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17th Translation Contest: "The Sounds of Silence" » English to Dutch

Competition in this pair is now closed, and the winning entry has been announced.

Discussion and feedback about the competition in this language pair may now be provided by visiting the "Discussion & feedback" page for this pair. Entries may also be individually discussed by clicking the "Discuss" link next to any listed entry.

Source text in English

A theme of the age, at least in the developed world, is that people crave silence and can find none. The roar of traffic, the ceaseless beep of phones, digital announcements in buses and trains, TV sets blaring even in empty offices, are an endless battery and distraction. The human race is exhausting itself with noise and longs for its opposite—whether in the wilds, on the wide ocean or in some retreat dedicated to stillness and concentration. Alain Corbin, a history professor, writes from his refuge in the Sorbonne, and Erling Kagge, a Norwegian explorer, from his memories of the wastes of Antarctica, where both have tried to escape.

And yet, as Mr Corbin points out in "A History of Silence", there is probably no more noise than there used to be. Before pneumatic tyres, city streets were full of the deafening clang of metal-rimmed wheels and horseshoes on stone. Before voluntary isolation on mobile phones, buses and trains rang with conversation. Newspaper-sellers did not leave their wares in a mute pile, but advertised them at top volume, as did vendors of cherries, violets and fresh mackerel. The theatre and the opera were a chaos of huzzahs and barracking. Even in the countryside, peasants sang as they drudged. They don’t sing now.

What has changed is not so much the level of noise, which previous centuries also complained about, but the level of distraction, which occupies the space that silence might invade. There looms another paradox, because when it does invade—in the depths of a pine forest, in the naked desert, in a suddenly vacated room—it often proves unnerving rather than welcome. Dread creeps in; the ear instinctively fastens on anything, whether fire-hiss or bird call or susurrus of leaves, that will save it from this unknown emptiness. People want silence, but not that much.

The winning entry has been announced in this pair.

There were 12 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase, 3 of which were selected by peers to advance to the finals round. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.

Competition in this pair is now closed.


Entries (12 total; 3 finalists) Expand all entries

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Language variants:
Entry #24008 — Discuss 1 — Variant: Netherlands
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
6512 x47 x23 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.553.73 (11 ratings)3.36 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 13 "like" tags
  • 7 users agreed with "likes" (15 total agrees)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (2 total disagrees)
+1
Het hoort bij de tijdsgeest
Good term selection
Retroshift
+1
computerstem die reisinformatie geeft
Good term selection
Retroshift
+1
eindeloze aanslag op het gehoor
Flows well
Retroshift
+1
bron van afleiding
Flows well
Retroshift
+3
1
'Histoire du silence'
Good term selection
Goed de ti​tel van he​t boek beh​ouden, er ​is geen NL​ vertaling​ van.
Marianne van Amersfoort-Gerritsen
in zwang kwamen
Good term selection
Karin de Lange
+2
Krantenventers
Good term selection
Retroshift
chaos van jewelste
Flows well
Mooi, kleu​rrijk taal​gebruik
Branco van der Werf
+3
hoera- en boegeroep
Good term selection
goede vert​aling van ​de onderli​nge tegens​telling
Retroshift
zongen de boeren tijdens het zwoegen
Flows well
Karin de Lange
+2
verandering zit 'm niet zozeer
Flows well
Retroshift
+1
ongemakkelijk
Good term selection
Retroshift
-2
1
pint
Good term selection
Retroshift
Entry #24037 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Ron Willems
Ron Willems
Netherlands
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
435 x47 x29 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.323.27 (11 ratings)3.36 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 11 "like" tags
  • 6 users agreed with "likes" (9 total agrees)
  • 4 users disagreed with "likes" (5 total disagrees)
+2
hunkeren
Good term selection
Edith van der Have
-1
+2
ingeblikte
Good term selection
Retroshift
bombardiment
Good term selection
Jammer van​ de spelfo​ut, maar m​ooie term ​voor batte​ry, waarme​e in dit g​eval niet ​alleen ree​ks maar oo​k aanslag ​cq. bombar​dement wor​dt bedoeld​.
Edith van der Have
+1
oord
Good term selection
Hans van Leeuwen
zijn intrede deed
Good term selection
Retroshift
+1
Toen we ons nog niet
Flows well
Retroshift
-3
1
schetterden er gesprekken door
Flows well
Retroshift
stalden
Good term selection
Retroshift
+1
verstomd
Good term selection
Leonard Greijn
-1
intensiteit van het geluid, waar ook in eerdere tijden al over werd geklaagd, maar de intensiteit van de afleiding
Flows well
Mooie tege​nstelling ​met ‘inten​siteit van​ X'
Branco van der Werf
+2
beklemming
Good term selection
Retroshift
Entry #24190 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Netherlands
JPeters
JPeters
Netherlands
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
405 x46 x28 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.293.36 (14 ratings)3.21 (14 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 4 users entered 11 "like" tags
  • 3 users agreed with "likes" (4 total agrees)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (2 total disagrees)
+1
kenmerk van deze tijd
Good term selection
Retroshift
snakken
Good term selection
Edith van der Have
-1
niet-aflatende
Good term selection
Retroshift
op vol volume
Good term selection
Retroshift
-1
1
zen
Good term selection
Retroshift
+1
te ontsnappen aan dit alles
Flows well
Goed duide​lijk gemaa​kt wat in ​de brontek​st wordt b​edoeld.
Leonard Greijn
+1
zelfverkozen
Good term selection
Retroshift
op de loer.
Good term selection
Freek Lauwers
ongemakkelijk
Good term selection
Retroshift
wordt het minste geluidje uitvergroot
Good term selection
Retroshift
+1
houvast
Good term selection
Leonard Greijn


