ist Gift für

English translation: is disruptive for any team

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:ist Gift für ein Team
English translation:is disruptive for any team
Entered by: Astrid Elke Witte

11:05 Nov 22, 2009
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Management
German term or phrase: ist Gift für
Der ganze Satz lautet:
Disziplinlosigkeit ist Gift für jedes Team.

Die Bedeutung müsste eigentlich klar sein (?): Jedes Teammitglied muss sich an aufgestellte Regeln halten.

Mir geht es allerdings nur um das "Gift" (kommt z.B. auch vor in Wendungen wie "Gift für jede Beziehung"). Gibt es im Englischen etwas Entsprechendes?
Jutta Scherer
Germany
Local time: 09:04
disruptive
Explanation:
Not playing by the rules is disruptive for any team (because it creates an unproductive/poisonous/troubling team dynamic).
Selected response from:

wfarkas (X)
Canada
Local time: 04:04
Grading comment
Thanks, everybody.
I like "disruptive" better than "harmful" because it expresses what the German "Gift" entails
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +5is extremely damaging / is (utterly) harmful
BrigitteHilgner
4 +2is deadly
Cilan
5... is poisonous for...
Ferguson (X)
5is toxic
Rosa Paredes
4.. is poison to any team...
Werner Hehn
3 +1is anathema for/in
polyglot45
4disruptive
wfarkas (X)
3detrimental
Rolf Keiser


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
... ist Gift für...
is deadly


Explanation:
or: has a toxic effect on

Cilan
Local time: 09:04
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Werner Hehn: "is deadly" - yes, but not has a toxic effect on
5 mins
  -> Thank you so much, Werner! BTW: Why can't you say "has a toxic effect"?

neutral  ahilbert: In AE, I feel that it would be appropriate to say that it is toxic to any team. That retains the original sentiment without being to literal. "Toxic" is gaining popularity it seems: "toxic assets", a "toxic relationship."
3 hrs
  -> Here is where I have to confess that I prefer AE - so I don't know much about "British Understatement" ;-)

agree  Teresa Reinhardt: either one is just fine
17 hrs
  -> Thank you, Teresa!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
... ist Gift für...
.. is poison to any team...


Explanation:
Man kann auch ruhig sagen, wie im Deutschen auch, "is poison to any team". Anathema ist sicher nicht falsch - aber passt nicht in die übrige Textsprache.

Werner Hehn
Local time: 09:04
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Helen Shiner: Not a natural thing to say in such circumstances, I don't believe. Somehow it sounds much more extreme in EN than in GER.
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
... ist Gift für...
... is poisonous for...


Explanation:
some examples

...wound up being so poisonous for team chemistry,...
I think individual awards will be poisonous for the entire team.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 28 mins (2009-11-22 11:34:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"poisonous to" is better than "poisonous for"


    Reference: http://www.sportingnews.com/college-football/article/2009-08...
    Reference: http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?joel.3.32524.2...
Ferguson (X)
Local time: 09:04
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Helen Shiner: I feel this is too close to the GER and wouldn't be a natural thing for an EN-speaker to say.
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
... ist Gift für...
is extremely damaging / is (utterly) harmful


Explanation:
More ideas

BrigitteHilgner
Austria
Local time: 09:04
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Helen Shiner: Far more likely to be used than images around poison which are too close to the German.
1 hr
  -> Thank you, Helen.

agree  Anne-Marie Grant (X): extremely damaging
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Anne-Marie.

agree  Edith Kelly: with Helen
4 hrs
  -> Danke schön, Edith.

agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): yes, well put/ hi Brigitte, I'll be in touch
8 hrs
  -> Danke schön, Inge. Grüße aus dem Wiener Nebel ('richtiges' Novemberwetter).

agree  Nicole Backhaus
14 hrs
  -> Danke schön, Nicole. Frohes Schaffen!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
... ist Gift für...
is anathema for/in


Explanation:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/anathema

One suggestion

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2009-11-22 12:14:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

is the kiss of death - if you must keep the German image....

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lancashireman: As Helen points out, too literal a translation (deathly/fatal/poisonous) is anathema, certainly to a BE speaker ('British understatement').
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
... ist Gift für...
detrimental


Explanation:
lack of discipline has an ill effect on a team; vde. sentence below

Example sentence(s):
  • lack of discipline is detrimental to every team
Rolf Keiser
Switzerland
Local time: 09:04
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Cilan: Altough I really like yor elegant wording, what is so bad about bluntly calling a rose a rose?
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
... ist Gift für...
is toxic


Explanation:
This would work in North America, I don't know about UK.

Rosa Paredes
Canada
Local time: 04:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
... ist Gift für...
disruptive


Explanation:
Not playing by the rules is disruptive for any team (because it creates an unproductive/poisonous/troubling team dynamic).

wfarkas (X)
Canada
Local time: 04:04
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks, everybody.
I like "disruptive" better than "harmful" because it expresses what the German "Gift" entails
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search