Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

in den Wirbel geraten

English translation:

got caught up in (all) the turmoil/confusion

Added to glossary by Yvonne Becker
May 9, 2006 23:11
18 yrs ago
German term

in den Wirbel geraten

German to English Other Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
In a letter of Sigmund Freud to his daughter:

"Von dem, was jetzt alle Gemüter erfüllt, kann ich Euch nicht mehr schreiben als was jeder Journalist seinen Lesern vorsetzt. Wir sind selig in dem Gefül ein Vaterland wiedergefunden zu haben, das es in den letzten Dezennien für uns kaum mehr gab, und wir erheben uns an dem grossartigen Beispiel deutscher Energie, Offenheit und Einmütigkeit. Wir wissen, dass wir um unsere Existenz kämpfen, und dass die Zukunft unserer Kinder sich ungleich schöner gestalten wird, wenn wir an der Seite Deutschlands singen. Der bittere Tropfen im Kelch ist das Benehmen Englands, in dem wir bisher den besten Wächter unserer Kultur geehrt haben. Unser kleines Annerl ist gleich bei ihrem ersten Ausflug in die Welt **in den Wirbel geraten**. Wir sind von ihr seit dem 29. Juli völlig abgeschnitten, hoffen aber, dass unsere Verwandten u Freunde in England sie behüten werden. "

Proposed translations

+3
6 hrs
Selected

got caught up in (all) the turmoil/confusion

Sorry that this is similar to previous suggestions, but I think "turmoil" (o.ä.) would be the applicable word here, because I strongly suspect it refers to the young Anna Freud being in England when WWI broke out in 1914 (she was subsequently declared an "enemy alien") and was thus "cut off" from her family.

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Note added at 13 hrs (2006-05-10 12:27:26 GMT)
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- "mixed up" would also work
Peer comment(s):

agree Nicole Schnell : Turmoil is the best option in this context.
14 mins
Thanks, Nicole
agree Ingeborg Gowans (X) : I think so too
5 hrs
agree Annette Urbschat
6 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Perfect!"
+1
1 hr

got caught up in the whirlwind

I think "geraten" is one of those German verbs that is really hard to translate, but "get caught up in" is probably OK here. As for the metaphor, I think it can be left as is.
Peer comment(s):

agree Teresa Reinhardt : sounds more like a storm ;-)
2 mins
What, than a vertebral column?
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+4
1 hr

got caught in the maelstrom

Wirbel can be a whirlwind but maelstrom is stronger.
Peer comment(s):

agree Richard Benham : Not so bad..., but not as well known in English. Also, as it's obviously a German word, it could create the impression Sigmund had used this word.
1 min
agree Nancy Arrowsmith : I've certainly heard it used repeatedly
2 hrs
agree Claire Cox : What I'd have said...
7 hrs
agree Alison Jenner : nice
7 hrs
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