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Erfolg hat viele Väter, der Misserfolg ist ein Waisenkind

English translation: Everyone is quick to take the credit, but no one wants to take the blame.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Erfolg hat viele Väter, der Misserfolg ist ein Waisenkind
English translation:Everyone is quick to take the credit, but no one wants to take the blame.
Entered by: Natalie Wilcock (X)

13:17 Apr 27, 2006
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / proverbs/sayings
German term or phrase: Erfolg hat viele Väter, der Misserfolg ist ein Waisenkind
Keine Ahnung ob dies wirklich ein Spruch ist, aber wurscht. Ich sauge mir seit Stunden was aus den Fingern und es will mir nicht recht gelingen. Hintergrund:

Wenn Deutschland's Nationalmannschaft (Fussball) bei der WM weiter als die Vorrunde kommt, will jeder für deren Erfolg was können. ABER, wenn Klinsis Jungs schon in der Vorrunde rausfliegen, will keiner was dafür können.

Sodele, und nun das ganze auf Englisch....and, this, my fellow translators, is where YOU come in. Any bright ideas? Anything to get me even started?...hohum, it's one of THOSE days ;-)) Thanks in advance.
Natalie Wilcock (X)
Local time: 07:02
Everyone is quick to take the credit, but no one wants to take the blame.
Explanation:
good supervisor is slow to take credit and quick to take blame. When the goodies are being passed out, deflect everything you can to your staff. ...
Selected response from:

Adrian MM. (X)
Local time: 07:02
Grading comment
Thanks to you all. In the end, this fit the bill perfectly. Regards, Natalie
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5Success has many fathers. Failure is an orphan
Alison Jenner
4 +3smile,and the world smiles with you.Cry,and you cry alone.
muitoprazer (X)
4 +1Success has many fathers. Failure is no-one's child
CMJ_Trans (X)
4 +1Everyone is quick to take the credit, but no one wants to take the blame.
Adrian MM. (X)
4Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan...
Susan Zimmer
3 +1Only sing when they're winning.
Francis Lee (X)
1 +2Sucess has many fathers, while failure is an orphan.
Jalapeno


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Erfolg hat viele Väter, der Misserfolg ist ein Weisenkind
Success has many fathers. Failure is an orphan


Explanation:
"Success has many fathers. Failure is an orphan."
http://www.alanemrich.com/Class/Class_Quotations.htm

variations "has many parents" "has a hundred fathers" "has a thousand fathers"...

Alison Jenner
Switzerland
Local time: 07:02
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Francis Lee (X): "bastard (child)" would be an alternative
3 mins
  -> Thanks, Francis.
agree  Bryan Smith: Yes, I have heard this said many times. This saying is well-entrenched in english as well, so I'd go with the literal translation.
32 mins
  -> Thanks, Bryan.
agree  Laurel Porter (X): I've mostly heard it as one sentence with "but": "...fathers, but failure..."
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Laurel
agree  Teresa Reinhardt: w/Laurel
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Teresa
agree  Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
3 hrs
neutral  muitoprazer (X): even better if you use progenitors instead of fathers.!same to jalapeno and susie z!.
2 days 23 hrs
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Erfolg hat viele Väter, der Misserfolg ist ein Weisenkind
Sucess has many fathers, while failure is an orphan.


Explanation:
http://www.google.de/search?q="success has many fathers"&hl=...

Strangely enough, the literal translation does seem to exist. Even though many of the google hits are probably just translations themselves.

Another translation is hovering around the edge of my consciousness, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Something with "credit" or "glory", I believe.

Jalapeno
Local time: 07:02
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jane Luther: of the "success stories" I like the feel of this best, probably what I'm more familiar with
3 hrs
agree  Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
3 hrs
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Erfolg hat viele Väter, der Misserfolg ist ein Weisenkind
Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan...


Explanation:
checking for title translation at amazon.de I came accross the website
http://www.cientifica.com/archives/000114.html - hope this helps...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 mins (2006-04-27 13:39:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

oppps, looks like you guys beat me to it....


    Reference: http://www.cientifica.com/archives/000114.html
Susan Zimmer
United States
Local time: 01:02
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Erfolg hat viele Väter, der Misserfolg ist ein Weisenkind
Success has many fathers. Failure is no-one's child


Explanation:
I think the above sounds better but I have found the following two other options that argue against my idea

But systemic UN child sex in at least 50 percent of their missions? ... Irish meant when they said that, "Success has many fathers and failure is an orphan. ...
www.rightwingnews.com/archives/week_2006_02_26.PHP

OR

Success has a thousand fathers, failure is an orphan. ... "No one's saying the deceased was a bad guy. Just saying there's such a thing as giving your ...
www.mightymiddle.com/index.php?/archives/200604.html

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 07:02
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Maureen Millington-Brodie
5 hrs
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Erfolg hat viele Väter, der Misserfolg ist ein Weisenkind
smile,and the world smiles with you.Cry,and you cry alone.


Explanation:
think this is the metaphorical meaning.previous are literal translations.What it really means is that everyone wants some success,while noone admits to failure.

muitoprazer (X)
Local time: 06:02
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jane Luther: This is good. Why can I never think of these things?
2 hrs
  -> thanks.Tom Thumbs is a colloquial way of saying the same.
agree  Astrid Elke Witte: This is a known equivalent English idiom.
8 hrs
  -> thanks!
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): fits perfectly, imho
1 day 7 hrs
  -> thanks
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49 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Erfolg hat viele Väter, der Misserfolg ist ein Weisenkind
Only sing when they're winning.


Explanation:
Not exactly the same, of course, but close enough - and at the same time a hugely popular football chant (well, normally with "you're").

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 07:02
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 80

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  muitoprazer (X): need to put THEY in front for this to make sense.!
6 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Everyone is quick to take the credit, but no one wants to take the blame.


Explanation:
good supervisor is slow to take credit and quick to take blame. When the goodies are being passed out, deflect everything you can to your staff. ...



    www.ijnet.org/ Director.aspx?P=Training&ID=203109&LID=1
Adrian MM. (X)
Local time: 07:02
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 3
Grading comment
Thanks to you all. In the end, this fit the bill perfectly. Regards, Natalie

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  muitoprazer (X): an even more direct way of saying the same thing as my answer.!
3 hrs
  -> Muito obrigado e muito prazer!
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