Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
verwaisen
English translation:
decimate
Added to glossary by
lone (X)
Jul 22, 2005 12:10
18 yrs ago
German term
verwaisen
German to English
Other
Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
Da zeitweise Urlaub und Krankheit die Abteilung verwaisen ließen, bekam ich die Chance, mir und anderen zu zeigen, dass ich es allein schaffen würde
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +1 | decimate |
Lancashireman
|
| 3 +10 | (department was) deserted |
Sabine Tietge
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| 4 | reduced ... to a ghost town |
IanW (X)
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| 4 | "orphaned" / abandoned |
KARIN ISBELL
|
Proposed translations
+1
7 mins
Selected
decimate
As holiday leave and sickness had decimated the department...
OK not strictly ‘killed one in ten centurions’ but that’s the way this verb is used nowadays
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Note added at 2 hrs 18 mins (2005-07-22 14:28:39 GMT)
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\'decimated\' suggests that staffing was stretched, unlike \'deserted\' which suggests that there was no one left at all. The writer, of course, remained plus other members of staff who were able to admire his/her sterling efforts.
OK not strictly ‘killed one in ten centurions’ but that’s the way this verb is used nowadays
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Note added at 2 hrs 18 mins (2005-07-22 14:28:39 GMT)
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\'decimated\' suggests that staffing was stretched, unlike \'deserted\' which suggests that there was no one left at all. The writer, of course, remained plus other members of staff who were able to admire his/her sterling efforts.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you Andrew! This was the best choice in this context!
And thanks to everyone else for answering!"
+10
4 mins
Sabine Tietge
Native in German
&
English
Your language services partner in India
Native in: German 
, English
Works in: German to English, English to German
Related KudoZ points
:
4
(department was) deserted
verwaisen itr. V. be orphaned; become an orphan; verwaist orphaned <child>; (fig.) lonely, deserted <person, place>; unoccupied <house>; vacant <professorship>
Duden-Oxford - Großwörterbuch Englisch. 2. Aufl. Mannheim 1999. [CD-ROM].
Duden-Oxford - Großwörterbuch Englisch. 2. Aufl. Mannheim 1999. [CD-ROM].
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Ulrike Kraemer
2 mins
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Thanks!
|
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| agree |
Arthur Allmendinger
2 mins
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Danke
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| agree |
Laurens Landkroon
16 mins
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Thank you
|
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| agree |
Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
37 mins
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Hallo und danke :-) Schönes Wochenend wünsch ich dir!
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| agree |
Stephen Roche
41 mins
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Thanks, Stephen
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| agree |
BirgitBerlin
49 mins
|
| agree |
silfilla
1 hr
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| agree |
Jan Vano
1 hr
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| agree |
Francis Lee (X)
4 hrs
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| agree |
Jeannette Bauroth
6 hrs
|
7 mins
reduced ... to a ghost town
If you have a little leeway, I'd say: "Given that a combination of illness and holiday leave had reduced the department to a virtual ghost town ..."
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
: good idea, Ian, but reduce a department to a town? hm...
36 mins
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Figure of speech: e.g. "Does this web site feel like a ghost town to anyone else?" http://www.splitliprayfield.com/forum/detail.asp?id=1549
|
1 hr
KARIN ISBELL
United States
United States
Native in German
&
English
Specializes in field
United States
Accurate and equivalent
Native in: English , German
Works in: English to German, German to English, Russian to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
"orphaned" / abandoned
why not use the either the literal translation of the word, set in quotation marks or 'abandoned'.
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