Help with German obstetrics please

AlexBell · 06-12-2017, 07:18 AM

I'm working on The Pastor's Wife by Elizabeth von Arnim, published in 1914 and set in east Prussia, and need help with two short comments.

Ingeborg is about to deliver her first child and
'uttered a small exclamation and turned quickly to Ilse with a look of startled questioning.
"Geht's los?" asked Ilse,'

It is a very difficult and painful delivery, and the obstetric nurse later says "was sein muss sein muss."

I can't make any sense out of Google Translate or a German dictionary. Can anyone help please?

HarryT · 06-12-2017, 07:45 AM

"Geht's los" means "here we go!", "Let's go!", "We're off!", etc. As a question, perhaps "Are we off?", "Has it started?".

"was sein muss sein muss" means literally "what must be, must be". To paraphrase, perhaps "what had to be done, had to be done". Ie it was hard, but necessary.

dickloraine · 06-12-2017, 08:27 AM

"Geht's los?" means as HarryT said "Has it started?". Are you shure about the second phrase? Maybe it is a typo or just odd/old usage. But it should read "Was sein muss, muss sein". This means "What has to be, has to be", or "What has to be done, has to be done". More likely the second one is what is meant. It is a common phrase in german.

Doitsu · 06-12-2017, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

"Geht's los" means "here we go!", "Let's go!", "We're off!", etc. As a question, perhaps "Are we off?", "Has it started?".

IMHO, in this context "Geht's los" can only be translated as "has it started." (Let's go = gehen wir.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

"was sein muss sein muss" means literally "what must be, must be". To paraphrase, perhaps "what had to be done, had to be done". Ie it was hard, but necessary.

Your translation is spot on. As dickloraine has already pointed out, the original version violates German grammar rules and should read "Was sein muss, muss sein."

@AlexBell: This might be a reference to the Low-German/Saxon (Plattdeutsch) proverb "Wat mut, dat mut!" = "Was muss, das muss."

mmat1 · 06-12-2017, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doitsu

IMHO, in this context "Geht's los" can only be translated as "has it started." (Let's go = gehen wir.)

Sorry to contradict, but "has it started?" is past tense. A better translation is imo "do we start/go now?".

Doitsu · 06-12-2017, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmat1

Sorry to contradict, but "has it started?" is past tense. A better translation is imo "do we start/go now?".

I'm sorry to contradict you.

The English Present Perfect is used rather differently than the German Perfekt.
Since the Present Perfect often implies "up to now" it can be used to refer to present events that started in the past.
This explanation might make more sense to you, if add "yet" at the end of the sentence: "has it started yet?".

HarryT · 06-12-2017, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doitsu

I'm sorry to contradict you.

The English Present Perfect is used rather differently than the German Perfekt.
Since the Present Perfect often implies "up to now" it can be used to refer to present events that started in the past.
This explanation might make more sense to you, if add "yet" at the end of the sentence: "has it started yet?".

Indeed. The perfect in English refers to a present state resulting from a past action. I.e. "Has it started?" has an unspoken meaning of "... and is it still going on?".

AlexBell · 06-13-2017, 12:18 AM

Thanks to you all.

I'm going to use 'Has it started' and 'what must be, must be' as the translations; they seem to fit the context best.

Ingeborg is English, and has not been welcomed as the wife of her husband who is the local Lutheran pastor. Ilse is her maid, and is rather more sympathetic than the rest. Frau Dosch, the midwife, and Pastor Dremmel are not sympathetic, and are more focused on Ingeborg's duty to provide a male heir than her well-being.

06-12-2017, 07:18 AM	#1
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	Help with German obstetrics please I'm working on The Pastor's Wife by Elizabeth von Arnim, published in 1914 and set in east Prussia, and need help with two short comments. Ingeborg is about to deliver her first child and 'uttered a small exclamation and turned quickly to Ilse with a look of startled questioning. "Geht's los?" asked Ilse,' It is a very difficult and painful delivery, and the obstetric nurse later says "was sein muss sein muss." I can't make any sense out of Google Translate or a German dictionary. Can anyone help please?

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06-12-2017, 07:45 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	"Geht's los" means "here we go!", "Let's go!", "We're off!", etc. As a question, perhaps "Are we off?", "Has it started?". "was sein muss sein muss" means literally "what must be, must be". To paraphrase, perhaps "what had to be done, had to be done". Ie it was hard, but necessary.

06-12-2017, 08:27 AM	#3
dickloraine Guru Posts: 631 Karma: 7544080 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Berlin Device: PRS 350, Kobo Aura	"Geht's los?" means as HarryT said "Has it started?". Are you shure about the second phrase? Maybe it is a typo or just odd/old usage. But it should read "Was sein muss, muss sein". This means "What has to be, has to be", or "What has to be done, has to be done". More likely the second one is what is meant. It is a common phrase in german.

06-13-2017, 12:18 AM	#8
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	Thanks to you all. I'm going to use 'Has it started' and 'what must be, must be' as the translations; they seem to fit the context best. Ingeborg is English, and has not been welcomed as the wife of her husband who is the local Lutheran pastor. Ilse is her maid, and is rather more sympathetic than the rest. Frau Dosch, the midwife, and Pastor Dremmel are not sympathetic, and are more focused on Ingeborg's duty to provide a male heir than her well-being.