pretoogjes

English translation: delight

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:pretoogjes
English translation:delight
Entered by: Johan Venter

11:37 Jan 14, 2020
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Marketing / Market Research / Newsletter
Dutch term or phrase: pretoogjes
Je merkt dat iedereen in het XXX ongelofelijk trots is op de automatisatie. Niet alleen aan hun **pretoogjes** wanneer de tafels beginnen te bewegen, maar ook aan hun enthousiasme om een buitenstaander zoals ik, uit te leggen wat er precies allemaal gebeurt.

I would like your opinion on the appropriate translation for 'pretoogjes' in the context of a new automation system that has been taken into use. In my opinion there is no point in translating the expression, but rather to relay the positive opinion of the people in the sentence as a whole. An editor insists on using 'not just because their eyes twinkle', but in my opinion a phrase like that is more at home in fairy tales than in marketing texts.

What do you think?
Johan Venter
Czech Republic
Local time: 23:31
delight
Explanation:
simple but powerful.
Selected response from:

Cillie Swart
South Africa
Local time: 23:31
Grading comment
Thank you to everyone
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3delight
Cillie Swart
4 +1the twinkle in their eyes/sense of excitement/excited vibe
Willemina Hagenauw
3 +1big grin
Frits Ens
4(Not just the way) they can't believe their eyes
Richard Purdom
3the gratification they express
Marijke Singer
3beam (with pride)
Kitty Brussaard
3can be seen
Jerzy Czaja-Szwajcer


  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
big grin


Explanation:
het gaat hier om het gevoel.
het gevoel van een grote grijns op je gezicht past daar bij.
twinkle eyes is inderdaad iets te soft

Frits Ens
Netherlands
Local time: 23:31
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in FrisianFrisian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Liesbeth Blom-Smith: This is the most idiomatic way of conveying the source meaning, IMHO
14 mins
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
the twinkle in their eyes/sense of excitement/excited vibe


Explanation:
You have options: "the twinkle in their eyes", but also "the sense of excitement", the "excited vibe".

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Note added at 15 mins (2020-01-14 11:52:28 GMT)
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Yes, I don't see why not. But you can use any of the others as well if you feel more comfortable with that.

Willemina Hagenauw
Local time: 22:31
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 16
Notes to answerer
Asker: So in your opinion it is appropriate to use a phrase like 'twinkle in their eyes' in a newsletter that is in essence marketing text to promote an industrial automated system?

Asker: Thank you. I'm just looking for opinions. :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Barend van Zadelhoff: or: Not just because of the sparkle in their eyes when the... E.g. https://www.realtimeuk.com/why-we-love-cars/
4 hrs
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the gratification they express


Explanation:
This may fit better.

Marijke Singer
Spain
Local time: 23:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
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31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
delight


Explanation:
simple but powerful.


    https://www.linguee.com/english-dutch/search?query=pretoogjes
Cillie Swart
South Africa
Local time: 23:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you to everyone

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marijke Singer: This is a good compromise: not too formal and not too informal
2 hrs

agree  Richard Purdom
2 hrs

agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
3 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
beam (with pride)


Explanation:
De strekking van 'pretoogjes' is hier dat iedereen erbij staat te glunderen wanneer de tafels beginnen te bewegen. Ik zou dit zelf niet al te letterlijk vertalen, maar kiezen voor een formulering met het werkwoord 'beam' (evt. meer voluit 'beam with pride').

Kitty Brussaard
Netherlands
Local time: 23:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 8
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
(Not just the way) they can't believe their eyes


Explanation:
I'm guessing the automated tables are pretty impressive.

otherwise just go with something simple like 'delight' or 'amazement'

Richard Purdom
Portugal
Local time: 22:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
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1 day 2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
can be seen


Explanation:
Not only at what one can see in their eyes
Not only at what can be seen in their eyes

Jerzy Czaja-Szwajcer
Netherlands
Local time: 23:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish
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