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  3. Poetry & Literature

Quote from Albert Camus

English translation: genuine conversation

15:10 Oct 15, 2012
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
German term or phrase: Quote from Albert Camus
Anyone come across this quote in English before?

"Das echte Gespräch bedeutet: an dem Ich heraustreten und and die Tür des Du klopfen"
Lesley Robertson MA, Dip Trans IoLET
Austria
Local time: 19:21
English translation:genuine conversation
Explanation:
“Genuine conversation means stepping out of ‘I’
and knocking on the door of ‘you.’”
Albert Camus

http://www.morim-madrichim.org/en/GetFile/r/5376?firstreq=1
Selected response from:

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 11:21
Grading comment
Thank you, Kim.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4genuine conversation
Kim Metzger
4[see my suggestion]
philgoddard
3To have a real conversation is to leave the house of "me" and knock on the door of "you".
Michaela Pschierer-Barnfather
3Two ideas
Wolf Draeger
3transcending the self to reach out to others
Michael Martin, MA


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
[see my suggestion]


Explanation:
See the discussion entries for the context.

I suggest
"True communication is about putting your own needs aside, and knocking on someone else's door to ask what they need."

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
genuine conversation


Explanation:
“Genuine conversation means stepping out of ‘I’
and knocking on the door of ‘you.’”
Albert Camus

http://www.morim-madrichim.org/en/GetFile/r/5376?firstreq=1


Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 11:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 213
Grading comment
Thank you, Kim.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anne Schulz: quite simple, and just beautiful
7 hrs
  -> Just like Camus.
agree  Nicola Wood
16 hrs
agree  Michael Martin, MA: Yes, very good.
20 hrs
agree  Rebecca Garber
21 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
To have a real conversation is to leave the house of "me" and knock on the door of "you".


Explanation:
Another variation on the theme

Michaela Pschierer-Barnfather
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:21
Native speaker of: German
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20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Two ideas


Explanation:
As this is a marketing brochure, you might want to adapt the wording in order to get the point across, rather than end up with a potentially clumsy formulation which will defeat the object. You could then preface the "quote" with something like, "to paraphrase Camus, ...".

On the other hand, you or your client might insist on retaining the literary reference, in which case a more faithful rendition is required. So here are two suggestions:

Literary: "True conversation requires me to step out of my room and knock at your door" (I think the juxtaposition of Soi/Toi will be very difficult to reproduce naturally in English).

Free: "True dialogue is less about speaking, and more about listening" (with many variations possible on the juxtaposition of listen and speak).

Wolf Draeger
South Africa
Local time: 19:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
transcending the self to reach out to others


Explanation:
Many possibilities here...

A genuine conversation entails..

"transcending the self to reach out to others/engage with others"

"stepping out of yourself into another person"

Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 13:21
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 43
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