výzkumy ... dělané prakticky „na koleně"

English translation: done on a shoestring

09:04 Dec 15, 2009

Czech to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Religion / sociology of religion

Czech term or phrase: výzkumy ... dělané prakticky „na koleně"

Dear colleagues,

I apologize for populating the forum with my posts however; they constitute points within a rather long source text (topic: sociology of religion under the Communist rule) that I am unsure about how to translate and would therefore like to know your opinion. Would you have any suggestion on how the term „na koleně" could be translated into English in the following sentence? As a Czech native speaker, I understand its meaning, however; I am not sure what would be the best possible expression in English that could be used in its place. I am looking for an equivalently figurative expression here.

"Důležitější než tyto teoretické výboje, z nichž mnohé byly jen dobově módními výstřelky, pro českou sociologii náboženství byly nově organizované empirické výzkumy, které už stály na mnohem pevnějším teoretickém a metodologickém základě než obdobné výzkumy z meziválečného období, dělané prakticky „na koleně“."

Thank you all for your suggestions.

Myska

myska KudoZ activity Questions: 42 (5 open) Answers: 0
Local time: 16:22

English translation:done on a shoestring

Explanation:
This is from a dictionary (but a good one - Slovník české frazeologie a idomatiky), that's why my confidence is low :-)
It says:
"dělat něco na koleně = do sth/work on a shoestring, do a makeshift job"
Makes sense to me, but let's see what the NS have to say.

Selected response from:

Marek Buchtel
Czech Republic
Local time: 17:22

Grading comment

Dear Marek,
I believe that the dictionary has just helped to raise your confidence levels :o)
Thank you!!!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

research ... carried out practically on bended knee

Gerry Vickers

2 +1

done on a shoestring

Marek Buchtel

Summary of reference entries provided

theoretical

Maria Chmelarova

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

46 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

done on a shoestring

Marek Buchtel
Czech Republic
Local time: 17:22
Native speaker of:

Czech
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Dear Marek,
I believe that the dictionary has just helped to raise your confidence levels :o)
Thank you!!!!

Notes to answerer

Asker: Dear Marek, thank you very much for your answer!!! I will have to buy this dictionary :o) I have Fronek's large Czech-English dictionary and I was most disappointed when I didn't find this expression there :o) The translations make a lot of sense but as you say, lets see what the native speakers think. Thank you

17 mins confidence:

research ... carried out practically on bended knee

Explanation:
or you could get 'genuflection' in there somehow - 'research carried out whilst, to all intents and purposes, in genuflection'.

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Note added at 54 mins (2009-12-15 09:59:10 GMT)
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I saw it differently - in a religious context (but also figuratively), i.e. the 'research' was carried out whilst in effect (although not necessarily actually) 'genuflecting' (i.e. in church, 'on bended knee' before God/the priest/higher authority, etc) - hence the inverted commas. Perhaps you could say 'whilst on the job', but that is a bit slangy, and loses some of its figurative meaning.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genuflection

Gerry Vickers
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:22
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Dear Gerry, thank you very much for your prompt response, however; I am not sure that you understood the meaning of the term correctly. Please, do look again since the term is used in a figurative sense here not in its plain direct meaning as you understood it. In fact, it is meant to indicate that the research lacked any firm foundation as if the researchers would just go into the field collecting their data and writing them "on their knee" = thus very basic (this is just my interpretation). What I am looking for here, is an equivalent figurative expression or effectively, a metaphor that could be used in its place in English.

Reference comments

9 hrs

Reference: theoretical

Reference information:
citat z knihy:
"Čtenář postupně odkrýva mysl a život bystré ženy, která se utká s přesilou hlouposti a parasitismu. Příbeh mladé vědkyně se odehráva ke konci reálneho socialismu kdy se věda delala na koleně a všude vládl marasmus kořenený černým humorem".
Eva Hauserova: Cvokyně

you might find words as pseodoscience
http://en.wikipedia.org, or pseudoresearch, but the expression "...on bended knee" is missleading, which is more "get down on your knees and beg for"...
...not in this case, because in your paragr. you have part where is ..." byly nove organizovane empiricke vyzkumy " opakom empiricke -empirical su theoretical ...

Maria Chmelarova
Native speaker of: Slovak
PRO pts in category: 7

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výzkumy ... dělané prakticky „na koleně"

English translation: done on a shoestring

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English translation: done on a shoestring

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