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What does old Joseph mean here
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 1:02 pm
by Richard Hargreaves
with "bestellen"?
Wir müssen den Osten bestellen, große Luftwaffenverbände sind in Sizilien, Kreta und Nordafrika gebunden; da bleibt für den Westen nicht allzu viel mehr übrig.
as in
Die gesamte deutsche Luftwaffe war im Osten gebunden, und unterdes hatte England die beste Möglichkeit, aufzuholen und selbst eine Luftwaffe aufzubauen, die zum großen Teil von den Erfahrungen zehrte, die wir unter so schweren Opfern in unserem Luftkampf gegen England gesammelt hatten. England ist nach dem vergangenen Winter nun dazu übergegangen, im großen Stil den Luftkrieg gegen das deutsche Reichsgebiet zu fuhren. Unsere Luftwaffe hat zu große Aufgaben zu erfüllen, als daß sie dagegen Vergeltung über könnte. Wir müssen den Osten bestellen, große Luftwaffenverbände sind in Sizilien, Kreta und Nordafrika gebunden; da bleibt für den Westen nicht allzu viel mehr übrig.
because none of the usual translations for "bestellen" seem to fit. Nurture perhaps? Or maybe preserve. Or possibly neither.
Re: What does old Joseph mean here
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 2:57 pm
by Hans
Hi Richard,
Rather than playing around with "bestellen", try "Stell/e". You might find something appropriate.
- Hans
Re: What does old Joseph mean here
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:20 pm
by Richard Hargreaves
Ah!
Something like "stand our ground"/"hold our own"?
Re: What does old Joseph mean here
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:39 pm
by Hans
Ah, I think you've got it. By George you've got it.
Seriously, "Stand our ground would do it."
Re: What does old Joseph mean here
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:53 am
by Richard Hargreaves
Cheers Hans. This translating German lark is a doddle.
Re: What does old Joseph mean here
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:00 am
by fridgeman
"Bestellen" is also a german farmers term for preparing a field, the hard work that has to be done before the harvest,
like ploughing and seeding. Im pretty sure that is what Goebbels ment here, when he says "wir müssen den osten bestellen".
With my limited english i would translate it just as "we have to fight hard in the east".
Re: What does old Joseph mean here
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:52 pm
by Quax der Bruchpilot
The meaning is according to the "einen Acker bestellen" from farming. As a German I would translate it as "we have to do our job/our business in the east" or "we still have to work on (not "in") the east. The meaning is tending towards "to bring something in order" or "to work on something.