This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
Schraube
Ehrendomherr des hochwürdigen Domkapitels in Köln sowie Domprediger

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Ethik tut Not?

English translation:

Is/ Are ethics necessary?/ Do we need ethics?

Added to glossary by David Hollywood
Dec 6, 2004 20:03
19 yrs ago
1 viewer *
German term

Ethik tut Not?

German to English Art/Literary Philosophy
Wenn Ethik verloren geht, dann ist alles erlaubt. Deshalb: Ethik tut Not? ist keine Frage sondern eine permanente Aufgabe, der wir uns alle stellen müssen.

What exactly does "Not tun" mean in German? TIA.
Proposed translations (English)
5 Are ethics necessary?/ Do we need ethics?
4 +1 Do we need ethics?
4 ethics in jeopardy?
3 ‘the need for ethics’
3 -1 ethics are important / necessary
3 -1 Ethics are a must?
1 Does ethics oblige?
1 -1 ehtics are mandatory

Discussion

Wenjer Leuschel (X) Dec 6, 2004:
Sorry, ich meine, ich erinnere mich noch an... oder ich tr�ume noch von...
Wenjer Leuschel (X) Dec 6, 2004:
@Johanna: Ah, ich bin wohl vom alten Schlag. Da erinnere ich mich immer noch von den alten guten Zeiten, als es noch mit Fraktur geschrieben wurde. Nun, ich habe aber eine andere Interpretation mit "I am just guessing".
Johanna Timm, PhD Dec 6, 2004:
@ Wenjer: nach der neuen Rechtschreibung hei�t es 'tut Not' und ist gleichbedeutend mit "ist vonn�ten." Wenn etwas vonn�ten ist, impliziert dies, dass es entweder nicht existent oder in Gefahr/at risk ist (daher mein Vorschlag mit jeopardy unten)LG, j.
Wenjer Leuschel (X) Dec 6, 2004:
Was hier einen verwirrt, ist das Wort "Not". Es sollte kleingeschrieben sein. In bestimmten Wendungen wird das Wort "not" benutzt, wie hier oder "Eile tut not". Oder, eins ist m.E. not, n�mlich, da� das Wort "not" hier kleingeschrieben werden mu�".

Proposed translations

13 mins
Selected

Are ethics necessary?/ Do we need ethics?

"not tun" means "to be necessary"

ist ja noch eine Weile, aber Frühjahrsputz tut not. ... its quite a while, but spring
cleaning is necessary. ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 mins (2004-12-06 20:19:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I would put \"Are ethics necessary?\" like this and say something like.... Consequently: \"Are ethics necessary?\" is not an issue/ question but an ongoing obligation/ task etc

Good luck :)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 mins (2004-12-06 20:19:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

and \"Not tun\" of course :)


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 31 mins (2004-12-06 21:34:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

and \"Not tun\" of course not .... just checked with the \"Dudenstilwörterbuch\" to be sure and it\'s definitely \"not\" as in \"etwas ist/tut not\" (i.e. etwas ist nötig/ erforderlich) but I will will still go with my rendering :)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 33 mins (2004-12-06 21:37:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

this is certainly among the the most interesting questions we\'ve had for a while :)
Peer comment(s):
disagree Marnen Laibow-Koser : "Ethics" is singular.
5 hrs
I very much doubt that my dear :)
agree Francis Lee (X) : for what its worth; my ethics is (oooouuuuuch!!!!!) not to be doubted
12 hrs
can be used with a singular according to Random House but do you really want to go there?
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks to everyone for all their suggestions."
-1
9 mins

ethics are important / necessary

"Tut Not" means "ist notwendig", "muss sein", "ist wichtig"
Peer comment(s):
disagree Marnen Laibow-Koser : But it's a question, not a statement.
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
44 mins

‘the need for ethics’

‘the need for ethics’ is not the title of a debate but a constant challenge to which we must all respond

just trying to find a way to keep the same phrase as question and statement, as in the original

maybe '...not a matter for debate but...'
Something went wrong...
-1
51 mins

Ethics are a must?

I would humbly suggest here this version and point out that the question would look better if it stands alone as an argument as well. The German sentence has this, both "Ethik tut Not?" as question and "Ethik tut Not." as an argument are correct in syntax and I infer that the style of the sentence would require it this way.
Peer comment(s):
disagree Marnen Laibow-Koser : Not really, at least to me. As a native speaker, I would be willing to write "'Do we need ethics?' is not merely a question but a constant ***".
4 hrs
you're right about the singular use, unless it's about a profession (which doesn't seem to be the case here) even in that case singular can be used as well.
Something went wrong...
-1
1 hr

ehtics are mandatory

(without ethics life would not be civil) would it?
Peer comment(s):
disagree Marnen Laibow-Koser : "Mandatory" is perhaps the wrong shade here. Also, "ethics" is as much a singular noun as "mathematics".
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
23 mins

ethics in jeopardy?

If we don’t have ethics, anything goes. Therefore: Are our ethics in jeopardy? This should not be a question but rather a constant appeal.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 17 mins (2004-12-06 21:20:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

BTW, the phrase \'...tut Not!\' used today in different variations originally dates back to the novel \'Seefahrt tut Not!\' written by Gorch Fock in 1913; Just google for \"tut Not!\"
Something went wrong...
1 hr

Does ethics oblige?

"Does ethics oblige?" is no question but a permanent task, which we shall/must put upon all of us.

Also, lieber, daß Ethik not tut, als, daß sie weh tut.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 43 mins (2004-12-06 21:46:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\"Aufgabe\" can be translated as \"duty.\"
But I prefer \"task\" in this context with the same reason as Walter Benjamin\'s \"Die Aufgabe des Übersetzers\" is translated as \"The Task of the Translator.\"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 59 mins (2004-12-06 22:02:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Eigentlich wollte ich sagen: Lieber, daß Ethik not tut, als, daß wir uns ohne sie gegenseitig weh tut. Dann ist es völlig in dem Sinn des befragten Satzes.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 44 mins (2004-12-06 22:48:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Ach, Quatsch!
Manchmal rede ich wie der Salvatore in \"Der Name der Rose\".
Was ich meine ist eigentlich das Folgende:
Lieber, daß Ethik not tut, als, daß wir uns ohne sie weh gegenseitig tun.
Oder, lieber, daß Ethik not tut, als, daß es uns ohne sie weh tut.
Something went wrong...
+1
5 hrs

Do we need ethics?

Or "is (not "are"!) ethics necessary?", but I think "do we need ethics?" fits better into the syntax here.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs 22 mins (2004-12-07 04:25:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Regarding the grammatical number of \"ethics\", see http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/e/e0227900.html (from the American Heritage Dictionary).
Peer comment(s):
agree Wenjer Leuschel (X) : Do we need ethics? It is out of question and ethics is surely singular.
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search