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myšlenkově sterilní/myšlenkově značně sterilní

English translation: void of ideas

09:31 Dec 15, 2009
Czech to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Religion / sociology of religion under Communism
Czech term or phrase: myšlenkově sterilní/myšlenkově značně sterilní
Dear colleagues,

this is the last term that I would like a help with. The topic is the same as in my previous posts (sociology of religion under the Communist regime), the source text = Czech academic article to be translated into English. I would welcome your suggestions on how you would translate the term "myšlenkově sterilní" within the following sentence:

"Oficiální sociologie dvaceti let československé „normalizace“ byla myšlenkově značně sterilní."

There is one more instance where this very same term re-appears within the text without the additional adverb "značně" in the middle - thus plainly "myšlenkově sterilní" instead of "myšlenkově značně sterilní".
I have been thinking to translate the expression as "ideologically sterile" however, to say then "ideollogically considerably sterile" does not sound good English to me. Moreover, I am not completely sure that my concept of "ideological sterility" captures the meaning of the original that well. Would you say that an expression "ideologically sterile" could be used in plase of the Czech utterance "myšlenkově sterilní" or would you translate it differently?

I will look forward to your opinion on the matter.
Thank you,

Myska
myska
Local time: 23:22
English translation:void of ideas
Explanation:
I would use "void of ideas".

"Ideologically sterile" would backtranslate as "ideologicky sterilní" which is not exactly the same as "myšlenkově sterilní". Even under normalization era, communists were definitely not lacking "ideology", but rather new "ideas" that would boost people's enthusiasm for the regime, ie., for their ideology.

How to incorporate "značně" into "void of ideas" though is another thing, and right now I am myšlenkově sterilní.

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Note added at 2 days5 hrs (2009-12-17 14:33:34 GMT)
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"to a large extent" - jo, to je dobré řešení

myslím, že to slůvko "new" ani není třeba
Selected response from:

Jana Bedanova
Czech Republic
Local time: 00:22
Grading comment
Thank you, Jana, for a very detailed answer. You really took time trying to suggest the best possible solution which I very much appreciate. Thank you!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1" ideologically correct "
Maria Chmelarova
4 +1void of ideas
Jana Bedanova
4intellectually sterile
Gerry Vickers
4considerably lacking in ideas
Hannah Geiger (X)


Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
intellectually sterile


Explanation:
I'll throw this one in the ring as well

and possibly 'largely' for 'znacně' (but that would go better with 'void of ideas'

Lots of google hits.

Gerry Vickers
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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1 day 11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
considerably lacking in ideas


Explanation:
or: devoid of ideas

Hannah Geiger (X)
United States
Local time: 18:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in CzechCzech, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 19
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Hannah, "devoid of ideas" works very well too. (both of your suggestions are very good).

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
void of ideas


Explanation:
I would use "void of ideas".

"Ideologically sterile" would backtranslate as "ideologicky sterilní" which is not exactly the same as "myšlenkově sterilní". Even under normalization era, communists were definitely not lacking "ideology", but rather new "ideas" that would boost people's enthusiasm for the regime, ie., for their ideology.

How to incorporate "značně" into "void of ideas" though is another thing, and right now I am myšlenkově sterilní.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days5 hrs (2009-12-17 14:33:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"to a large extent" - jo, to je dobré řešení

myslím, že to slůvko "new" ani není třeba

Jana Bedanova
Czech Republic
Local time: 00:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Czech
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Thank you, Jana, for a very detailed answer. You really took time trying to suggest the best possible solution which I very much appreciate. Thank you!!
Notes to answerer
Asker: :o) Thank you, Jana, for your explanation. It makes a lot of sense and prevented me from misinterpreting the author's message (that would be terrible). What would you say to "....was, to a large extend, void of ideas"? I am even tempted to add "new" to that => "void of new ideas" What do you think?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sarka Rubkova
2 days 20 hrs
  -> a znovu: diky :)
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
" ideologically correct "


Explanation:
as "politacally correct"

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Note added at 2 days5 hrs (2009-12-17 15:00:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

myska, viem ze mate vela prace ale ak je to mozne, najskor potrebujem odpoved od vas na nasledovne otazky

1: "oficialni sociologie dvaceti let čsl. normalizace" - dvadcať ročnej csl. normalizácie - po ktorom roku, obdobi ?
"normalizaciu", ja ako clen spolocnosti po '68 roku chapem inak ako mladsia generacia.
Zatial len tolko, lebo mam toho viac.


Maria Chmelarova
Local time: 18:22
Native speaker of: Slovak
PRO pts in category: 7
Notes to answerer
Asker: Dear Maria, I have the same problem as Jana... Having access to a wider background I know that the author here refers to the "void of ideas" (to use Jana's words). In other words, what substituted the work of traditional sociology during the Communist era did not produce much new, the research was not very productive and did not yield to any new results. ... I hope that this helps

Asker: Just to clarify a bit further, the author refers to the production of scientific atheism that took place of sociological research (sociology as such, officially did not exist in this period).


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Igor Seykora
21 hrs
  -> Dakujem, Igor.
neutral  Jana Bedanova: Já to pořád nechápu :-) ať si lámu hlavu, jak si lámu, pořád nevím, jak to myslíte. Můžete prosím osvětlit v diskusi? Díky
1 day 59 mins
  -> Jana, odpoved najdete v diskusii.
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