How do you, Germans, understand the title of the popular German TV series "Mord mit Aussicht"? Is it a joy like "hurrah, there is a murder!"? The police has a murder to investigate instead of dying of boredom. Or is it rather so that each murder case has something to offer?
Add a comment
|
3 Answers
I think you are confusing in Aussicht and mit Aussicht.
Aussicht has two different meanings
- für die Zukunft sich ergebende, zeigende Möglichkeit
meaning something like prospect
and
- Sicht nach verschiedenen Seiten, ins Weite, in die Ferne
which is more like view
When saying something is in Aussicht you are talking about a possible future, e.g.
Ich habe einen neuen Job in Aussicht. (There is a very good chance I will get a new job.)
When something is mit Aussicht it usually refers to a place with a very good view, e.g. the famous
Zimmer mit Aussicht. (A room with a very nice view. Refering to a wonderful nature or when your room is in a skyscrapper and you have a look over the whole city.)
(edit: Unfortunately mit Aussicht can also refer to the future, e.g. Angebot mit Aussicht auf eine Beförderung.)
Mord in Aussicht means: Oh, there will be a murder. But there is no joy in it, as you suggested. Just a statement.
Mord mit Aussicht is an unusual play on words. At first it seems to be incorrect, because a murder can't have a "view". But as Carsten already supposed the whole show takes place in a small rural Eifel town, with a lot of nature around. And looking at mountains and gras and cows etc. can make someone say: "Was für eine schöne Aussicht." (What a nice view.) So you have a murder ... but the town and nature around you ... boy, what a view (Aussicht).
-
2However, only the last paragraph is relevant. Thanks for that.– AndraCommented Jun 13, 2019 at 20:06
-
1Nitpick: The show predominantly takes place in various places in the Bergisch Land (mostly Overath and Much). I was surprised to actually drive past the Inn displayed in the show once, and it's been in the newspaper some 3-4 weeks ago for having changed owners. There's very little Eifel in the show, actually.– DamonCommented Jun 13, 2019 at 21:29
-
1"murder with a view" works fine as an english translation. the other preposition can be found in the title of a bond movie, "a view to a kill".– dlatikayCommented Jun 14, 2019 at 5:12
-
-
1@PatrickSanan Hm, "Zimmer mit Aussicht" is a well known phrase. Or what do you mean?– mtwdeCommented Jul 2, 2019 at 13:51
I do not know the show, but given that the synopsis states that protagonist has recently moved to a small (possibly scenic) town, I assume that the meaning is murder with a view as in room with a view (Zimmer mit Aussicht).
answered Jun 13, 2019 at 12:19
-
2
I think the expression "mit Aussicht" in this case is slightly derogatory.
"Hier sagen sich Hund und Katze gute Nacht, aber wenigstens gibt es ne Aussicht" It is so timid and boring here that even dogs and cats don't fight anymore but at least there is a view."
If you can't say anything nice about a place you can still say it has a view
