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Berührungsangst/-ängste

English translation: wariness, guardedness, reservations, apprehension

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Berührungsangst/-ängste (hier)
English translation:wariness, guardedness, reservations, apprehension
Entered by: Woodstock (X)

13:08 Jun 5, 2006
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. / business integration issues
German term or phrase: Berührungsangst/-ängste
An interview on the integration of two companies, particularly in the sales area. This section involves the challenges, after some discussion of the positive aspects:

"Und im Zuge der Internationalisierung gibt es auch einige Sprachprobleme, was wiederum *Berührungsängste* zur Folge hat."
Obviously we're not talking about literal "fear of contact", but the two sides being careful, perhaps reserved. Is there a good English term for this? TIA (I've checked various dictionaries, but have not found the term I think would fit.)
Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 09:40
wariness
Explanation:
(mutual) wariness

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 mins (2006-06-05 13:24:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

S: (n) wariness, chariness (the trait of being cautious and watchful)
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=wariness

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2006-06-05 14:31:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

For 'standoffishness' see:
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=standoffishness

The sense of 'aloofness' may be absent from your context but 'standoffishness' could express the 'Berührungs-' element.
Selected response from:

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:40
Grading comment
Thanks, everyone, for some outstanding contributions. It was hard to decide, because I liked several, but settled closest to Andrew's version: In fact, I ended up using "guardedness", which is not so elegant but pitch-perfect in this context. "Wariness" led me there.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +9wariness
Lancashireman
3 +4apprehension/s or anxiety/ies
Lori Dendy-Molz
4worries/concerns relating to contacts
David Moore (X)
2 +2reservations
TRANSRAPID
3 -1xenophobia
Cetacea
3 -3Coldwar.!
muitoprazer (X)


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -3
Coldwar.!


Explanation:
think U.S.S.R.,1960'S 1970'S think mistrust and you come up with isolationist off the wall out of the box like this!.

muitoprazer (X)
Local time: 08:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Ulrike Kraemer: Hier geht es nicht um kalten Krieg, sondern darum, dass bei den Beschäftigten Unsicherheit herrscht, weil sie nicht wissen, wie sie miteinander umgehen sollen (und können). // Wenn das bei dir schon kalter Krieg ist, dann tust du mir leid...
3 mins
  -> ja,genau, cold war!
disagree  Louise Mawbey: Agree totally with LittleBalu
5 mins
  -> use your imagination.
disagree  Cetacea: Agree totally with all LittleBalu says. Either you're way overshooting the mark, or you're belittling the Cold War. // Woodstock's client probably doesn't, either.
1 hr
  -> no,neither.would explain,but not sure you have imagination to understaND.
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51 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
worries/concerns relating to contacts


Explanation:
These might be felt if there really is a language barrier here, as the text suggests.

David Moore (X)
Local time: 09:40
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
apprehension/s or anxiety/ies


Explanation:
could also work here

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 51 mins (2006-06-05 14:00:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

'reticence' is another option

Lori Dendy-Molz
Germany
Local time: 09:40
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: I liked all of your suggestions a lot, but decided to keep things more "neutral" , i.e. not so "psychologically" loaded.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  muitoprazer (X): even better -apprehensiveness.
1 min
  -> Would also work. Thanks.
agree  Julia Lipeles
49 mins
  -> Thanks.
agree  Ellen Zittinger
3 hrs
  -> Thanks.
agree  Erik Macki: I like "reticence" for this context very much.
10 hrs
  -> Thanks.
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +2
reservations


Explanation:
???

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 55 mins (2006-06-05 14:03:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

as in "having reservations", "expressing reservations",
i.e. these linguistic/language problems in turn are giving rise to/cause reservations on either side.............

TRANSRAPID
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:40
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ulrike Kraemer
6 mins
disagree  muitoprazer (X): what, ?like south american indians live on?
15 mins
neutral  sylvie malich (X): muitoprazer should check a dictionary
36 mins
agree  Armorel Young: I think this is indeed a good word in the context - words can have more than one meaning so muitoprazer's point is pointless.
1 hr
agree  Veronika McLaren
3 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
xenophobia


Explanation:
language problems causing a certain degree of xenophobia (as in "fear of strangers and the unknown").

Cetacea
Switzerland
Local time: 09:40
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  archtrans: a bit too strong for this instance
1 hr
  -> I thought about that, too, that's why I added "a certain degree" in my explanation, but you are right, others have proposed better options.
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +9
wariness


Explanation:
(mutual) wariness

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 mins (2006-06-05 13:24:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

S: (n) wariness, chariness (the trait of being cautious and watchful)
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=wariness

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2006-06-05 14:31:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

For 'standoffishness' see:
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=standoffishness

The sense of 'aloofness' may be absent from your context but 'standoffishness' could express the 'Berührungs-' element.

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 84
Grading comment
Thanks, everyone, for some outstanding contributions. It was hard to decide, because I liked several, but settled closest to Andrew's version: In fact, I ended up using "guardedness", which is not so elegant but pitch-perfect in this context. "Wariness" led me there.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Louise Mawbey: good solution
0 min
agree  Ken Cox: fits the context nicely -- reluctance to make contact
27 mins
agree  Ulrike Kraemer
29 mins
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): yes, exactly
35 mins
agree  Laurel Porter (X): I like wariness. Well, not really - but I like it as a solution here!
1 hr
agree  Ian M-H (X)
1 hr
agree  archtrans
2 hrs
agree  Brigitte Albert (X)
2 hrs
agree  Cetacea
3 hrs
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