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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

wenn man als Krabbeltier schon längst auf den Beinen ist

English translation:

Most humans are still fast asleep while bugs are already going about their day.

    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2020-03-20 19:54:44 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
Mar 17, 2020 02:15
4 yrs ago
39 viewers *
German term

wenn man als Krabbeltier schon längst auf den Beinen ist

German to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
Die Laus verkündet „Ich brauche das umgekehrt“. „Ich brauche einen Menschen, der für MICH nützlich ist.“ Die Ameise, die Spinne, die Biene und der Schmetterling zucken mit den Schultern. Sie haben keine Ahnung, ob Menschen nützlich sein können. Die meisten kugeln noch in ihrem Bett herum, wenn man als Krabbeltier schon längst auf den Beinen ist. „Warum sollte ein Mensch für dich da sein?“, überlegt die Spinne.

I don't understand the meaning of this phrase:"Die meisten kugeln noch in ihrem Bett herum, wenn man als Krabbeltier schon längst auf den Beinen ist."

Thanks in advance for your help!
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 Most humans are still fast asleep while bugs are already going about their day.
3 +2 we crawly creatures have been out and about for a while
3 +1 when (us) eight-legged have been up and about for hours
3 long after the other bugs have gotten up

Discussion

Ramey Rieger (X) Mar 19, 2020:
And you have done your part Please let it rest there.
Eric Zink Mar 19, 2020:
But that is the task here. The task here is to find the term that best fits all those animals. I maintain that "bug" is the term you're looking for. I haven't seen anything better here (anything with "creep" or "crawl" not only has a negative connotation, but is at least as bad as "bug" at capturing something like a butterfly.
Ramey Rieger (X) Mar 19, 2020:
@Eric As I said, they are characters. Evidently, we have different approaches, which is what makes the world of language so colorful. So, the next time you're translating a book with a louse, a spider, a butterfly and an ant as characters, you will call them bugs. I wouldn't. And that's fine, too.
Eric Zink Mar 19, 2020:
How about "A Bug's Life"? That movie lumps them together in just the way you are describing. "Bug" is a catch-all.

Of course spiders or butterflies could be considered "bugs", depending on the context. If I said that I washed all the bugs off my windshield, would anybody think that I wasn't talking about the butterflies? If my child is afraid of bugs, would I assume that he is not afraid of spiders?

Also, butterflies are insects, so that can't be the criterion for excluding them from the "bug" category. So what is the criterion?
Ramey Rieger (X) Mar 19, 2020:
These are characters in a book. Lumping them together under one term denies their individual qualities. As in Wind in the Willows. Neither a spider nor a butterfly are bugs.
Solutions are often a process. Patience my friends. And stay healthy.
Chris Pr Mar 19, 2020:
Agree with Eric... ...only 'bugs' will actually 'cut the mustard'...
Odd, therefore, that 'eight-legged' should draw approval...until, that is...
;)
Eric Zink Mar 17, 2020:
What's the matter with "bugs"? "Bugs" seems to me an especially good word for a children's book. What is your objection?

"Bug" is not a synonym for "insect". A spider may well be considered a bug (as might a butterfly under some circumstances).
Ahmad Hassaballa (asker) Mar 17, 2020:
Thanks so much for all your help :)
Ramey Rieger (X) Mar 17, 2020:
Hi Ahmad Yes, I was just having this discussion with a friend. Spiders have eight legs, lice, butterflies and ants have six legs - arthropods. I feel sure that bugs doesn't cut the mustard, especially for a children's book. Happy translating and thanks for the interesting question. I adjusted my suggestion to 'two-legged....more-legged'
Ahmad Hassaballa (asker) Mar 17, 2020:
Hi again Ramey,

Bugs are six-legged, that's why eight-legged spiders aren't considered bugs ;)
Ahmad Hassaballa (asker) Mar 17, 2020:
Hi Ramey,

It's all about bugs, no names. Just Ameise, Laus, Spinne und Schmetterling. Thank you!
Ramey Rieger (X) Mar 17, 2020:
Dear Ahmad As you can see, we need some input from your side. Is this a children's book with an environmental approach? Do the characters have names other than Butterfly, Spider, etc? Or are they, like "Wind in the Willows", named for what they are (Rat, Mole, Badger, Toad)? If this is the case, 'bugs' will not do at all since a butterfly is not a bug and would detract from the character's inherent nature. Please help us here, as we are trying to help you.
Eric Zink Mar 17, 2020:
bugs is as close as you're going to get I'm not at all sure that a butterfly isn't a bug; in any case, I think bugs is as close to fulfilling neutrality and describing the category precisely as you're going to get.
Ramey Rieger (X) Mar 17, 2020:
more-legged Okay, the humans are two-legged and insects more-legged:
Most two-legged are still lolling in bed when we more-legged have been up and about for hours.
A butterfly is neither a bug nor a creepy-crawly, so you need a term that includes butterflies, too.

Proposed translations

+2
8 hrs
Selected

Most humans are still fast asleep while bugs are already going about their day.

Krabbeltier- I would normally translate with creepy crawlers but since this sentence is a bugs’ viewpoint, I wouldn’t use creepy.
Peer comment(s):
agree Chris Pr : ...bugs sounds better....
3 hrs
agree Michele Fauble
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+2
42 mins

we crawly creatures have been out and about for a while

While most of them are still rolling around in bed, we crawly creatures have (already) been up/out and about for a while.
Note from asker:
Thanks Michael :)
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : Or creepy crawlies.
1 hr
Wanted to avoid that 'hint of disgust' associated with' creepy' - 'Krabbeltier' is more neutral.
agree Thayenga : I like crawlies. :)
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

long after the other bugs have gotten up

There is no first person in the source.

"Bug" seems to be more neutral (as is "Krabbeltier") than any suggestion that includes a version of "crawl" (a suggestion often offered as a synonym is the clinical "Insekt", which won't work here because the list includes spiders).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2020-03-17 12:35:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Just noticed a mistake in my translation: can't be "other bugs" of course. Should just be "bugs".
Something went wrong...
+1
10 hrs

when (us) eight-legged have been up and about for hours

SORRY wrong crawler!

They have no idea/haven't a clue if humans are useful, they're still lolling in bed when us eight-legged have been up and about for hours.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2020-03-17 12:26:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Aws CRUMBS! It IS the louse! six-legged is correct. Shouldn't let myself get distracted.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2020-03-17 12:52:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

So, finished up counting here (jeeez). since we're talking about several smaller creatures, when need to include them all and make this appealing/humorous for children:
Louse announces, "I need it to be the other way around. I need a human that's good for ME!" Ant, Spider Bee and Butterfly shrug their collective shoulders. They haven't the foggiest idea what humans could be good for. Most two-legged are still lolling/lounging/rolling in their beds when us more-legged have been up and about for hours.

Or something along those lines.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Eric Zink : that would need to be "we", since it's a subject "We" is the pronoun for speaking of themselves as subjects. Not sure where it's idiomatic to build in an unnecessary grammar error unless you're shooting for a particular dialectd
12 mins
They're speaking of themselves. It's idiomatic and viable
agree Björn Vrooman : Pity it's a children's book; arthropods would've been pretty accurate. Agree with you and Michael about how to translate "als" = "aus der Sicht/in der Rolle eine/s/r..."//To those too slow to keep up: I agreed with the sentence, not eight-legged.
2 hrs
Arthropods! The kids might like that, give them something to do while quarantined.
Something went wrong...
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