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Opfermännle

English translation: Mr. and Mrs. Wax or a funny dialogue between two waxen sextons

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Opfermännle
English translation:Mr. and Mrs. Wax or a funny dialogue between two waxen sextons
Entered by: espintl

23:42 Aug 6, 2009
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Book title
German term or phrase: Opfermännle
Herr und Frau von Wachs, oder ein lustiges Gespräch zwischen zwey wächsernen Opfermännle
I wonder what the correct tranalstion of teh phrase is.

Mr and Mrs of wax, or a funny conversation between two waxen victim Männle ?

It is the title of a book from 1782
espintl
Australia
Local time: 22:24
Mr. and Mrs. Wax or a funny dialogue between two waxen sextons
Explanation:
The correct title of this short story is:
Herr und Frau Wachs, oder ein lustiges Gespräch zwischen zwey wächsernen Opfermänneln

The story is about offerings that were displayed in the church. Part of these offerings were wax figures of the person that brought the sacrifice to church.
So I believe, Wachs can savely be translated (note that the original title has no "von")
Opfermaenn is the profession of a sexton who was in charge of taking the sacrifices and arranging them in the church.
This story makes fun of this practice. So I would translate the title as:
Mr. and Mrs. Wax or a funny dialogue between two waxen sextons


Here is the link to the full story
http://books.google.com/books?id=ag0oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA260&lpg=P...

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Note added at 13 hrs (2009-08-07 13:36:29 GMT)
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Riesling might be rigt and Opfermaennle actually refers directly to these sacrifices, so this option would be

Mr. and Mrs. Wax or a merry dialogue between two waxen votive figures
Selected response from:

Sabine Akabayov, PhD
Israel
Local time: 15:24
Grading comment
Wonderful, wunderbar, thanks, viele danke!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7Mr. and Mrs. Wax or a funny dialogue between two waxen sextons
Sabine Akabayov, PhD
2votive figure
Riesling


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
votive figure


Explanation:
I believe that "Opfermännle" is not derived from the profession of "Opfermann", but rather a collequial or dimunitive term for votive figures, as described in the story, the same way votive candles are called "Opferkerzen".

Riesling
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
Mr. and Mrs. Wax or a funny dialogue between two waxen sextons


Explanation:
The correct title of this short story is:
Herr und Frau Wachs, oder ein lustiges Gespräch zwischen zwey wächsernen Opfermänneln

The story is about offerings that were displayed in the church. Part of these offerings were wax figures of the person that brought the sacrifice to church.
So I believe, Wachs can savely be translated (note that the original title has no "von")
Opfermaenn is the profession of a sexton who was in charge of taking the sacrifices and arranging them in the church.
This story makes fun of this practice. So I would translate the title as:
Mr. and Mrs. Wax or a funny dialogue between two waxen sextons


Here is the link to the full story
http://books.google.com/books?id=ag0oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA260&lpg=P...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2009-08-07 13:36:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Riesling might be rigt and Opfermaennle actually refers directly to these sacrifices, so this option would be

Mr. and Mrs. Wax or a merry dialogue between two waxen votive figures

Sabine Akabayov, PhD
Israel
Local time: 15:24
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Wonderful, wunderbar, thanks, viele danke!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jim Tucker (X): Nice, but would avoid "funny" in an 18th-century title. Could be "jolly," "amusing," "merry," or some such
57 mins
  -> Thanks, I like "jolly"
agree  Marga Shaw
4 hrs
agree  Sonja Marks-Terrey: also agree with Jim
6 hrs
agree  Armorel Young: I'd go with "amusing" - seems right for the period
6 hrs
agree  Helen Shiner: I would prefer Jim's 'merry'
6 hrs
agree  silvia glatzhofer: with "merry"
7 hrs
agree  Rolf Keiser: with Jim
9 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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