Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Indonesian term or phrase:
Nikmatnya kue bisnis X
English translation:
X business: a lucrative pie
Added to glossary by
Catherine Muir
Oct 14, 2010 04:52
13 yrs ago
Indonesian term
Nikmatnya kue bisnis X
Indonesian to English
Bus/Financial
Business/Commerce (general)
novel 'Layar Terkembang'
In this context, meaning of 'kue' is not literal, but alludes to the way the benefits/profits of a business/industry are distributed, like slices of a pie, for example, in the phrases 'nikmatnya kue bisnis tembakau' or 'Pengembang berebut 'kue' di Bodetabek'. Please suggest English translation of 'nikmatnya kue bisnis X'. Would 'the X business is a delicious pie' be near the mark, or is there a better way to express it?
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
7 hrs
Selected
Lucrativeness of X business pie
IMHO
Note from asker:
| Thanks, it's a good suggestion. |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I actually translated the heading 'Nikmatnya kue bisnic tembakau' as 'Tobacco Business: a Lucrative Pie', using your suggestion of 'lucrative'. Although I didn't use your suggestion totally, you gave me the idea I needed."
1 hr
The profits of the X business are most agreeable
Maybe a bit too formal but hopefully it captures the basic idea.
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-10-14 06:11:06 GMT)
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Sure, your translation sounds great. You could also say "Hefty Profits for Tobacco Entrepreneurs" or "Tobacco Entrepreneurs Get the Cake, Growers Get the Crumbs" :)
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-10-14 06:11:06 GMT)
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Sure, your translation sounds great. You could also say "Hefty Profits for Tobacco Entrepreneurs" or "Tobacco Entrepreneurs Get the Cake, Growers Get the Crumbs" :)
Note from asker:
| How could I make it 'snappier', like 4 0r 5 words for the heading of a magazine article and retain the sense of 'nikmatnya'? How about 'Tasty Profits for Tobacco Entrepreneurs' which is the gist of the article, i.e., farmers get zilch while big guys are zillionaires. |
4 hrs
The beauty of the X business
Like Ny. Lilik's Mud Cookies, Sidoarjo. Real cookies, real profits, alongside the disaster of the mud flow from the gas exploration site
Note from asker:
| Thanks, John, but how can I include the idea of 'kue'? |
9 hrs
Irma Wildani Anzia
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The luscious chunks of the X business
What about the word "chunk"? It can also be used to describe money like in "we won a chunk of money" (from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/chunk). "Luscious" can also be replaced by "big" as an alternative.
Luscious implies such a luxuriant fullness or ripeness as to make an object rich: a luscious banana; a luscious beauty; luscious music.
Luscious implies such a luxuriant fullness or ripeness as to make an object rich: a luscious banana; a luscious beauty; luscious music.
Note from asker:
| Thank you for your suggestion, Irma. |
| Also, 'luscious' accurately expresses 'nikmatnya' but the phrase is idiomatic, rather than literal. While it doesn't fit, I am very grateful that you have tried to help. It's a case of knowing what I want to say but not being able to find the right words ... yet. |
1 day 1 hr
The Trappings of X Business Success
I'm not sure if 'success' adequately renders the 'kue' concept. Given the context, perhaps 'trappings' could be considered for 'nikmatnya', ie. it can tend to have a negative connotation for the benefits enjoyed from a lucrative activity.
Another one I thought of, although I think it's too loose and wordy is - "X Business Takes the Cake and Eats it Too". I wonder if there's some correlation between the idea behind "nikmatnya kue bisnis x" and this English expression.
Another one I thought of, although I think it's too loose and wordy is - "X Business Takes the Cake and Eats it Too". I wonder if there's some correlation between the idea behind "nikmatnya kue bisnis x" and this English expression.
Note from asker:
| Hi, Rod. I'm becoming more convinced that what I need is something that conveys the message that at every step in the process, someone is taking a piece of the action, i.e., the pie is sliced up a whole lot of ways. All these suggestions are helping me get a fix on it! While it's not about 'having your cake and eating it too', there is surely an idiomatic way of expressing the idea of "everyone's fingers in the pie". I might even go with that. |
Discussion
So, the idea of cake sliced and distributed is not local. Perhaps it is from Western tradition of birthday cake. That's why we call it "kue [bisnis]. "Tidak kebagian kue" is the fate of those failing to come on time at the birthday party.
Should it come from local, the expression will most likely be "tumpeng bisnis", not "kue bisnis".