English Vocabulary

legitimate- legal, allowed, justifiable, valid, acceptable, resonable...

Fugendichter

User since 2008
Posts: 588

23 Feb. 2010

Dear all! Hi to my GG-classmates!

Guiseppe, one of Horatio's monkeys, has escaped. And Bruno's reaction was:

This is a legitimate business not a zoo.

And when the GG Computer translates "legitimate" to the German word "legitimiert", that's of no great help!

What does the sentence mean?

2 comments

AhQ ['a: kiu]
User since 2006
Posts: 2715
23 Feb. 2010

It's perfectly legitimate that you claim explanation, Randolphe.
The term legitimate has got various meanings according to the context: lawful,legal; valid,justified,entitled; serious; etc.

The expression -legitimate business- usually refers to a business run in compliance with the law; not with illegal or undeclared workers.
But here Bruno puts two items against one another: legitimate business against zoo. That brings me to think that legitimate business here rather means a serious business, not a mess. In the same way English would say that la Comédie française only performs legitimate plays, not burlesque, humorist or musical shows, vaudeville, etc.
Therefore I for one would take the sentence this way:
This is a serious business, not a zoo.
This is a respectable business, not a zoo.

How does that catch you, Randolphe?
-cw-
It's perfectly legitimate that you claim explanation, Randolphe. The term legitimate has got various meanings according to the context: lawful,legal; valid,justified,entitled; serious; etc. The expression -legitimate business- usually refers to a business run in compliance with the law; not with illegal or undeclared workers. But here Bruno puts two items against one another: legitimate business against zoo. That brings me to think that legitimate business here rather means a serious business, not a mess. In the same way English would say that la Comédie française only performs legitimate plays, not burlesque, humorist or musical shows, vaudeville, etc. Therefore I for one would take the sentence this way: This is a serious business, not a zoo. This is a respectable business, not a zoo. How does that catch you, Randolphe? -cw-
Fugendichter
User since 2008
Posts: 588
23 Feb. 2010

Hallo Sandy,

you've convinced me! A serious and respectable business! Okay
Hallo Sandy, you've convinced me! A serious and respectable business! Okay

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