bedeutungsvolle Person

English translation: person of consequence

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:bedeutungsvolle Person
English translation:person of consequence
Entered by: franglish

07:49 Oct 20, 2007
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Psychology
German term or phrase: bedeutungsvolle Person
Es ist Ihnen wichtig, als bedeutungsvolle Person angesehen zu werden, und einen entsprechenden Status einzunehmen.

This is from a employee development report. The employee is a sales representative.

I am considering "purposeful person" here but I am not at all sure this is sufficient.
Shane London
Australia
Local time: 04:31
person of consequence
Explanation:
my take
Selected response from:

franglish
Switzerland
Local time: 19:31
Grading comment
I like this version best. Thanks very much for all suggestions.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4major player / someone people look up to and respect
Paul Cohen
4 +2significant person
erika rubinstein
3 +3person of consequence
franglish
3 +2a person (someone) who matters
CMJ_Trans (X)
4person of authority
Stephen Sadie
4important figure
Francis Lee (X)
4major player
Francisca_
2 +1person of substance
Jonathan MacKerron


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
significant person


Explanation:
...

erika rubinstein
Local time: 19:31
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Henry Schroeder: or "important person", but definitely something simple like this
4 hrs
  -> thank you

neutral  CMJ_Trans (X): sorry but this is off key - it is off key because when you try to put it in the sentence, you get a result that nobody English would use
5 hrs
  -> Why?

agree  Craig Meulen: Sounds OK to me.
6 hrs
  -> thank you

neutral  Francis Lee (X): w/ CMJ (who promptly suffered your wrath!). This is the literal translation (one that no doubt occurred to the Asker) and is IMO just too weak here. It's not exactly a mistake, but there are better alternatives.
2 days 1 hr
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
person of consequence


Explanation:
my take

franglish
Switzerland
Local time: 19:31
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 14
Grading comment
I like this version best. Thanks very much for all suggestions.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  BrigitteHilgner: Context is sadly missing, but I think this should fit.
18 mins
  -> Thanks, Brigitte. Sounds like a job description?

agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): with Brigitte; context would be helpful
5 hrs
  -> Thank you, Ingeborg. Desire or reality... that is the question!

agree  Dr. Fred Thomson
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, appreciate it, Fred
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
person of substance


Explanation:
or "to be seen as a person who plays an important role in the company" ??

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 47

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Craig Meulen: w/ "a person who plays an important role in the company"
5 hrs
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
a person (someone) who matters


Explanation:
it is important that you come across as as someone who matters

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 19:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  casper (X)
14 mins

disagree  erika rubinstein: Bedeutungsvoll heisst, dass man gewichtig ist, viel bedeutet, geachtet wird.
2 hrs
  -> that is precisely what "matters" means. Someone who counts or who matters... BTW putting a "disagree" when neither of the 2 languages concerned is your mother tongue is a very dangerous game to play

agree  Craig Meulen: Psychologically speaking, this is exactly what is meant, imho. Whether the report writer would be so blunt, that's another matter (sic).
5 hrs

agree  Francis Lee (X): I would question Erika's motives for that Disagree (hmmm ...). This is a perfectly good answer./ How about "figure"?
2 days 54 mins
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26 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
person of authority


Explanation:
seems to fit the bill

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Note added at 27 mins (2007-10-20 08:16:55 GMT)
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39 thousand or so google hits

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Note added at 30 mins (2007-10-20 08:20:00 GMT)
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For men, the Moko showed their rank, their status and their ferocity, or virility. ... could be identified as a person of authority, in charge of warriors. ...
yoso.wordpress.com/2007/07/26/origin-of-maori-tattoo-ta-moko/ - 30k - Im Cache - Ähnliche Seiten

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Note added at 31 mins (2007-10-20 08:20:40 GMT)
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Where an employee, manager or director is concerned that a violation of the code may exist, a designated person of authority and status will be made ...
www.naspers.co.za/English/codeethics.asp - 28k - Im Cache - Ähnliche Seiten


Stephen Sadie
Germany
Local time: 19:31
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Craig Meulen: Although it's a possible translation, I think in a psychological profile this word should be reserved for a different meaning.
5 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
major player / someone people look up to and respect


Explanation:
I'm not sure if this fits the tone of your text, but at least it sounds like English and probably fits with the actual ambitions of this sales rep. It's also gender-neutral without being too politically correct (i.e., you get away from the word "person").

Something along the lines of this:
"It is important for you to be seen as a major player and have/assume that status."

Another possibility - perhaps more in line with the register of your text: "someone people look up to and respect"

I also thought of "a mover and a shaker" (but that would perhaps be more suitable for someone in management - oder?)

Hope that helps.


Paul Cohen
Greenland
Local time: 16:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 27

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Craig Meulen: w/"someone people look up to and respect" Don't like "major player", but that's more a question of personal taste, I think.
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Craig. Yes, just about everyone wants to be someone people look up to and respect. ;-) "Major player" implies a more competitive situation and probably doesn't fit the register of this text.

agree  Bernhard Sulzer: especially w/"someone people look up to and respect" - very positively phrased and def. idiomatic English. ;-)
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Bernhard. Another vote for "someone people look up to and respect"!

agree  Dr.G.MD (X)
4 hrs

agree  Francisca_: with major player.
2 days 2 hrs
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2 days 1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
important figure


Explanation:
It's interesting that most other Answerers intuitively and rigthly avoided the dictionary solution "meaningful/significant person" and sought alternatives. I (like Paul) also thought of "respected", but that's not the same thing here.
Perhaps the solution lies in using the word "figure"?

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 19:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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2 days 6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
major player


Explanation:
In the context of the sentence, 'major player' would fit the best imo. "(...) it is important to be seen as a major player (...)". Compare that to the longer options and you might find some redundancy. "(...) It is important to be seen as someone people look up to and respect" you get two words with the same meaning in this sentence twice (see/look, not to mention look up to and respect), and it messes up the flow. I think that if you want to go for that option, the sentence would have to be changed drastically into something like: "it is important to gain the respect of people", which gets rid of the redundancy and lack of flow, but also stops conveying the complete meaning of the German sentence.
Therefore, I think 'major player' is the best option.

Francisca_
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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