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Shitstorm
Pisar
Mar 3, 2021 16:35
3 yrs ago
44 viewers *
German term

Virulenz

German to English Social Sciences Education / Pedagogy
Die hier vorgestellten Ergebnisse verdeutlichen die Dominanz, Virulenz und Reproduktion traditioneller Männlichkeitszuschreibungen im Kontext von Sportunterricht an Schulen.

This is from a study on gender socialization in school settings (the article is to be published in an academic journal). It shows how interaction between students, teachers and students, and parents and students implicitly and explicitly reproduces tradtional patterns of gendered behavior.

Does anybody have a good idea for translating 'Virulenz'? I would greatly appreciate it.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +5 virulence
3 +2 toxicity
3 contagious spread/appeal
4 -1 level of hostility

Discussion

Stephan Elkins (asker) Mar 8, 2021:
Thank you for your helpful considerations!
Stephan Elkins (asker) Mar 4, 2021:
Looks like ... ... a majority is making a strong push for a literal translation. I am debating with myself :-). I do like Lancashireman's suggestions of perhaps using "toxicity." At any rate, I certainly appreciate your ideas. Thanks!
Lancashireman Mar 4, 2021:
Stephan Consider yourself 'told'!
Gordon Matthews Mar 4, 2021:
Stephan (asker), What I and others are telling you is that there is no better alternative to "virulence", i.e. we are sure that "virulence" has the same (or very similar) connotations to "Virulenz".
Lancashireman Mar 4, 2021:
Re: 5x separate interventions by Gordon Matthews Asker says: "But I am not really sure that the English term bears the same connotation in this particular usage as the German one. That's why I was looking for an alternative."
Gordon Matthews Mar 4, 2021:
David, You might like "prevalence", but that isn't what "Virulenz" means, as Steffen admits: "I do realise that this is not an exact equivalent."
Stephan has pointed out that the Duden definition of "virulent/Virulenz" is "sich gefahrvoll auswirkend". And Phil tells us that two of Webster's three definitions of "virulence" fit (the context) perfectly. I'm with Phil and Brent on this one.
David Hollywood Mar 4, 2021:
I like "prevalence" in this context
philgoddard Mar 3, 2021:
Stephan You've only given one of Webster's three definitions. The other two fit the context perfectly.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virulence
Petrus Maritz Mar 3, 2021:
a possible slip? How about Virile - virility?
The academic might have germanized it into virulenz? The meanings of virulence and virile are close, but I think the academic might have virilty in mind. This has a more positive connotation.
Steffen Walter Mar 3, 2021:
How about ... ... "prevalence" then? (I do realise that this is not an exact equivalent.)
Stephan Elkins (asker) Mar 3, 2021:
Not sure Thank you for your suggestion. But I am not really sure that the English term bears the same connotation in this particular usage as the German one. That's why I was looking for an alternative.

Duden: virulent/Virulenz: sich gefahrvoll auswirkend
Merriam-Webster: extreme bitterness or malignity of temper
Cambridge dictionary: very strong feelings of hating or opposing something or someone
Steffen Walter Mar 3, 2021:
Have you ruled out ... ... the literal "virulence"? There seem to be quite a number of references for this usage in a gender context, including https://www.apadivisions.org/division-39/publications/review... ("Chodorow proceeds to discuss the difficult minefield of the relationship between men and women. She writes about her difficulty in finding a convincing explanation for the virulence of male anger, fear and resentment of women and aggression towards them.").

Proposed translations

+5
8 mins
Selected

virulence


You should be able to go with “virulence” here:


It sometimes looks as if Cooper thinks that his film can acknowledge and cancel the historical issues of white oppression simply by turning the violence levels up to boiling point, so that the shock of its cruelty, and the virulence of toxic masculinity, combined with the emollient beauty of the surrounding natural world

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/sep/12/hostiles-review...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2021-03-03 16:45:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sinclair argues that online and offline spaces have civilising etiquettes, but they are not quite the same – online spaces see a greater degree and virulence of violent, angry and masculinity-reinforcing language.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&c...

Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : This works perfectly. It means severity and toxicity.
2 hrs
agree Lirka : Yes, I say stay with the source, though toxicity would work, too.
2 hrs
agree Gordon Matthews : I agree with Phil that "virulence" is absolutely right.
3 hrs
agree Cillie Swart : Yeah, makes sense
15 hrs
agree Michele Fauble
1 day 1 hr
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "You ultimately convinced me of the straightforward translation, although I really liked and considered Lancashireman's suggested "toxicity." Thank you all for your help!"
2 hrs

contagious spread/appeal

Not sure that "virulence" works well in English. Toning down the register might help.
Note from asker:
Thank you for your suggestion!
Peer comment(s):
disagree Gordon Matthews : Why tone down the register? I don't think that would help at all.
1 hr
Sure it helps. Ilustrates the concept better
agree Lancashireman : Asker is "looking for an alternative". Contagiousness was on my list. Not sure why certain people feel the need to direct traffic on this site.
21 hrs
Not only that. As always, people lean too heavily on dictionaries. General definitions help to "explain" the source term but explaining is not translating.
Something went wrong...
-1
16 hrs

level of hostility

If you want to use something different from virulence because it is not a very common word, you can also use hostility or level of hostility. Even aggression or level of aggression.
Reference:

https://www.bing.com/search?q=virulence+synonym&qs=SS&pq=virulence+syn&sc=5-13&cvid=0943854327A34EB5A9ADD2F38C59DD55&FORM=QBRE&sp=1

Note from asker:
Thank you for your suggestion.
Peer comment(s):
disagree Gordon Matthews : This loses the sense of it being extremely contagious and spreading very rapidly.
7 hrs
Something went wrong...
+2
2 hrs

toxicity

'Virulence' ought to work in the English context, but I agree that it is not optimal for the triplet 'dominance, xxx and reproduction'.
https://www.google.com/search?q="toxicity of macho"&oq="toxi...

Steffen's suggestion is also good: prevalence



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2021-03-03 18:56:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Ah, just noticed that 'toxic' features in one of Brent's links.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 2 hrs (2021-03-04 18:51:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I have the uncomfortable feeling that this might be another KudoZ query heading for anticlimax. See the outcome here:
https://www.proz.com/kudoz/german-to-english/education-pedag...
Asker: "Daher möchte ich nicht "alternative" oder so etwas nehmen."
Asker's summary: "[Answerer] and her supporters taught me that 'alternative' can be used more widely than I originally thought."
Note from asker:
Thank you for your suggestion! I really debated this one.
Peer comment(s):
agree Lirka : yes. as an alternative
17 mins
agree Michele Fauble
57 mins
Something went wrong...
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