Non-finalist entries

The following entries were not selected by peers to advance to finals-round voting.

Entry #23990 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Netherlands
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.113.14 (14 ratings)3.07 (14 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 6 "like" tags
  • 3 users agreed with "likes" (9 total agrees)
+1
Het past in de tijdgeest
Good term selection
Retroshift
+1
In een poging om een ontsnappingsplek te creëren
Flows well
De zin goe​d omgegooi​d.
Leonard Greijn
+2
gekraak
Good term selection
Past goed ​bij het ge​luid dat d​e lezer ‘h​oort'
Branco van der Werf
+1
als een stil afwachtende stapel
Good term selection
Retroshift
+3
bijval en protest
Other
de onderli​nge tegens​telling is​ vertaald
Retroshift
+1
spitst
Good term selection
Retroshift
Entry #23969 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.952.89 (9 ratings)3.00 (9 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 12 "like" tags
  • 4 users agreed with "likes" (15 total agrees)
  • 1 user disagreed with "likes" (1 total disagree)
+1
hunkeren
Good term selection
Edith van der Have
+3
1
aanslag op de zintuigen
Good term selection
Retroshift
+2
Toen mensen nog niet enkel oog hadden voor het scherm van hun smartphone
Good term selection
Retroshift
a
Other
1 telefoon​ p.p., dus​ in het NL​ inderdaad​ enkelvoud
Edith van der Have
Krantenventers
Good term selection
Retroshift
+2
bombarie
Good term selection
Retroshift
+2
die de stilte bedreigen
Good term selection
Retroshift
+1
hart
Good term selection
Retroshift
+2
desolate
Good term selection
Retroshift
-1
1
fluisteren
Flows well
Retroshift
+1
onbehaaglijke
Flows well
Retroshift
Entry #24233 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Netherlands
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.802.92 (12 ratings)2.67 (12 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 6 "like" tags
  • 2 users agreed with "likes" (5 total agrees)
terugkerend thema
Good term selection
JanKG
+1
omroepberichten
Good term selection
Precies zo​​als dat i​n​ het NL ​ge​noemd w​ord​t - en​ ze ​zijn ​ook s​teed​s vake​r d​igitaal​ d​us m.i. ​n​iet heel ​​erg dat da​​t is wegg​e​laten
Edith van der Have
+1
eeuwige herrie
Good term selection
Leonard Greijn
+1
bemoeide het publiek zich hardop met de voorstelling
Flows well
Mooie oplo​ssing
Mariëlle van Leeuwen
verleden tijd
Flows well
Leonard Greijn
+2
spitsen
Good term selection
Retroshift
Entry #24005 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.702.80 (5 ratings)2.60 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 6 "like" tags
computerstemmen in bussen en treinen
Good term selection
'in bus en​ trein' wa​s nog bete​r geweest
Hans van Leeuwen
nota bene
Good term selection
drukt de d​waasheid g​oed uit
Hans van Leeuwen
met ijzer beslagen wielen
Good term selection
'beslagen'​ goed gevo​nden
Hans van Leeuwen
bevrijdend
Good term selection
Leonard Greijn
Angst steekt dan de kop op
Good term selection
Hans van Leeuwen
fixeert
Good term selection
Retroshift
Entry #23974 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Netherlands
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.703.00 (5 ratings)2.40 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 5 "like" tags
  • 2 users agreed with "likes" (5 total agrees)
+1
hunkeren
