German德语: BärenhäuterEnglish英语 translation: a lazy good-for-nothing  KudoZ The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators ... More  |
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| 词条（来自下列问题） | | German德语词条或短语： | Bärenhäuter | | English英语翻译： | a lazy good-for-nothing | | 输入者： | JSolis |
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German德语至English英语翻译 [专业]
成语/格言/熟语 | | German德语词条或短语： Bärenhäuter | This is from an 18th century court record:
"Der Kläger schimpfte ihn als ein 'Bärenhäuter' – einer der auf der faulen (Bären)haut liegt."
Bärenhäuter is also the title of a fairy tale by Grimm ("The man in a bear's skin"), but I'm not sure how to get the sense of this particular phrase across. Thanks in advance for any suggestions! |
| | 写给提问者或来自提问者的留言Nicole Schnell: 06:15 Mar 8, 2006: Uhm - this has nothing to do with "auf der faulen Haut liegen". It's a legend about a guy who gave a promise to the devil not to shower or cut his nails for 7 years and to run around in a bear skin, in return for riches. -
Nicole Schnell: 06:23 Mar 8, 2006: Maybe he was accused of doing just about anything to get some money. -
JSolis: 06:26 Mar 8, 2006: Right, but the Kläger's accusation - "ein 'Bärenhäuter' – einer der auf der faulen (Bären)haut liegt" - combines the two different meanings, which is why I find it difficult to translate...
JSolis: 06:29 Mar 8, 2006: Yes, maybe he would do anything for money. Good point.
Nicole Schnell: 07:08 Mar 8, 2006: The Grimms are depicting this guy as a resigned soldier, without income and no other skills to make a living - that's the reason why he did this deal with the devil. Still can't come up with any English equivalent.. -
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| | 获选答案来自：
 mbrodie
英国
| 提问者给回答者的留言Thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions.
已将4分KudoZ分数奖给该答案 |
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24分钟 信心度：   |
| not for points
说明：
Bärenhäu|ter, der [zuerst Soldatenschimpfwort, urspr. = einer, der nicht kämpft, sondern auf der Bärenhaut liegt]: 1. <o.Pl.> Name einer Märchengestalt. 2. (veraltet) Faulpelz.
© Duden - Deutsches Universalwörterbuch 2001
| | 给答者的备注
提问者： Thank you for this reference!
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5小时 信心度： |
| lazybones
说明：
I see no reason to believe this is intended as a double entendre. Your context makes it clear what is meant, and as Translations4IT's definition shows, the word used to have this very simple, straightforward meaning. Your context has even made it much easier for you by explaining just what was intended.
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1小时 信心度： |
| Chichikov
说明：
Here's a real stretch for you. Do you know Chichikov from Gogol's Dead Souls? He's a landowner who goes around buying up the rights to dead people, because wealth is reckoned in the number of serfs one had.
Another possibility is the young man in American Dream, but because I haven't read it and because he is only called "the young man", I'm not sure that this is so good.
There is also an excellent fairy tale by Pushkin called The Fisherman and the Fish, where the fisherman's wife finds out that her husband (the fisherman) has found a golden fish and can wish for anything he wants. She wishes for more and more and more until finally she exceeds the limits, wishing for control of the fish itself, thereby losing everything. She, too, however is only called "the old lady" or "crone" or however you want to translate it.
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Note added at 6 hrs (2006-03-08 12:02:23 GMT)
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But you know what, all of my answers are pretty much impossible, because none of these stories were around in the 18th century. Unless you want translate the court record in a Bloomian manner.
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Note added at 6 hrs (2006-03-08 12:08:47 GMT)
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You need something from Chaucer or Shakespeare, there's gotta be someone appropriate in the Canterbury Tales, perhaps the lazy monk.
| | 给答者的备注
提问者： Thanks for all the references! It's all worth investigating...
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8小时 信心度： 同仁同意（净值）： +1 |
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The translation workplace 
