Question about something that is being "given" in a sentence.
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- Story Teller
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Question about something that is being "given" in a sentence.
Could both of my English translations of what Eric wants to give be correct (i.e., is the German ambiguous)?
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Eric will nicht Führer sein, sondern uns das geben, daß jeder sich selbst führen kann.
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Translation 1:
Eric does not want to be leader, but rather to give each one the ability to lead himself.
Translation 2:
Eric does not want to be leader, but rather to give us what is needed [some sort of means, tools, or ideas unspecified in the sentence], so that each one can lead himself.
In #2 Eric is not directly giving people the ability to lead themselves. He is giving them some sort of means or tools they can use to lead themselves. I would guess #2 is correct.
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Thank you for any assistance.
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- Lingo Whiz
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Re: Question about something that is being "given" in a sentence.
It's #2. It's indicated by "uns". You'd have to use "jedem" to express "each one".
You're never too old to learn something stupid.
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- Story Teller
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Re: Question about something that is being "given" in a sentence.
Thank you, tiorthan.
Because of my faulty translations, I think you might have answered a partly different question than the one I asked. If so, please excuse my lack of clarity. I'll rephrase my question.
Eric will nicht Führer sein, sondern uns das geben, daß jeder sich selbst führen kann.
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Would you agree that in "das geben," "das" cannot be a pronoun representing the whole dependent clause: "daß jeder sich selbst führen kann." ?
Instead, the "das" in "das geben" is an unspecified something given, "so that jeder sich selbst führen kann."
Because of my faulty translations, I think you might have answered a partly different question than the one I asked. If so, please excuse my lack of clarity. I'll rephrase my question.
Eric will nicht Führer sein, sondern uns das geben, daß jeder sich selbst führen kann.
______________________________________________________
Would you agree that in "das geben," "das" cannot be a pronoun representing the whole dependent clause: "daß jeder sich selbst führen kann." ?
Instead, the "das" in "das geben" is an unspecified something given, "so that jeder sich selbst führen kann."
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- Lingo Whiz
- Beiträge: 2809
- Registriert: 13. Jun 2010 01:36
- Muttersprache: de, (pl)
Re: Question about something that is being "given" in a sentence.
Well, German doesn't really distinguish these things. You can inline the clause:
Eric will nicht Führer sein, sondern uns dass-jeder-sich-selbst-führen-kann geben.
It's weird and nobody would actually use this (because structures like that are too difficult to parse) but it doesn't change the meaning.
Eric will nicht Führer sein, sondern uns dass-jeder-sich-selbst-führen-kann geben.
It's weird and nobody would actually use this (because structures like that are too difficult to parse) but it doesn't change the meaning.
You're never too old to learn something stupid.
Mistake – Suggestion – You sure that's right?
Mistake – Suggestion – You sure that's right?
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- Story Teller
- Beiträge: 270
- Registriert: 7. Nov 2016 14:44
- Muttersprache: English
Re: Question about something that is being "given" in a sentence.
Okay, thank you very much tiorthan.