hinter den sieben Bergen

English translation: beyond the seven hills, at the back of beyond, in the Hall of the Mountain King, over the hills and far away, at the end of the

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:hinter den sieben Bergen
English translation:beyond the seven hills, at the back of beyond, in the Hall of the Mountain King, over the hills and far away, at the end of the
Entered by: Hilary Davies Shelby

15:07 Mar 6, 2005
German to English translations [PRO]
Government / Politics / war/politics
German term or phrase: hinter den sieben Bergen
Here's more of an interesting one! We're still talking about Osama bin Laden here, and referring to "sein Versteck hinter den sieben Bergen". I get the reference to Schneewittchen here; but how would you render it in English as something far away and mystical/impossible to reach?

Many thanks!

Hilary ;-)
Hilary Davies Shelby
United States
Local time: 09:21
behind the seven hills
Explanation:
Or behind the Seven Hills.

I don't see why you need to assume the reader is stupid. It could equally well be a reference to the Seven Hills of Rome. Who knows? Who cares?

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Note added at 28 mins (2005-03-06 15:35:49 GMT)
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Hello there. For those who think that \"seven hills\" is too obscure (I\'m not one of them), I would suggest \"over the hills and far away\". Perhaps a little flippant, but then so is the original.

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Note added at 35 mins (2005-03-06 15:42:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Actually, I am in a position to reveal the real whereabouts of Mr bin Laden. He lives in a Berlin U-Bahn station, in a rubbish bin. He even has his name plate over the top, with an arrow pointing down, surmounted by the words \"Bin laden\". I am not joking; I have seen this sign with my own eyes.
Selected response from:

Richard Benham
France
Local time: 15:21
Grading comment
These were ALL great suggestions - much appreciated.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3in a cave somewhere
Lancashireman
3 +3behind the seven hills
Richard Benham
5 +1Over the hills and far away
Nancy Arrowsmith
4 +1in a land far, far away
trautlady
4in realms unknown
IanW (X)
4In his hideout in the land where the fox and the hare say goodnight.
lindaellen (X)
4at the end of the world
Dagmar Jenner
4scot-free
lenzer
3Far, Far Away
Stefanie Sendelbach
3hall of the Mountain King
JeffFish (X)
3his hidey-hole at the back of beyond the hills
Frosty
3invisible hideaway
Francis Lee (X)
3beyond reach
RomEst (X)


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Far, Far Away


Explanation:
Hm, first thing I thought of was the name of that kingdom in Shrek. Let's see what others come up with.


Stefanie Sendelbach
Germany
Local time: 15:21
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
hall of the Mountain King


Explanation:
Hi Hilary,
Can you fit this into the context if you reword the sentence? Fairly well-known and keeps the mountain context

JeffFish (X)
Local time: 15:21
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 11

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Richard Benham: And you thought "Far, Far Away" was whimsical. When it comes to whimsy, your suggestion has no Peer. What's wrong with "behind the seven hills"?
2 mins
  -> peerless jeff at your service, sir
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
in realms unknown


Explanation:
I would say "in realms unknown" or something along those lines. I agree that you'd need to render this differently in English - I for one wouldn't have got the Schneewittchen reference.

IanW (X)
Local time: 15:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 34

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Richard Benham: Nothing wrong with your suggestion, but does it matter if the reader doesn't pick the (possible) fairytale reference? The meaning remains clear enough. Just a thought.
9 mins
  -> Readers might understand "the seven hills" as referring to some actual geographic location. It's not vital to translate the "fairytale" reference, but if it is possible to convey the sense of something "mystical/impossible to reach", then I would do so
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
in a land far, far away


Explanation:
how about this one?

trautlady
United States
Local time: 07:21
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ellen Zittinger
9 hrs
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
his hidey-hole at the back of beyond the hills


Explanation:
Just an idea!

Frosty
Local time: 15:21
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20
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32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
In his hideout in the land where the fox and the hare say goodnight.


Explanation:
To wax poetic in a rather Grimm way.

lindaellen (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
behind the seven hills


Explanation:
Or behind the Seven Hills.

