch7.pdf

Peer comment(s):

agree Derek Gill Franßen : This would also work, especially if the disdain was not as extreme or if this "Denken" was just not taken as seriously (IMHO). :-)
44 Min.
thanks, Derek
agree Francis Lee (X) : the "stepchile" US slang spelling would be even more appropriate
1 Stunde
agree Alison Schwitzgebel : yes, but don't know about the "stepchile" spelling for an international readership. To me it looks like a typo ;-)
2 Stunden
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46 Min.

muckraker

not a direct translation I know, might fit nevertheless
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+4
1 Stunde

ugly duckling

alternatively:

... from a jabbering bag lady to the centre of sober political analysis.

Peer comment(s):

agree Jonathan MacKerron : love the "bag lady" bit!
9 Min.
agree Derek Gill Franßen : "Jabbering bag lady" just made my day, thank you. :-)
56 Min.
agree Wenjer Leuschel (X) : Politically correct way to say it.
1 Stunde
agree swisstell
2 Stunden
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2 Stunden

the poor relation

cf. Dickens et al.
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3 Stunden

red-headed stepchild

the "outsider", poor relation
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-1
7 Stunden

punk

Als 'Schmuddelkinder' werden Randgruppen, soziale Außenseiter, sozial Benachteiligte bezeichnet. Der Begriff war in den späten 60er/Anfang 70 er Jahre in aller Munde, wie ja FJ Degenhardts Lied - in gewissen Kreisen - auch! Und ploetzlich sprach man überall - politisierend, polemisierend - von Schmuddelkindern, und zwar auch im übertragenen Sinn: in Zeitungsartikeln, in soziologischen Abhandlungen, in der Literaturwissenschaft. Obwohl die 'punks' einen ganz anderen soziol. Hintergrund haben und sich in ihrer Militanz von den eher in ihr Schicksal ergebenen Schmuddelkindern unterscheiden, meine ich, dass man die mit dieser Randgruppe assoziierten Bilder in mancher Hinsicht mit den Vorstellungen und vor allem dem soziol. Stellenwert von Schmuddelkindern vergleichen darf.

Und wenn ich mir dann den Tenor des Kontextes - conspiration, theory of knowledge, political analysis - so anschaue, koennte man hier doch man mit dem 'punk' einen tollen stilistischen Kontrapunkt setzen! Die Konspirationstheorien, um die es in dem Textausschnit geht, sollte man in der Tat eigentlich eher radikal denkenden Außenseiter-Schmuddelkindern zuschreiben als wehrlosen underdogs, oder?
Ok, das ist leider etwas lang geraten, musste als alter Degenhardt- Fan aber doch noch meinen Senf zu den Schmuddelkindern geben!!!
Peer comment(s):

disagree barry fay : punk has too many other meanings (male partner of homosexual, something worthless, etc.) to work here. Poor relation seems best to me!
2295 Tage
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