SPANNUNG & DRUCK

ich bin auf die Party/das Fußballspiel/das Konzert gespannt = I’m looking forward to the party/to watching the soccer match/to (going) to the concert

auf etwas gespannt sein  = I’m eager/anxious/itching/excited/amped to see how this pans out/plays out/works out; party leaders are waiting for the election results with bated breath   

ich bin gespannt, deine Eltern kennenzulernen = I’m looking forward to meeting your folks

es ist/wird spannend = anticipation is growing/building; everybody is drooling in anticipation of the big-party atmosphere at the concert; spectators are tingling/rippling with excitement/anticipation; anticipation is soaring ahead of the big match/hangs in the air; fans are roaring/buzzing with a sense of growing expectation/anticipation

auf etwas gespannt sein = let’s/we'll see how this pans out/plays out; I’m kind of wondering/I’m curious

es war sehr spannend = there was plenty of hot/high-revving/high-octane/exciting action 

es ist/wird spannend = hold your breath; this is/will be a challenging job; these are challenging times

er/sie hat eine spannende Frage gestellt  =  he just posed/asked a very pointed question; it is/was an interesting/meaningful/good/valid/ compelling question to ask

die Frage war nicht spannend = that was a boring/awkward/funny question 

eigentlich frage ich mich schon, warum er es getan hat = I was actually left wondering why he did that   

die Spannung/en eskaliert/en = tensions dog the corruption investigation; tension in the room is simmering/reaches flashpoint; tensions are roiling the political alliance; there is a sense of slow-burn tension in the air; simmering/inflaming/mounting tensions between the two neighbors have come to a head/are boiling over; yesterday the situation reached boiling point 

man drückt aufs Tempo; es wird mit Hochdruck gearbeitet = preparations for the key event are going into overdrive; it’s full steam ahead with our plans right now; intense/ frenetic activity continues at full speed/tilt; to stay on track we need to step up/move up things a gear; we need full-court pressure if we want to conclude/sign off/ink the deal; when the ante was upped by the government the debate flared up/fired up and reached frenzied proportions; opening/ inauguration day is approaching, so the clock is ticking on the project completion; the board of executives has threatened to up the ante/sharpen he stakes in the wages dispute/feud if the union is not ready to make a few more concessions; right now we are pedal down to make the scheme work; it’s full steam ahead; we’re running at breakneck speed; we need to pursue this matter with vigor

der Druck wird erhöht =  we need to dial up/turn up/rev up the heat/heap pressure on our lawyers to resolve the case; always keep your foot on the gas pedal; the government is tightening/turning the screws on illegal immigration; the battle for market dominance intensifies/heats up /hots up; the party leader feels the heat/is under the pump; the pressure is mounting for them to get the job done; on this issue I think we have to kick/go/move into high gear; the engineers are scrambling/hard-pressed to stay on track with the project; the absence of foreign students places an enormous strain/puts a squeeze on the state’s educational system; the minister keeps pushing/ pressing the case for better living conditions for the poor; the government ramps up/heaps pressure/is going full throttle on its reform agenda   

viele Führungskräfte haben kein Problem unter Druck zu agieren =  successful managers know how to handle pressure/strain; some managers don’t buckle under pressure, they even thrive in it

wenn für Führungskräfte die Arbeit im Büro zu stressig wird, suchen sie einen Ausgleich/eine Alternative, um abzuschalten = if top managers can’t handle the stress in the office any longer they escape the rat race by moving to a place where they can slow down

jemand/irgendwas wird ausgebremst = she tried to slow down/slam the brakes on/rein in/blunt the momentum of her husband’s enthusiasm; his aggressiveness was cooled off; the young politician’s career hit a speed bump/the wall when he failed to get reelected; teachers sometimes inadvertently clip the wings of bright students; high inflation is stopping economy growth   

ehrgeiziger Politiker will hoch hinaus = the ambitious politician is a man on a mission

Politiker arbeiten sehr oft unter Hochdruck = politicians often work in overdrive