I don't see why you need to assume the reader is stupid. It could equally well be a reference to the Seven Hills of Rome. Who knows? Who cares?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 28 mins (2005-03-06 15:35:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hello there. For those who think that \"seven hills\" is too obscure (I\'m not one of them), I would suggest \"over the hills and far away\". Perhaps a little flippant, but then so is the original.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 35 mins (2005-03-06 15:42:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Actually, I am in a position to reveal the real whereabouts of Mr bin Laden. He lives in a Berlin U-Bahn station, in a rubbish bin. He even has his name plate over the top, with an arrow pointing down, surmounted by the words \"Bin laden\". I am not joking; I have seen this sign with my own eyes.

Richard Benham
France
Local time: 15:21
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
These were ALL great suggestions - much appreciated.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dr.G.MD (X)
0 min
  -> Thanks.

neutral  Frosty: I`m sure Hilary could have worked this one out for herself! // Nope, just a plain and simple observation.
17 mins
  -> Is that supposed to be an argument?

neutral  IanW (X): No-one is assuming that anyone is stupid here, Hilary is just attempting to tailor the cultural nuances of her text to the target audience
18 mins
  -> True, but my point is that the meaning is clear enough whether one gets the reference or not. I'm just putting my two bob's worth in and trying to counteract what I consider an unhealthy tendency in general.

neutral  Francis Lee (X): fully agree w/ Ian's assessment of Hilary's approach // "over the hills and far away" is good! p.s. do you live in Neu-Köln?
30 mins
  -> What's Hilary's approach got to do with it?//Not even Neu-Kölln. I live over the hills (and sea) and far away in Adelaide Australia.

agree  Elimar Orlopp: ... in any way it suggests a secret hide-away, and why not encourage the asker with solution which are so easy that she may have overlooked it because of that.. thx!
4 hrs
  -> Thanks.

agree  Shane London: I see nothing wrong with this.
7 hrs
  -> Thanks.

neutral  Gabrielle Lyons: I find the Rome reference distracting - unless the article is suggesting he's hiding out with the Pope ...//Er, you did, Richard, at the beginning of your answer. Also, it just pops into my head when I hear 7 hills.
17 hrs
  -> Who says it's a reference to Rome? Do you think of Rome when you think about Schneewittchen? Besides, there has always been some friction between Catholics and Jews....//No, I pointed to Rome as another possibility--I didn't say it was about Rome.
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36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
at the end of the world


Explanation:
Auch wenn der Schneewitchen-Bezug hier nahe liegend ist, denke ich, dass eher gemeint ist, dass er sich am Ende der Welt befindet (um nicht zu sagen: am A... der Welt - pardon!) und sogar dort aus von sich reden macht und nicht so sehr der märchenhafte Bezug.

Dagmar Jenner
Local time: 15:21
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 1
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
in a cave somewhere


Explanation:
caves - usually found inside mountains
somewhere - vague adverb accompanied by insouciant shrug
The whole phrase - 'in a cave somewhere' - is current in UK media

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 208

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trudy Peters: Why not?
1 hr

agree  JeffFish (X)
2 hrs

agree  Gabrielle Lyons: makes sense too
18 hrs
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
invisible hideaway


Explanation:
couldn't come up with anything very imaginative ...

clandestine hideaway ?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 14 mins (2005-03-06 16:21:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\"his hideaway somewhere in never never land ...\"
I think that gets the point across.

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 15:21
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 88
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Over the hills and far away


Explanation:
A reference to a song sung in many different versions, originally a children's rhyme, so it corresponds pretty closely to the Snow White analogy.
Over 100,000 Google hits, here's a military version of the song:
http://www.napoleonguide.com/music_hills.htm
Another:
http://nightwish.lyrics-songs.com/lyrics/28416/

For a historical note, http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/13/messages/1370.ht...

Nancy Arrowsmith
Local time: 08:21
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gabrielle Lyons: I like this best
5 hrs
  -> Thanks!
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22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
scot-free


Explanation:
the phrase can mean that someone has escaped; it's not restricted to the fairy tale. the implication is that you wouldn't find a person behind the seven mountains.

lenzer
Local time: 15:21
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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1 day 2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
beyond reach


Explanation:
just a thought...

RomEst (X)
Local time: 16:21
Native speaker of: Native in RomanianRomanian
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