Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Dutch term or phrase:
hij kon er niets mee
English translation:
it was no use to him
Added to glossary by
Barend van Zadelhoff
Oct 30, 2014 12:15
9 yrs ago
Dutch term
Netherlands
Professional translations | web editing
Native in: Dutch (Variants: Netherlands, Flemish) 
Works in: English to Dutch, Dutch to English, Italian to Dutch, and 2 more.
'hij kon er niets mee'
Dutch to English
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
colloquial expression
In 1969 ontstond in een café op het Leidseplein in Amsterdam het [name organisation]. Het viel ook weer snel uiteen. Breekpunt was het gewicht van het anti-imperialistische perspectief. [name person] kon er bijvoorbeeld niets mee en stapte op.
Can anybody offer an elegant solution for this expression?
Thanks,
Luuk
Can anybody offer an elegant solution for this expression?
Thanks,
Luuk
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +2 | it was no use to him |
Barend van Zadelhoff
|
| 4 +1 | he had no patience for that |
Maria Danielson
|
| 5 | This was too much [for x, who left] |
John Holloway
|
| 3 | not his cup of tea |
Dennis Seine
|
Change log
Oct 30, 2014 12:27: writeaway changed "Field (specific)" from "Idioms / Maxims / Sayings" to "General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters" , "Field (write-in)" from "(none)" to "colloquial expression"
Nov 5, 2014 12:04: Barend van Zadelhoff Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+2
1 hr
Barend van Zadelhoff
Netherlands
Netherlands
Native in Dutch
Netherlands
TR is the most intimate act of reading.
Native in: Dutch
Works in: English to Dutch, Dutch to English, Dutch
Related KudoZ points
:
89
Dutch term (edited):
hij kon er niets mee
Selected
it was no use to him
most likely not elegant but an option
It was no use to [name person], for instance, and he/she left.
But even in the 1820s the image and symbol of Goethe is insufficient on its own: Kant is invoked by Carlyle to offer a vision of a material universe that was still inter-penetrated with spirit. Idealism, for Carlyle, was not a matter of philosophical logic: that was no use to him. Instead it was a way of gaining inward insight into truth and intuitive knowledge.
http://www.lse.ac.uk/economichistory/pdf/factspdf/2107hochst...
It was no use to [name person], for instance, and he/she left.
But even in the 1820s the image and symbol of Goethe is insufficient on its own: Kant is invoked by Carlyle to offer a vision of a material universe that was still inter-penetrated with spirit. Idealism, for Carlyle, was not a matter of philosophical logic: that was no use to him. Instead it was a way of gaining inward insight into truth and intuitive knowledge.
http://www.lse.ac.uk/economichistory/pdf/factspdf/2107hochst...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
philgoddard
: Or he had no time for it, or it was not for him... there are lots of possible translations.
4 mins
|
|
Thank you, Phil. You should feel free to offer anything more to the point and/or more elegant in this context.
|
|
| agree |
Tina Vonhof (X)
: Or: 'he had no use for it' - it has a slightly more negative meaning.
1 hr
|
|
Dank je, Tina. have no use for - to have no respect for something - niets moeten hebben van. Precies zoals je zegt, wat sterker.
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you all for your suggestions and comments!
I think this solution comes close enough. I like the 'cup of tea' answer, but it's a wee bit too informal.
Best,
Luuk"
+1
12 hrs
Maria Danielson
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Dutch into English since 1991
Native in: English
Works in: Dutch to English, English, Flemish to English
he had no patience for that
Another variant of "he had no time for that"
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
writeaway
: imo this is the way to go. lots of options, depending on the rest of the text, register etc but at least this expresses what it means in English
8 hrs
|
22 hrs
John Holloway
Netherlands
Netherlands
Native in English
Works in field
Netherlands
t/as Dynamite Cottage Industries
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: Dutch to English, Afrikaans to English
Related KudoZ points
:
2
This was too much [for x, who left]
(1) The phrase relates to the weight of the imperialist perspective - which in turn was the breaking point. (2) Using 'that' is not correct in this context.
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Note added at 22 hrs (2014-10-31 10:56:34 GMT)
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i mean anti-imperialist
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Note added at 22 hrs (2014-10-31 10:56:34 GMT)
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i mean anti-imperialist
1 day 1 hr
not his cup of tea
An additional option to consider.
Discussion
'[person] for instance felt it had nothing to offer'
"He could not associate (identify) with such a perspective
/ with such a political disposition"