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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

auf der Höhe der Zeit

English translation:

(truly) in tune with the times (our times)/truly understanding the (our) times

Added to glossary by Bernhard Sulzer
Jan 10, 2007 15:08
17 yrs ago
3 viewers *
German term

auf der Höhe der Zeit

German to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
I feel like this should be obvious but the English equivalent is escaping me. Context is an article about Don DeLillo on the occasion of his 70th birthday in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. The sentence reads: "Wenn DeLillo in einem seiner frühen Romane einen 'Professor für latente Geschichte' auftreten lässt: dann hat sich inzwischen erwiesen, dass dieser Ehrentitel - nebst dem eines Schriftstellers auf der Höhe seiner Zeit und eines blendenden Stilisten - auch dem Autor gebühren würde, der heute seinen 70. Geburtstag feiert."
Proposed translations (English)
3 +2 (truly) in tune with the times (our times)/truly understanding the (our) times
3 +2 a truly contemporary writer
3 +2 at the top of his game
4 +1 at the peak of his time
4 at the pinnacle of his success
3 +1 with his finger on the pulse of his time

Discussion

Bernhard Sulzer Jan 12, 2007:
Thanks to Francis for asking and thanks, Millay, for the additional context. I think your suggestions (truly) in touch with his era/time are excellent.
mill2 (asker) Jan 11, 2007:
a) In this case it's "seiner", yes, I titled my query with "der" because I figured that was the expression in a more general sense, like using the infinitive of a verb. It is clear to me I guess from the larger context that what is meant is the era, not DeLillo's own time/career. It didn't actually occur to me that this could be misunderstood--the sentence refers to Ehrentitel, which only makes sense if we're talking about his being in touch with his era, or (as Karin Maack points out)? He's a professor of latent history, he's a brilliant stylist, and he's in touch with his time.
b) I indicate context above. Readership is Don DeLillo. The articles are being translated for him so he can find out what the German literary critics wrote about him on his birthday.
Francis Lee (X) Jan 10, 2007:
a) so it's auf der Höhe SEINER (not "der") Zeit? b) What's the context/readership for the translation?

Proposed translations

+2
1 day 9 hrs
Selected

(truly) in tune with the times (our times)/truly understanding the (our) times

http://www.book-summary-review.com/Underworld-A-Novel-068484...


The author is portrayed as a very knowledgable individual as far as the history of the last 50 years is concerned.
So, "auf der Höhe seiner Zeit" could refer to those times - all 50 years, sort of like "immer auf der Höhe seiner Zeit."
maybe "in tune with the times" (= truly understanding our times)would be fitting although it smells a tiny bit of "modern, fashionable", which is clearly not meant.
I just thought I'd post it.


or maybe:
an author whose works are truly in step with the times (our times)


http://www.abendblatt.de/daten/2006/10/13/623916.html
auf der Höhe der Zeit


http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_4930682
in step with the times
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1919...
out of step with the times

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,525036434,00.html
http://www.wayneandtamara.com/leadingminds.htm
in tune with the times

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Note added at 1 day9 hrs (2007-01-12 01:02:48 GMT)
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or, a variation on Millay's own suggestion:
truly in touch with the times (our times)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day9 hrs (2007-01-12 01:07:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

more on DeLillo:
http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1214
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_DeLillo

Peer comment(s):
agree Henry Schroeder : Looks like you're closest after the explanation in the note
6 hrs
thank you, Henry!
agree Lancashireman : Good options given the asker's own stated interpretation.
11 hrs
thank you, Andrew!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I still haven't decided what I'll ultimately use, but this comes the closest. I didn't realize this was going to be such a complicated question--thanks very much to all of you for your thoughts."
+2
5 mins

a truly contemporary writer

An option from a non-native speaker... (C;
Peer comment(s):
agree Karin Maack : As a German native speaker I don't know either whether this would work in English but the idea is correct.
7 hrs
agree Francis Lee (X) : Just a question: could it be that the others have misunderstood the German? I was also wondering whether "Zeit" here means era etc./ In der Tat. Perhaps "supremely contemporary" or "contemporary edge" o.ä. ...
17 hrs
Something went wrong...
+2
12 mins

at the top of his game

another option
Peer comment(s):
agree roguestate : Perfect
4 mins
thx
neutral Bernhard Sulzer : I suggested "at the top of his craft" (at first). I hid this answer, however, after new context was posted.
1 hr
agree Paul Cohen : Perhaps a contemporary writer at the top of his game? The baseball reference is excellent. Rolf also has a point. The German implies that he is a keen observer of contemporary culture.
20 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
9 mins

at the peak of his time

in literature (literary theory or biographies), when they talk about authors in their prime they often say" at the peak of his time"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 34 mins (2007-01-10 15:43:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

you can find one example of this usage in regards to F. Scott Fitzgerald:
http://www.princeton.edu/~paw/web_exclusives/features/featur...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-01-10 16:23:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here are a couple of more links where "peak of his ...." is used...mostly it's "peak of his career or fame" but since your source text used "Zeit" I suggested "time" but you could also say "times"... Or you can just type in "delillo at the peak of his time" in google and you'll find several links...hope this helps
www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk/wslife.htm
faculty.goucher.edu/eng211/Shakespeare--King%20Lear.htm
www.irishclans.com/articles/famirish/wildeo.html
www.seattleweekly.com/arts/0118/arts-borchert.php
www.twainquotes.com/sarony/sarony.html
Peer comment(s):
neutral Ken Cox : your FSF ref has 'at the peak of his fame', which isn't the same, and 'at the peak of his time' doesn't sound very idiomatic to me.
1 hr
Yes they're not the same but in my 15 years of being a literature scholar I have come upon this term "peak of his/her time" very often and therefore believe that it is idiomatic enough. Also, if you enter "peak of his time" on google, you'll see more uses
neutral Francis Lee (X) : I think "peak" could be the key here/ But it's now clear we're talking about the current "era" ...
6 hrs
agree Karin Maack : idiomatic or not - but this is what the term means. If it refered only to personal success, it would not be called an "Ehrentitel".
6 hrs
Something went wrong...
6 hrs

at the pinnacle of his success

would be my first thought
Something went wrong...
+1
1 day 15 hrs

with his finger on the pulse of his time

There are a number of idioms related to "pulse" that convey the meaning you're looking for:

http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:ZUYGGUnnJGMJ:idioms.the...
Peer comment(s):
agree Bernhard Sulzer
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
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