Good term selection
Edith van der Have
zijn intrede deed
Good term selection
Retroshift
+2
kakofonie
Good term selection
Edith van der Have
+1
De mens
Good term selection
Retroshift
+1
liever
Good term selection
Retroshift
Entry #23947 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Netherlands
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.672.67 (6 ratings)2.67 (6 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 4 "like" tags
  • 1 user agreed with "likes" (1 total agree)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (3 total disagrees)
hunkeren
Good term selection
Edith van der Have
-2
1
een eindeloos dreunende klankroes
Good term selection
Retroshift
-1
stonden de straten in de stad bol
Good term selection
Retroshift
+1
spitsen
Good term selection
Retroshift
Entry #23903 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
Hans van Leeuwen
Hans van Leeuwen
Netherlands
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.622.83 (6 ratings)2.40 (5 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 8 "like" tags
  • 2 users agreed with "likes" (5 total agrees)
+2
hunkeren
Good term selection
Edith van der Have
schetteren
Good term selection
Monique van Brandenburg
aanslag
Good term selection
Monique van Brandenburg
+1
hun mobiele telefoon
Flows well
1 telefoon​ p.p., dus​ in het NL​ inderdaad​ enkelvoud
Edith van der Have
+1
bijval en afkeuring
Good term selection
goede vert​aling van ​de onderli​nge tegens​telling
Retroshift
+1
een lied op de lippen
Flows well
Retroshift
onaangenaam
Good term selection
Retroshift
Vrees bekruipt
Good term selection
Monique van Brandenburg
Entry #24191 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Netherlands
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.622.69 (13 ratings)2.54 (13 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 3 users entered 14 "like" tags
  • 3 users agreed with "likes" (6 total agrees)
  • 3 users disagreed with "likes" (4 total disagrees)
speelt
Good term selection
Retroshift
+2
snakt
Good term selection
Edith van der Have
-1
1
ruis op het rekest
Flows well
minpuntje ​is dat "ru​is" niet d​e volledig​e lading d​ekt
Retroshift
-1
+1
andere uiterste
Good term selection
Retroshift
straatstenen.
Good term selection
beter dan ​alleen ste​nen
Monique van Brandenburg
+1
Dat gold al net zo
Flows well
Retroshift
venters
Good term selection
Retroshift
+1
mag dan i
Flows well
Retroshift
veelal
Flows well
Retroshift
Er dient zich een tegenstelling aan
Flows well
Retroshift
+1
geen verademing, maar een beklemming
Good term selection
Retroshift
onbehagen
Good term selection
Retroshift
de mens
Good term selection
Retroshift
-2
2
maar dan wel juist gedoseerd
Good term selection
Retroshift
Entry #23954 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Netherlands
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry2.552.45 (11 ratings)2.64 (11 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 2 users entered 4 "like" tags
  • 3 users agreed with "likes" (5 total agrees)
+1
snakken
Good term selection
Edith van der Have
+1
gebombardeerd
Good term selection
Mooie term​ voor batt​ery, waarm​ee in dit ​geval niet​ alleen re​eks maar o​ok aanslag​ cq. bomba​rdement wo​rdt bedoel​d.
Edith van der Have
Voor de introductie van
Good term selection
Retroshift
+3
onbehagen
Good term selection
Retroshift