rön

English translation: reed

07:55 Jan 5, 2014
Swedish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Psychology / child psychology
Swedish term or phrase: rön
I am finding the expression rön för vinden hard to translate in the following sentence
Om man förväntar sig att barn ska vara sårbara rön för vinden kommer en andel av dem att känna sig sådana.
Can anyone help please?
Thanks in advance
Nicholas Hogg
Georgia
English translation:reed
Explanation:
I would suggest translation something along the lines of "If we expect children to be like vulnerable reeds in the wind, some of them will feel like that." I interpret it as saying that children are seen as vulnerable, impressionable, when that is not really the case.
Selected response from:

Anna Fredrikson
Local time: 14:28
Grading comment
Thank you so much to everyone who answered
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4(will be as vulnerable as) sitting ducks
Sven Petersson
3reed
Anna Fredrikson
3be vulnerable and left to the wind
Thomas Johansson


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
reed


Explanation:
I would suggest translation something along the lines of "If we expect children to be like vulnerable reeds in the wind, some of them will feel like that." I interpret it as saying that children are seen as vulnerable, impressionable, when that is not really the case.


    Reference: http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/brewers/reed-shaken-by-...
Anna Fredrikson
Local time: 14:28
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you so much to everyone who answered
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
(will be as vulnerable as) sitting ducks


Explanation:
Thomas is right, "rön" = "reed", but I fear that what is intended to be communicated will be lost in a word-by-word translation.

Sven Petersson
Sweden
Local time: 14:28
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 18

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Christopher Schröder: Exactly what the writer means isn't clear to me but this sounds very odd
2 days 1 hr

neutral  Thomas Johansson: Wouldn't this be a metaphor from hunting, and would that be suitable in this context, which is about children...?
3 days 10 hrs
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3 days 12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
vara sårbara rön för vinden
be vulnerable and left to the wind


Explanation:
A possible solution that just occurred to me. Expresses the element of vulnerability, and I believe the wind metaphor expresses the intended meaning. Or am I wrong?

Thomas Johansson
Peru
Local time: 08:28
Native speaker of: Swedish
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