Zeitinsel

English translation: snapshots in time

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

German term or phrase:	Zeitinsel
English translation:	snapshots in time
Entered by:	Karen Watkins

10:00 Mar 11, 2015

German to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Tourism & Travel / Verkehr

German term or phrase: Zeitinsel

For a transport museum, the exhibits are arranged into "Epochen" and "Zeitinsel". These are individual years that have been pinpointed because several important developments took place in them.

I'm having problems thinking of something short and snappy for Zeitinsel. Something along the lines of "Moment in time" or "isolated moment" maybe? I'd appreciate any ideas!

CGK KudoZ activity Questions: 65 (none open) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 7
Local time: 14:38

snapshots in time

Explanation:
Just throwing in an idea!

Selected response from:

Karen Watkins
United Kingdom

Grading comment

Thanks everyone for the great ideas. So difficult to choose. I especially liked Steffen's "Spotlight on 1817" but I'm going for "Snapshot".
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +10

snapshots in time

Karen Watkins

3 +2

milestone island(s)

Ramey Rieger (X)

3 +2

crossroads/cross-sections in time

Lancashireman

an island that time didn't forget

Adrian MM. (X)

key year(s)

Clive Phillips

zooming in on ... / close-up on ... / spotlight on ...

Steffen Walter

island(s) in the flow of time

Horst Huber (X)

time passages

Michael Martin, MA

Discussion entries: 10

Answers

7 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

milestone island(s)

Explanation:
advent island
island of progress

Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 14:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 56

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +10

snapshots in time

Explanation:
Just throwing in an idea!

Karen Watkins
United Kingdom
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thanks everyone for the great ideas. So difficult to choose. I especially liked Steffen's "Spotlight on 1817" but I'm going for "Snapshot".

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Steffen Walter: I also thought of 'snapshot(s)' (as such), but your idea appears to be even better. / In response to Ramey: I believe 'snapshot(s)' can also be used in a figurative sense (i.e. beyond photographs).

4 mins

neutral

Ramey Rieger (X): It's a nice idea, but I don't think the exhibits are limited to photos.

40 mins

agree

Berit Kostka, PhD: I like just 'snapshot' on its own, like in 'Snapshot 1817' or something like that. I think it would point nicely to a 'Momentaufnahme' of events during that year.

1 hr

agree

Jessica West: I think "snapshot" works well. I have certainly seen it used in the context of focussing on a specific decade or individual year

1 hr

agree

writeaway

1 hr

agree

Helen Shiner

1 hr

agree

EK Yokohama: with Berit Kostka: "Snapshot 1817"

4 hrs

agree

Jacek Konopka: I buy it:)

7 hrs

agree

gangels (X): like it

14 hrs

agree

Rebecca Garber

1 day 3 hrs

agree

Elani Koogle: An American here-"snapshots in time" makes perfect sense to me, even if there are no photos in the exhibit.

1 day 9 hrs

36 mins confidence:

zooming in on ... / close-up on ... / spotlight on ...

Explanation:
Thank you for the additional information. In this case, I'd depart from the 'Insel'/'island' notion and use something along the lines of

Zooming in on ... (year)
Close-up on ... (year)
Spotlight on ... (year)

I'm not sure if the first two options are too colloquial/US-style, though.

Steffen Walter
Germany
Local time: 14:38
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 40

5 hrs confidence:

island(s) in the flow of time

Explanation:
Just to live dangerously. Provided one does not resort to "time warp".

Horst Huber (X)
United States
Local time: 08:38
Native speaker of:

German

6 hrs confidence:

an island that time didn't forget

Explanation:
and one which visitors may care to be marooned wiht or without a macaroon.

Example sentence(s):

A man is marooned on an island after his plane crashes into the ocean. F

Reference: http://www.linguee.com/german-english/translation/zeitinsel....

Adrian MM. (X)
Local time: 14:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

4 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

crossroads/cross-sections in time

Explanation:
"They're both exhibits and photos."

The 'island' image doesn't work in English. I think you need something to contrast with epoch/era. There are certain crossroads in history, points at which it makes a significant turn for the better or for the worse.

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/crossr...

Crossroads in Time: The New Region of Waterloo History Museum
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/canada/waterloo-history-museum

"Crossroads in Time: An Illustrated History of Syracuse" is the most ambitious publication in the Onondaga Historical Association's 145-year history. Most of the images - many in color - are taken from OHA's collection, and several have never been published before.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crossroads-Time-Illustrated-History-...

I was also thinking cross-sections might be a candidate:

The present study does more than present two cross-sections in time of a society
http://anthropology.si.edu/canela/literature/monograph/forew...

If you go to the Design Museum and walk around you’ve got cross sections in time – what happened during a particular year.
http://www.onofficemagazine.com/architecture/item/198-is-goo...

By investigating cross-sections in time and place, the project reveals the multiple viewpoints and discordant voices…
http://isea2011.sabanciuniv.edu/paper/“-maze-about-maize-mes...

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Note added at 4 hrs (2015-03-11 14:06:08 GMT)
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or just momentous years

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2015-03-11 17:02:14 GMT)
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An island stands out in a two-dimensional sea; a crossroads stands out in a two-dimensional landscape.
A cross-section might be appropriate if time is seen as one-dimensional.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2015-03-12 00:34:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

There have since been two recommendations for 'key years' in the Discussion Box. I think 'key' (adjective) has become something of a cliché and should be avoided. That's why my third proposal (momentous years) picks up on your own idea (moments) and pairs it with the context you gave (These are individual years...)

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 134

1 day 2 mins confidence:

key year(s)

Explanation:
Example: "Why did the Battle of Waterloo happen? Understand this turning point in history with our timeline of 9 key years, from 1789 to 1848."

Reference: http://www.nam.ac.uk/waterloo200/

Clive Phillips
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:38
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

2 hrs confidence:

time passages

Explanation:
I think the title of that Al Stewart song may actually be a good fit here. Not as narrow as a flash in time but broad enough to encapsulate a whole year..

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day5 hrs (2015-03-12 16:00:15 GMT)
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“Passages” makes this an easy reference to most things historical, especially “literary passages” but it also emphasizes accessibility..
http://www.npr.org/2012/12/06/166481809/time-passages-the-ye...

Another option:
The museum is divided into eras (periods) and “flashback sections”.

Flashback seems appropriate since we’re talking about key events here that forged the image of certain periods. I would have said “flashback stations” but this way there won’t be any need for “experts” to point out that many people would associate radio stations with that term.

Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 08:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

German,

English
PRO pts in category: 46

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Zeitinsel

English translation: snapshots in time

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