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pådriver

English translation: driving force

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Norwegian term or phrase:pådriver
English translation:driving force
Entered by: kvaloy (X)

06:43 Sep 10, 2004
Norwegian to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
Norwegian term or phrase: pådriver
Bistandsdemnda ønsker å være en pådriver og diskusjonspartner for at våre medlemsorganisasjoner kan starte en slik process.
kvaloy (X)
Local time: 06:05
driving force
Explanation:
self-explanatory.
Selected response from:

brigidm
Norway
Local time: 04:05
Grading comment
Thank you very much. You were very helpful!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3driving force
brigidm
5play a role in actively encouraging
Richard Lawson
4initiatior, promoter
LinguaLab.net
1 -1pacemaker
Christine Andersen


  

Answers


40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
pådriver
driving force


Explanation:
self-explanatory.

brigidm
Norway
Local time: 04:05
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 15
Grading comment
Thank you very much. You were very helpful!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tore Bjerkek
4 hrs
  -> Takk.
agree  KirstyMacC (X): nemnda: New Norwegian, perhaps.
4 hrs
  -> Takk
agree  Vedis Bjørndal: pådriver=drivende kraft ;primus motor iflg. Norsk ill.ordbok
9 hrs
  -> takk
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
pådriver
play a role in actively encouraging


Explanation:
This is bureaucratese.
I have seen many ways of translating the word "pådriver", e.g.:
"spearhead"; "prime mover"; "proactive role"; "leading role"; "active proponent"; "catalyst".
Of course, the way you translate such words will always depend on issues such as style, content, target group, etc. However, wherever possible, I prefer to use simple language.

Richard Lawson
Local time: 04:05
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
pådriver
initiatior, promoter


Explanation:
Dette er forslagene Clue gir. Initiator fungerer kanskje best i setningen.

LinguaLab.net
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:05
Native speaker of: Norwegian
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): -1
pådriver
pacemaker


Explanation:
Pacemaker or sparring partner

-- pacemaker in the oriignal sense of a competitor who 'sets the pace' at the start of a race or competition.

Sparring partner is also used - both are from the sports world, and in training sessions they help each other in the spirit of true sportsmanship:
'May the best win!'



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs 45 mins (2004-09-10 11:29:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Per is right. Concíse Oxford does give pacesetter as a synonym for pacemaker, but...

the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English is more up to date: it gives pacemaker as a device in someone\'s chest to make weak or irregular heartbeats regular.

-- and that meaning has more or less taken over the word \'pacemaker\'

A pacesetter according to the same dictionary is:
1. a team that is ahead of others in a competition.
2. someone or something that sets an example for others (Industry is the pacesetter of modern life)
3. someone who runs at the front at the beginning of a race and sets the speed at which others must run.

Thanks, Per, that\'s what I like about KudoZ - it shakes up my prejudices!


Christine Andersen
Denmark
Local time: 04:05
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Per Bergvall: I think the word you want is pacesetter
3 hrs
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