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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

auf den Tag genau

English translation:

on the day

    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2014-06-17 10:54:11 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
Jun 13, 2014 16:34
9 yrs ago
4 viewers *
German term

auf den Tag genau

German to English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters idiom
Greetings Colleagues! Here I am with another idiom. I understand this expression as "to the day" - such as: "it had been 25 years to the day when her brother had set out for Japan." So the use below seems somewhat forced. I am tending towards - He was as sound as he will ever be/He had never been so strapping.
I'm not very fond of the word fit, but if it must be........


Zwei Jahre lang musste Brian für den heutigen Tag trainieren. Er war unzählige Meilen gelaufen, hatte viele Stunden auf dem Rad und im Schwimmbecken zugebracht. Er war auf den Tag genau fit … Und er war übermütig wie ein kleiner Junge

I'm looking forward to your expert assistanace!
Proposed translations (English)
3 +4 on the day
3 +2 (just in time), down to the day
3 +1 on the very day
3 +1 when it came to it
Change log

Jun 13, 2014 16:54: writeaway changed "Field (specific)" from "Poetry & Literature" to "General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters"

Discussion

Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Jun 15, 2014:
@ployglot54 The actual flow is determined by the 'result being' - the preceeding context (with novels it is impossible to post ALL context, sorry) lets the reader know that they are already at the marathon.

@Alison
tapering is an odd term for top condition, but I used peak in the translation. As this is a sports-related novel, you'll be hearing from me!!
polyglot45 Jun 14, 2014:
I'm surprised about your 'today' On the day of the race. On day D
Full of boyish/childish (childlike) enthusiasm - another thought
Alison MacG Jun 14, 2014:
Belated comments and related concepts such as tapering and peaking
http://co.milesplit.com/articles/124320-peaking-reality-or-m...
Tapering: So sind Sie auf den Punkt genau fit für den Wettkampf.
http://www.tz.de/specials/b2run/tapering-lauftraining-b2run-...
Athletes use the term "peaking" or "being in the zone" to describe being in the absolute best condition (physical, emotional and mental) at a specific time for an event or race. It is not a simple process and it requires a lot of experience and planning. However, there are things that can increase the probability of peaking much more likely.
http://iceskatingresources.org/PeakingPerformance.html
Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Jun 14, 2014:
DEAR EVERYONE As you can see, I have opted for a community decision. What I was missing in the German was an image that explained how the preceeding two years resulted in Brian's condition on the day (auf den Tag genau) of the marathon. I am stickler for a logical, as well as flowing text. (Aren't we all?) Thank you Andrew for the concise explanation that cleared the fog! And THANK YOU EVERYONE for your time, energy and input! Have a wonderful weekend, wherever you may be.
Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Jun 14, 2014:
That's good, too! I am a great fan of imagery!
Wendy Streitparth Jun 14, 2014:
Ah! Maybe "beside himself with....."?
Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Jun 14, 2014:
Hi Wendy What you can't possibly know is that Brian is doped at the moment - high-powered performance drugs. The 'little boy' would fit in relationship to his father, though and you're right, my translation is too adult and too positive. Perhaps...and bouncing on his heels with exuberance, just like a little boy. THANKS!
Wendy Streitparth Jun 14, 2014:
@ Ramey: Nice translation. Maybe I'm wrong, but from the impression of Brian in the other question, it didn't sound like he was the sort of person to "radiate" anything. Do you not like "as excited as a little boy"?
Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Jun 14, 2014:
@Andrew THAT'S what I needed to hear! There must therefore be some indication that the two previous years led up to his impeccable condition. Here's what I came up with:

Brian had trained two years for this day. He had run countless miles, had spent hundreds of hours on his bike and equally as many in the swimming pool. The result being that today he was in absolute peak form, radiating exuberance.
Yorkshireman Jun 14, 2014:
@Ramey How about some thing like "He was as fit as fit can be for THIS special day"?
Lancashireman Jun 13, 2014:
auf den (accusative) Tag He had timed his training to perfection with this very day in mind, hence his supreme confidence.
mill2 Jun 13, 2014:
could it mean that if whatever happened on this day - a competition of some sort I assume - happened a day earlier he wouldn't have been quite ready yet? Not that the emphasis is on the negative, but that he needed those two years to the day to be ready for this?
Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Jun 13, 2014:
Thanks Wendy It nags at me when I can't SEE it. Does it refer to him having trained so long that he was fit on that very day? Why wouldn't he be? I can translate it well enough, but I would love to have an image to work with that would elucidate this idiom. Translating alone doesn't integrate it in my mind.
I really like Helen's "when the day dawned", that gives me a strong image to work with and explains the idiom best. I hope she posts it!
Wendy Streitparth Jun 13, 2014:
Sounds fairly normal to me!
Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Jun 13, 2014:
While we're at it I'd like to hear your educated thoughts on the use of this idiom in this context. As I stated above, I understand it to mean - to the day/on that very day. As we had another idiom oddly used in this novel, can someone tell me if this is unusual German? Or is it me?

Proposed translations

+4
4 mins
Selected

on the day

he was at the peak of his fitness
he ws on top form

Meaning - when the actual day came, he was as fit as he could be

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Note added at 48 mins (2014-06-13 17:23:06 GMT)
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The other suggestions are indeed closer to the mark but I was trying to answer the basic question
Note from asker:
Thank you polyglot45! but how would you use it in the context given? Your other suggestions are closer to the mark.
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : Yes, but I would use one of your three additional suggestions rather than "on the day".
8 mins
me too - but I needed to explain the meaning of the words
agree Helen Shiner : Prefer what you have written as explanation. When the day came/dawned.../I mean 'when the actual day came' which in this context is a reasonable translation for 'auf den Tag genau'.
21 mins
quite - but the question concerned "auf den Tag"....
agree Wendy Streitparth : With Helen (when the actual day came)
2 hrs
agree Ingeborg Gowans (X) : exactly: when it was actually time or something like that
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+1
49 mins

on the very day

My two cents.

On the very day he was as fit as a fiddle and as happy as a sandboy.
Note from asker:
Thank you Yorkshireman! Worth considering!
Peer comment(s):
agree Dhananjay Rau : agree
15 hrs
Thanks, DR
Something went wrong...
+2
9 hrs

(just in time), down to the day

"He became fit just in time, down to the day."

The German phrase "auf den Tag genau" implies that the expectation of a scheduled event has been met. I would argue that this aspect is lost with translations like "on the (very) day" which merely leaves you wondering "the very day of what?

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Note added at 13 hrs (2014-06-14 05:42:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I meant to say "auf den Tag genau" implies the expectation of meeting a goal (here: fitness) by a specified (“genau”) point in time (the scheduled sports event). So yes, he was fit when he needed to be, i.e. just in time for the event. Even though it’s a judgment call to what extent this implicit meaning should be made explicit in the other language, a disagree is clearly unwarranted.
Note from asker:
Thank you Michael!
Peer comment(s):
agree BrigitteHilgner : I think the German original sounds a bit odd - but that's the idea, in my opinon.
3 hrs
Thanks, Brigitte!
agree Anne Schulz
1 day 10 hrs
Thank you, Anne!
Something went wrong...
+1
1 day 7 hrs

when it came to it

that's an idiomatic way of saying he was ready when it counted and at the right time

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Note added at 1 day7 hrs (2014-06-15 00:25:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I don't think we have take "day" as literal here but would work too :)

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Note added at 1 day7 hrs (2014-06-15 00:28:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

and should read "have to take" of course
Peer comment(s):
agree Anne Schulz
11 hrs
danke Anne :)
Something went wrong...
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