Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Dutch term or phrase:
mooi op mensenmaat
English translation:
Small-town feel (people friendly)
Added to glossary by
Francina
Apr 3, 2012 07:41
12 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Dutch term
Belgium
mooi op mensenmaat
Dutch to English
Marketing
Tourism & Travel
"Wat je ook zoekt in een stad, je vindt het in Leuven. Mooi op mensenmaat, maar wel helemaal mee met de snel veranderende samenleving."
This is from a Belgian text. Can someone help me with a creative translation for "mooi op mensenmaat" which would fit the context here? Do you think this refers to the size of the city (small and familiar) or to the fact that it serves people's needs and desires?
Thanks in advance!
This is from a Belgian text. Can someone help me with a creative translation for "mooi op mensenmaat" which would fit the context here? Do you think this refers to the size of the city (small and familiar) or to the fact that it serves people's needs and desires?
Thanks in advance!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+3
5 hrs
Selected
Small-town feel
Another suggestion!
See:
http://www.visitgilbertaz.com/
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/09/amid_fa...
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/new-life-but-st...
See:
http://www.visitgilbertaz.com/
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/09/amid_fa...
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/new-life-but-st...
Note from asker:
| Thanks a lot for your help, Francina! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Tina Vonhof (X)
: Or as in one of the references, 'small-town character'.
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Lianne van de Ven
: Yes, this fits too.
8 hrs
|
| agree |
philgoddard
12 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks everybody for all your suggestions! I was finding it especially difficult to translate because of the juxtaposition with the "maar wel.." part of the sentence. But I eventually translated it as a "people-friendly city with a small-town feel". I'm not sure about whether this should be entered in the glossary or not, so I'll leave that up to the site administrators to decide."
48 mins
Abdulhadi Hairan
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
Qualität und Zuverlässigkeit
Native in: Pashto (Pushto) 
, Dari , Persian (Farsi)
Works in: German to Dari, German to Pashto (Pushto), German to Persian (Farsi), and 5 more.
as beautiful as it can be
Literally it means as people can make it, thus the above translation. I am not sure if it is creative.
17 mins
Marianne Reinen
Native in Dutch
Specializes in field
Top Quality, Good Price
Native in: Dutch 
Works in: English to Dutch, German to Dutch, Spanish to Dutch, and 1 more.
human-size city
Not creative at all, but it is exactly what it means. I think the Dutch term refers to all the things you mention.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 51 mins (2012-04-03 08:33:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
(it has) the right human size
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 51 mins (2012-04-03 08:33:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
(it has) the right human size
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Ide Verhelst (X)
: Ik zou eerder zeggen "human-sized.
21 mins
|
| neutral |
writeaway
: imo too literal. too easy to back translate into Dutch, ie reads like a translation
37 mins
|
| disagree |
Francina
: See discussion above!
5 hrs
|
|
You're right. "On a human scale" is what I meant, see Ide's answer. Thanks!
|
3 hrs
Barend van Zadelhoff
Netherlands
Netherlands
Native in Dutch
Netherlands
TR is the most intimate act of reading.
Native in: Dutch
Works in: English to Dutch, Dutch to English, Dutch
Related KudoZ points
:
4
perfectly tailored to people's needs
I believe it refers 'to the fact that it serves people's needs and desires?' because of 'Wat je ook zoekt in een stad, je vindt het in Leuven'
'mooi op mensenmaat' refers back to this: you will find there everything you are looking for, they say :-)
'mooi op mensenmaat' refers back to this: you will find there everything you are looking for, they say :-)
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Bryan Crumpler
: ??? I can't see any contrast here when juxtaposed with "MAAR WEL helemaal mee met de snel veranderende samenleving."
2 hrs
|
|
My suggestion is based on the preceding phrase. As far as the 'maar wel' is concerned I can't tell what is exactly meant, but an explanation could be that the writer sees some contradiction between 'tailored to etc.' and 'being completely modern'
|
+3
4 hrs
Lianne van de Ven
United States
United States
Native in Dutch
United States
Experienced, reliable, detail-oriented
Native in: Dutch
Works in: English to Dutch, Dutch to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
people's city
This is supposed to allude to something, nobody really knowing what.... In my mind, I think it refers to it being a cosy/people's city, originating from the time when people and trade were making a city. It has modernized now, it has not lagged behind, yet it is still a city for people.
People's city is used here in a slightly different context:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&c...
People's city is used here in a slightly different context:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&c...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Francina
: http://films.com/id/19704/The_Peoples_City_How_Bogota_Succee...
1 hr
|
|
Dank je, Francina
|
|
| agree |
Tina Vonhof (X)
: Good option.
3 hrs
|
|
Bedankt, Tina
|
|
| agree |
Frank van Thienen (X)
10 hrs
|
|
Bedankt, Frank
|
-2
6 hrs
freekfluweel
Netherlands
Netherlands
Native in Dutch
Netherlands
M.Sc. in Architecture, B.A.
Native in: Dutch
Works in: Dutch to German, German to Dutch, English to Dutch, and 5 more.
people friendly suited
people minded fitted
Note from asker:
| Thanks for the idea..I did take on the "people-friendly" part but could not select your answer since it wasn't really phrased properly..sorry! |
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Tina Vonhof (X)
: 'Suited' makes no sense.// It's either 'people-friendly' or 'suited for people' but both is one too many.
55 mins
|
|
als in maatkostuum (suited businessmen) i.c.m. to suit: aangepast/geschikt zijn voor
|
|
| disagree |
Lianne van de Ven
: 100% eens met Tina
6 hrs
|
+3
7 hrs
on a human scale
A beautiful city on a human scale.
==> more than 9.000 hits
==> more than 9.000 hits
Example sentence:
Helsinki is a beautiful city on a human scale.
Lugano: Swiss financial center and the third major center of culture and tourism, while not losing the advantage of the beautiful city on a human scale.
Reference:
http://www.guildtravel.com/citybreaks/three-baltic-capitals-roundtrip-stockholm-tallinn-helsinki/
http://live-casino-directory.com/switzerland/lugano/casino-lugano
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Lianne van de Ven
: I think this is a very good option too: http://americancity.org/magazine/article/respect-for-the-hum...
10 hrs
|
| agree |
Josephine Isaacs (X)
12 hrs
|
| agree |
Liesbeth Blom-Smith
17 hrs
|
Discussion
See what another translator has to say when 'people-sized city' is being used in a translation: - "... The translator came back with it being a "people-sized city" - she couldn't appreciate my being amused at the thought of Ferrara's Lilliputian citizens cycling through piazza on miniscule bicycles in a town two metres high! - http://ezinearticles.com/comment.php?5-Reasons-Why-Bilingual...