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dyppekar

Glossary entry

Danish term or phrase:

Slægtens Offer

English translation:

Sacrificed for the clan (see other answers + comments)

Added to glossary by Christine Andersen
Apr 16, 2009 16:27
15 yrs ago
Danish term

Slægtens Offer

Danish to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
Title of book by Josefine Ottesen. I thought of "A Victim of Lineage" but would welcome other suggestions. "Slægt" is a word that often causes problems I feel.
You can read a summary of the story here:
http://www.boghandel.dk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product-10...
Proposed translations (English)
2 Victim of the clan
3 +1 Sacrificial Lamb
4 In the bondage of legacy
3 Hereditary sacrifice
2 The family legacy
Change log

Apr 20, 2009 10:55: Christine Andersen Created KOG entry

Discussion

David Young (X) (asker) Apr 20, 2009:
Decision time Thx all. Would've liked to have split points but not allowed. Went off my original suggestion - thought it was too Henry James :) Author and I have decided on "Sacrificed for the Clan". This is just for the English version of her website. If the book was to find an English publisher, no doubt the editor would have something to say about it. Like the one who changed "Män som hatar kvinnor" to "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (*nashes teeth*).
Christine gets 2 points because I’m such a lick-spittle. She also got closest.

Proposed translations

15 hrs
Selected

Victim of the clan

My idea here is that the girl is in a way the victim or potential victim of both families, who are probably related loosely through cousins and earlier marriages over time.

'For the good of society' or whatever the expression is...
It doesn't have the same almost proverbial ring as the Danish original, however.
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2 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thx. See commentary on kudoz. David"
10 mins

The family legacy

How about rewriting the title? =)
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34 mins

Hereditary sacrifice

the closest I could get after checking books on google.

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Note added at 37 mins (2009-04-16 17:04:17 GMT)
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see example at
http://www.brank.org/gibbon/or/words/clear/

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+1
7 hrs

Sacrificial Lamb

The Danish "offer" can be read two ways, i.e., as "victim" and as "offering." I think that ambiguity is intentional here, given the protagonist's age and circumstances. To convey what the author wanted, I think a similar play on words might be appropriate, emphasizing the protagonist's youth and innocence and the cruelty of sacrificing her. I'd like to have used "family" in some way as well, but I couldn't come up with anything satisfactory to me.
Peer comment(s):
agree Christine Andersen : I was thinking on those lines
7 hrs
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2 days 4 hrs

In the bondage of legacy

I really like the word "legacy" here (good one Lise) and perhaps the word "bondage" is a good way to express the duality of the word "offer".

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Note added at 2 days4 hrs (2009-04-18 20:45:57 GMT)
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Here's a link to writings by Martin Luther titled "The Bondage of the Will" with the subtitle "On the Enslaved Will"

http://www.truecovenanter.com/truelutheran/luther_bow.html
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