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  3. Philosophy

Nur Reisen ist Leben, wie umgekehrt das Leben Reisen ist.

English translation: The journey alone is living, much as life [itself] is a journey

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Nur Reisen ist Leben, wie umgekehrt das Leben Reisen ist.
English translation:The journey alone is living, much as life [itself] is a journey
Entered by: Cynthia Göttle-Greenwood

17:56 Jun 1, 2010
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Philosophy
German term or phrase: Nur Reisen ist Leben, wie umgekehrt das Leben Reisen ist.
A thought from Jean Paul.
Does anyone know of an official translation or a webside where I could find it?
Cynthia Göttle-Greenwood
Local time: 02:45
The journey alone is living, much as life [itself] is a journey
Explanation:
My stab at it.

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Note added at 2 days15 hrs (2010-06-04 09:17:35 GMT) Post-grading
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Thanks, Cynthia
Selected response from:

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:45
Grading comment
Thanks Helen and everybody else for their comments. Confirms my thinking.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +9The journey alone is living, much as life [itself] is a journey
Helen Shiner
2 +1Only travel is life, as life is travel
Jonathan MacKerron
Summary of reference entries provided
Quelle
Johanna Timm, PhD

Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Only travel is life, as life is travel


Explanation:
a place to travel

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bernhard Sulzer: or: only travelling is living, as living is travelling
3 mins
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
The journey alone is living, much as life [itself] is a journey


Explanation:
My stab at it.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days15 hrs (2010-06-04 09:17:35 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Cynthia

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:45
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 43
Grading comment
Thanks Helen and everybody else for their comments. Confirms my thinking.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Armorel Young: Yes, if we're talking about spiritual journeys rather than tourists flocking to Marbella, "journey" is a distinctly better word than "travel"
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Armorel - more fitting perhaps for a Romantic writer!
agree  Bernhard Sulzer: the spiritual way/path. / I find "living" very appropriate; it's movement in time.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Bernhard
agree  Lancashireman: Or "Bon voyage - c'est la vie" as they say in France.
3 hrs
  -> Evidement. Thanks, Andrew
agree  DFTS (X): I like it. I would however consider "The journey alone is life, much as life itself is a journey", because it is still correct in my ears to say that something is life like "that is the life", and using the same words conversely seems ideal if possible.
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, Dave122, yes, that works just as well. Lacks a little in poetry without the juxtaposition of living and life, but since that is not there in the German ...
agree  Vera H.: I am with Dave122, it sounds smoother!
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, Vera H
agree  British Diana: Disagree with the previous two peers - the juxtaposition of "living" and "life" is necessary and brillliant!
9 hrs
  -> Thanks, British Diana - I prefer it that way, too.
agree  Rolf Keiser
11 hrs
  -> Thanks, Goldcoaster
agree  Lirka: it sounds very well indeed, but I second Armorel's comment; it would not work as a tourist slogan...
15 hrs
  -> Thanks, lirka, but since it is Jean Paul, it is unlikely to be a tourist slogan. I believe Armorel was supporting me in that!
agree  Reinhold Wehrmann
15 hrs
  -> Thanks, Reinhold
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Reference comments


7 hrs
Reference: Quelle

Reference information:
Das Zitat stammt übrigens aus Jean Pauls Roman "Das Kampaner Tal" (The Campanian Valley), 1797. Not sure if it's available in translation.

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 28
Note to reference poster
Asker: Many thanks for the tip Joanna.

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