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  3. Anthropology

Das Ideal des Gentleman existiert nur noch als bloße Form

English translation: The ......

10:42 May 19, 2004
German to English translations [PRO]
Anthropology
German term or phrase: Das Ideal des Gentleman existiert nur noch als bloße Form
Der Satz bezieht sich auf den Niedergang des Gentleman-Ideals Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts. Kann man sagen, "The ideal of the gentleman only exsited as mere form"? Wie bringt man das "nur noch" ein? "still only exsisted as..."


Es ist eine glatte Katastrophe, wenn man so eine Niete im Englischen ist wie ich und sich dann mit soetwas rumschlagen muss...

Danke für die Hilfe!!!
Julia
J. Moreau
English translation:The ......
Explanation:
The ideal of the model gentleman has degraded into an abstract concept

These days, the ideal of the model gentleman is no more than an empty concept.
Selected response from:

TRANSRAPID
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:19
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2The ......
TRANSRAPID
3 +1My go
Olaf Reibedanz
4perhaps
gangels (X)
4The ideal "Gentleman" continues to exist only as a mere abstraction.
Mary Wilburn
3The ideal of the gentleman no longer existed other than as a mere idea
Amy Billing
3The existence of the gentleman ideal continues merely (solely) as fomrality
Dr. Fred Thomson


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Das Ideal des Gentleman existiert nur noch als bloße Form
The ideal of the gentleman no longer existed other than as a mere idea


Explanation:
or:
The ideal of the gentleman existed only as a mere idea

one posibility maybe, "mere form" doesn't seem to make much sense in english

Amy Billing
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Das Ideal des Gentleman existiert nur noch als bloße Form
The ......


Explanation:
The ideal of the model gentleman has degraded into an abstract concept

These days, the ideal of the model gentleman is no more than an empty concept.

TRANSRAPID
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:19
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jonathan MacKerron: prefer the latter
2 hrs
neutral  sylvie malich (X): wrong tense, we're talking about the beginning of the 20th century
2 hrs
agree  Textklick: The second one if it must be said. The very concept of a foreigner making such a statement is more than impertinent, it's preposterous...
4 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Das Ideal des Gentleman existiert nur noch als bloße Form
My go


Explanation:
The ideal of the gentleman was all but an abstract concept.

Olaf Reibedanz
Colombia
Local time: 09:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  sylvie malich (X): The gentleman ideal, often discussed in early 20th century literature...
2 mins
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
perhaps


Explanation:
The ideal of 'a gentleman' exists nowadays as no more than a mere abstraction

or as no more than an empty gesture

gangels (X)
Local time: 08:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Das Ideal des Gentleman existiert nur noch als bloße Form
The existence of the gentleman ideal continues merely (solely) as fomrality


Explanation:
Just a shot in the dark. Hopefully, it wil inspire a better rendition.

Dr. Fred Thomson
United States
Local time: 08:19
Native speaker of: English
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Das Ideal des Gentleman existiert nur noch als bloße Form
The ideal "Gentleman" continues to exist only as a mere abstraction.


Explanation:
"Continues to exist" communicates the idea embodied in "noch," I think, i.e. that the concept STILL has the validity that it had in the past. I would prefer "idea" to "abstraction," if "ideal" did not already appear in the translation, and "ideal" seems to be unavoidable. Both signify the separation from concrete reality that is the essential meaning here.

Mary Wilburn
United States
Local time: 10:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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