Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Jul 4, 2002 07:05
21 yrs ago
German term
Chris Rowson (X)
Sentence
German to English
Marketing
Journalism
journalism
I don´t understand this sentence. There is probably an idiom I am not familiar with (and my usual idiom consultant is filming for the BBC today!), or maybe I am misreading something from this bad fax, but I don´t think so. It comes from a magazine test report of an Italian sports boat. Here´s the headline and sentence that precede the problem sentence:
"Italienische Primaballerina trifft auf deutschen Kumpel.
Nun ja, der deutsche Kumpel steht nicht allein der Rassigen aus Italien gegenüber, sondern hat noch einen Kumpel mitgebracht."
And here´s the problem sentence: "Alleine könnte er auch wohl kaum seinen 'Mann' stehen, denn die feurige Italienerin hat es in sich: " (followed by technical data).
Suggestions for "Kumpel" would also be nice.
"Italienische Primaballerina trifft auf deutschen Kumpel.
Nun ja, der deutsche Kumpel steht nicht allein der Rassigen aus Italien gegenüber, sondern hat noch einen Kumpel mitgebracht."
And here´s the problem sentence: "Alleine könnte er auch wohl kaum seinen 'Mann' stehen, denn die feurige Italienerin hat es in sich: " (followed by technical data).
Suggestions for "Kumpel" would also be nice.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
43 mins
Selected
another option
Maybe turn it around a bit and use:
He/it really wouldn't stand a chance on his/its own
He/it wouldn't have a 'hope in Hell' going it alone....
First Kumpel...maybe something like workhorse?
Second Kumpel...mate, buddy, friend...brought a friend along for the ride?
hth
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Note added at 2002-07-04 08:18:19 (GMT)
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He wouldn\'t be able to hold off (the Italian) on his own
Going solo he wouldn\'t be able to hold out (hold his own) against the Italian
He/it really wouldn't stand a chance on his/its own
He/it wouldn't have a 'hope in Hell' going it alone....
First Kumpel...maybe something like workhorse?
Second Kumpel...mate, buddy, friend...brought a friend along for the ride?
hth
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Note added at 2002-07-04 08:18:19 (GMT)
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He wouldn\'t be able to hold off (the Italian) on his own
Going solo he wouldn\'t be able to hold out (hold his own) against the Italian
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a lot everyone!
I ended up with “On his own he wouldn´t stand a chance ...”. I appreciate the various suggestive suggestions, but I had to be a bit careful here not to go over the top, there was already a lot of innuendo in the wider context.
I really couldn´t see this lady going for a coal miner. I´ve been referred to often enough as a Kumpel to know it doesn´t have to have this sense (nobody would take me for a coal-miner).
"
+1
6 mins
buddy
for the US
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Note added at 2002-07-04 07:27:20 (GMT)
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He alone could not go up against....
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Note added at 2002-07-04 07:27:20 (GMT)
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He alone could not go up against....
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
TService (X)
: YES ! This hits the point and is closest to the meaning of "Kumpel", as "Kumpel" is a colloquial expression as well.
1 hr
|
9 mins
Elvira Stoianov
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Currently employed in-house
Native in: Romanian 
, Hungarian
Works in: German to Romanian, English to Romanian, Romanian to German, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
3
to stand one's ground/pal
seinen Mann stehen is indeed an idiom and according to QuickDic has the above meaning
Duden definition: auf sich gestellt tüchtig sein und sich bewähren
(Beispiel: sie musste schon früh im Leben seinen Mann stehen)
For Kumpel you might use "pal" or buddy
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Note added at 2002-07-04 07:16:09 (GMT)
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of course \"ihren Mann\" in the example, sorry
Duden definition: auf sich gestellt tüchtig sein und sich bewähren
(Beispiel: sie musste schon früh im Leben seinen Mann stehen)
For Kumpel you might use "pal" or buddy
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Note added at 2002-07-04 07:16:09 (GMT)
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of course \"ihren Mann\" in the example, sorry
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Endre Both
17 mins
|
| disagree |
gangels (X)
: It means to persist in the face of adversity. I think here, Mann stehen is a subtle erotic allusion.
10 hrs
|
| neutral |
Joy Christensen
: tend to agree with Klaus
12 hrs
|
10 mins
Mary Worby
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
Friendly, reliable and accurate!
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
below
seinen Mann stehen (seine
Pflicht tun) do one's duty; (selbständig sein) stand on one's own two feet; (sich durchsetzen) stand up for oneself;
It'd have a hard enough job (standing on its own two feet) on its own, because the fiery little Italian number has got what it takes:
Kumpel = mate?
Definition from Oxford-Duden
HTH
Mary
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Note added at 2002-07-04 07:17:12 (GMT)
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It would have its work cut out for it on its own ...
It would be up against enough of a challenge on its own ...
Pflicht tun) do one's duty; (selbständig sein) stand on one's own two feet; (sich durchsetzen) stand up for oneself;
It'd have a hard enough job (standing on its own two feet) on its own, because the fiery little Italian number has got what it takes:
Kumpel = mate?
Definition from Oxford-Duden
HTH
Mary
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Note added at 2002-07-04 07:17:12 (GMT)
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It would have its work cut out for it on its own ...
It would be up against enough of a challenge on its own ...
