Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
an etwas nicht gelegen sein
English translation:
to be opposed to
Added to glossary by
LP Schumacher
Feb 7, 2008 05:24
16 yrs ago
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German term
Australia
A translator you can count on
Native in: English 
Works in: German to English, French to English, Spanish to English
an etwas gelegen sein
German to English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
The phrase is: Den Briten war an einer weiteren Ausdehnung der burischen Macht ohnehin nicht gelegen
and it's part of the larger paragraph:
Als in den Jahren nach 1860 das Reich der Basuto am Rand des Untergangs stand, bat Moshoeshoe I. die englische Kolonialmacht um Schutz. Den Briten war an einer weiteren Ausdehnung der burischen Macht ohnehin nicht gelegen und sie erklärten das Reich Moshoeshoes I. 1868 zum Protektorat Basutoland.
I'm just a little bit unsure how to translate this phrase. I know "liegen an" means "due to/caused by"...but the dative use of Den Briten at the start is confusing me a bit. Does it mean the British had never been fussy on the Boer power spreading? I'd be very grateful if someone could just put me on the right track.
Many thanks in advance!
and it's part of the larger paragraph:
Als in den Jahren nach 1860 das Reich der Basuto am Rand des Untergangs stand, bat Moshoeshoe I. die englische Kolonialmacht um Schutz. Den Briten war an einer weiteren Ausdehnung der burischen Macht ohnehin nicht gelegen und sie erklärten das Reich Moshoeshoes I. 1868 zum Protektorat Basutoland.
I'm just a little bit unsure how to translate this phrase. I know "liegen an" means "due to/caused by"...but the dative use of Den Briten at the start is confusing me a bit. Does it mean the British had never been fussy on the Boer power spreading? I'd be very grateful if someone could just put me on the right track.
Many thanks in advance!
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Feb 7, 2008 12:08: Steffen Walter changed "Term asked" from "liegen an (this context)" to "an etwas gelegen sein" , "Field (specific)" from "History" to "Idioms / Maxims / Sayings"
Feb 12, 2008 14:58: LP Schumacher Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+1
3 hrs
German term (edited):
liegen an (this context)
Selected
were opposed to
My first instinct was actually to go with Edith's definition (which I do still agree with).
However, considering Andries' description of the context, I would suggest using the verb "to be opposed to" -- which is a bit more "active" in the political context, as described in the text.
The British were opposed to the further expansion of...
However, considering Andries' description of the context, I would suggest using the verb "to be opposed to" -- which is a bit more "active" in the political context, as described in the text.
The British were opposed to the further expansion of...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks for this. Yes, in this case I think "opposed to" fitted slightly better than "not interested in", but everyone's answers helped me understand the gist, so thanks to all!"
+13
4 mins
Edith Kelly
Switzerland
Switzerland
Native in German
&
English
Switzerland
Professional conference interpreter
Native in: German 
, English
Works in: German to English, English to German, Dutch to German, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
39
German term (edited):
liegen an (this context)
they were not interested in
the dative is fine here ... The British were not interested in a ... It did not suit the British ...
this is the meaning, maybe someone can come up with a snappier wording
this is the meaning, maybe someone can come up with a snappier wording
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Etienne Muylle Wallace
56 mins
|
| agree |
Jalapeno
1 hr
|
| agree |
hchetty (X)
: I definitely agree :o)
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Ulrike Kraemer
2 hrs
|
| agree |
BrigitteHilgner
: No need to make it snappier - this is it, I think.
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Natascha Spinetto
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Nicole Schnell
3 hrs
|
| agree |
Dr. Georg Schweigart
3 hrs
|
| agree |
sappho
: 'ohnehin' still has to be taken care of though
3 hrs
|
| agree |
Daniela Gieseler-Higgs
3 hrs
|
| agree |
Marcos Guntin
4 hrs
|
| agree |
Ann C Sherwin
: as long as "nicht" is also included in the source phrase.
6 hrs
|
| agree |
Rebecca Garber
10 hrs
|
2 hrs
Andries Conradie
Native in English
25 years of academic excellence
Native in: English (Variants: US, South African, UK)
Works in: German to English, Dutch to English, Afrikaans to English, and 2 more.
German term (edited):
liegen an (this context)
to be dissatisfied, annoyed with
I know the historical context a little bit! To say that the British had no interest is quite an understatement, because they were chasing the Boers, who had left the Cape Colony, and annexed every territory they claimed as theirs, i.e. the Free State, Transvaal, Natal. So, in this context the Basuto king played his last card: he didn't want to lose his independence to either the Boers or the British, but found him in a desperate situation and knowing that the British were doing everything in their power to annex Boer territory he decided to become a Proctetorate BECAUSE THE BRITISH MADE UP THEIR MIND TO PREVEND BOER INDEPENDENCE
4 hrs
German term (edited):
liegen an (this context)
that did not matter to them, that was not important for them
es liegt mir viel daran. an etw. liegen - to be down to something
Reference:
Discussion
3 jmdm. liegt etwas an etwas oder jmdm. jmd. hat Interesse für etwas oder jmdn., jmd. möchte etwas gern; mir liegt viel daran; mir liegt nichts daran; [...]