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Joy Christensen
: mate is not so good in this case, because could also mean his wife, right?
12 hrs
|
|
If somebody told me they'd be bringing a mate or their mate along, I'd be very surprised if they turned up with a husband or wife! (-:
|
+3
25 mins
Endre Both
Germany
Germany
Native in German
Germany
Seasoned IT expert
Native in: German (Variant: Germany) , Hungarian (Variant: Hungary)
Works in: English to German
miner! / mate, pal / stand one's ground
As you see, not much new compared to previous answers, with one addition:
Kumpel can mean both miner/pitman (Duden says: "Bergmann"; actually, this is the word's original meaning if I'm not mistaken) and pal/buddy.
So "deutscher Kumpel" probably is not "German pal" (whose pal would it be anyway?) but something like "German worker", i.e. hard-working but not very refined ("German miner" probably wouldn't make sense to speakers of English).
In "der deutsche Kumpel ... hat einen Kumpel mitgebracht", the first Kumpel is "miner", the second is "pal", making for a play on words.
Seinen Mann stehen is, as Eli said, something like "stand one's ground".
Kumpel can mean both miner/pitman (Duden says: "Bergmann"; actually, this is the word's original meaning if I'm not mistaken) and pal/buddy.
So "deutscher Kumpel" probably is not "German pal" (whose pal would it be anyway?) but something like "German worker", i.e. hard-working but not very refined ("German miner" probably wouldn't make sense to speakers of English).
In "der deutsche Kumpel ... hat einen Kumpel mitgebracht", the first Kumpel is "miner", the second is "pal", making for a play on words.
Seinen Mann stehen is, as Eli said, something like "stand one's ground".
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Martin Schmurr
: but depends on context
1 hr
|
| agree |
Joy Christensen
: that's right, but it is also used in other instances
12 hrs
|
| agree |
allemande
1 day 10 hrs
|
+2
26 mins
Andy Lemminger
Canada
Canada
Native in German
Canada
Finance&IT: Auditor & Software Developer
Native in: German 
Works in: English to German
miner, buddy/pal, stand on one's own two feet
tough piece indeed...
"der deutsche Kumpel" is "the German miner", people working in the Ruhrgebiet who are considered as typically lower-class Germans
"noch einen Kumpel" is his buddy/pal
and "seinen Mann stehen" is "stand on one's own two feet" in general but "Mann" and "stehen" in this context also has sexual implications to top the difficulty.
"der deutsche Kumpel" is "the German miner", people working in the Ruhrgebiet who are considered as typically lower-class Germans
"noch einen Kumpel" is his buddy/pal
and "seinen Mann stehen" is "stand on one's own two feet" in general but "Mann" and "stehen" in this context also has sexual implications to top the difficulty.
+1
45 mins
Martina Keskintepe
Türkiye
Türkiye
Native in German
&
English
Türkiye
Reliable, efficient medical translations
Native in: German , English
Works in: English to German, German to English
Kumpel I would translate as buddy
and as for the sentence, I agree with Andy that there is definitely a sexual implication.
Therefore you could probably translate it like this: On his own he could not be man enough to handle the hot blooded Italian.
Not a verbal translation, but maybe a helpful one.
Therefore you could probably translate it like this: On his own he could not be man enough to handle the hot blooded Italian.
Not a verbal translation, but maybe a helpful one.
+1
1 hr
Jonathan MacKerron
Native in English
Retired as of Jan 2019!
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
18
German workhorse
for 'deutsche Kumpel'. Seems appropriate in this context since it is offset by the Italian primaballerina.
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Note added at 2002-07-05 13:32:39 (GMT)
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My take was that the \'deutsche Kumpel\' referred to a German boat versus the racey Italian. In that case I think German workhorse is just fine. If it refers to a person then not, but I can\'t be sure with the bit of text that Chris has provided.
\'Side-kick\' might be appropriate for the second instance of Kumpel.
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Note added at 2002-07-05 13:32:39 (GMT)
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My take was that the \'deutsche Kumpel\' referred to a German boat versus the racey Italian. In that case I think German workhorse is just fine. If it refers to a person then not, but I can\'t be sure with the bit of text that Chris has provided.
\'Side-kick\' might be appropriate for the second instance of Kumpel.
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
TService (X)
: No ! "Deutsche Kumpel" means people working in a coal mine !
10 mins
|
|
maybe, but it would be absurd to use that translation in this context
|
|
| agree |
Endre Both
: TService is right about the literal meaning, but the translation is good!
27 mins
|
| neutral |
Martin Schmurr
: if the context does not make clear his job, this may fit
1 hr
|
| agree |
Joy Christensen
: Yes, yes, yes - Kumpel is the worker here more than the buddy. And a boat can be a workhorse, but not a miner! Unless it's a mining boat??
11 hrs
|
+2
1 hr
He could not handle her on his own as the racy italian [boat !] comes fully featured:
Preserves the sexual bias.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Lydia Molea
: yes, and for Kumpel I'd take buddy; and Italian capitalized
1 hr
|
| agree |
stefana
2 days 13 hrs
|
+1
10 hrs
sentence
By himself , he hardly could do "the job", for the racy Italienne is something else.
Anybody living in the present will catch the slightly suggestive double entendre.
Anybody living in the present will catch the slightly suggestive double entendre.
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