Jul 3, 2013 19:56
10 yrs ago
French term
France
la lettre épouse l'esprit
French to English
Art/Literary
Music
Help! I'm translating a piece about the singer Gianmaria Testa's work from the point of view of a writer who likes to use lots of long and complicated flowery phrases to say what he thinks about him!! I am really struggling to render this phrase in decent English. Any ideas?? Thanks in advance!
"Comme toujours chez Gianmaria Testa, *la lettre épouse l’esprit* dans ses plus infimes replis. La formule de son Quartet, qui autorise à la fois densité et légèreté, prolonge la vive dynamique sonore qui parcourait son dernier album studio"
"Comme toujours chez Gianmaria Testa, *la lettre épouse l’esprit* dans ses plus infimes replis. La formule de son Quartet, qui autorise à la fois densité et légèreté, prolonge la vive dynamique sonore qui parcourait son dernier album studio"
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+1
38 mins
Selected
every detail reflects the intention
la lettre refers to specifics, usually in contrast with something more vague
Note from asker:
| Thank you, David, I'm definitely looking for something along these lines which avoids sticking too close to the French (I don't think a native speaker would use 'letter' or 'spirit' in this context). |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Helen Shiner
: Yes, or 'detail reflects intention' or 'detail reflects his nature' or many other variants. But whatever, I think this is the way to go.
1 hr
|
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks again, David! I chose your answer since I felt it was the only one where a real translation took place. Merci beaucoup!!"
17 mins
Kévin Bernier
France
France
Native in French
France
Translator & Game Loc Specialist | EN-FR
Native in: French (Variant: Standard-France)
Works in: English to French
Related KudoZ points
:
4
the word and the spirit are joined together
"As it is always the case with Gianmaria Tesla, the word and the spirit are joined together in every corner"...
+8
1 hr
the letter and the spirit are in harmony
This retains the idea of the letter and the spirit of things often being presented as in opposition to each other, but that this is not the case in Gianmaria Testa's work. Plus a musical reference.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jean-Claude Gouin
: Very good Ms. Finch ...
1 hr
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Thanks!
|
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| agree |
Wolf Draeger
1 hr
|
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Thanks Wolf
|
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| agree |
Daryo
1 hr
|
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Thanks Daryo
|
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| agree |
Colin Morley (X)
: Eloquently expressed
10 hrs
|
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Thanks Colin
|
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| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
12 hrs
|
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Thanks gallagy
|
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| agree |
claude-andrew
: I'd remove the 2 articles "letter and spirit are in harmony"
13 hrs
|
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Thanks Claude-Andrew. That would sound better, but the usual phrase that this is meant to evoke is "the letter of the law", which always keeps its articles.
|
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| neutral |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
: Better without the articles, but I have reservations, about this being OTT for English. Without dumbing it down, flowery English sounds insincere if the rest is wordy too. However, if you add "total" and scrap "dans ses plus infimes replis", it works.
16 hrs
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Yes, agree about omitting the article as, on second thoughts, I think the reference to "the letter of the law" still probably comes through. I think a bit of floweriness is OK here and one should reflect the author's style even if toning it down a little
|
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| agree |
katsy
: absolutely - to quote St Paul (I think) - "for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life"
19 hrs
|
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Thanks katsy. (2 Corinthians, but it is a rather dodgy epistle as the condemnation of Moses and the commandments can easily be taken out of its historical context and misused by antisemites.)
|
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| agree |
gkshenaut
: perhaps “form and substance are in harmony”
2 days 21 hrs
|
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Thanks GKS. However, I don't think "form and substance" can be used that way as they generally ARE in harmony, while letter and spirit frequently are not. Also, I don't think it correctly translates the source text.
|
8 mins
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Native in English
Psychologist, Court-certified legal
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
7
whose word reflets the spirit
A number of solutions are possible of course, depending on how you turn the rest of the sentence.
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Note added at 11 mins (2013-07-03 20:08:39 GMT)
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I think you might find it helps to consider the French word order another way round.
You could place "comme toujours" elsewhere.
Idem the "dans ses plus infimes replis" which is essentially emphatic and linked to "l'esprit", which means you can have "esprit" at the end of the sentence. Changing the word order might lead to other turns of phrase.
"Comme toujours, chez Gianmaria Testa, la lettre épouse l'esprit."
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Note added at 12 mins (2013-07-03 20:09:16 GMT)
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Oops, sorry. That last sentence should not be there!
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Note added at 2 hrs (2013-07-03 22:40:56 GMT)
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I think you need to bear in mind that over flowery construction, not just words, tend to lack sincerity in English. Simplicity rhymes with elegance and you need elegance here.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2013-07-03 22:41:29 GMT)
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And my "refleCt" should have that "c" in there!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2013-07-03 20:08:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I think you might find it helps to consider the French word order another way round.
You could place "comme toujours" elsewhere.
Idem the "dans ses plus infimes replis" which is essentially emphatic and linked to "l'esprit", which means you can have "esprit" at the end of the sentence. Changing the word order might lead to other turns of phrase.
"Comme toujours, chez Gianmaria Testa, la lettre épouse l'esprit."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2013-07-03 20:09:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Oops, sorry. That last sentence should not be there!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2013-07-03 22:40:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I think you need to bear in mind that over flowery construction, not just words, tend to lack sincerity in English. Simplicity rhymes with elegance and you need elegance here.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2013-07-03 22:41:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
And my "refleCt" should have that "c" in there!
3 hrs
the letter matches the spirit
Match might be a useful synonym for marry.
Variant: "...are perfectly matched", though the adjective does not appear in the Fr. HT to Corpse Bride :-)
Variant: "...are perfectly matched", though the adjective does not appear in the Fr. HT to Corpse Bride :-)
Example sentence:
As always with Gianmaria Testa, the letter matches the spirit down to the very last note.
As always with Gianmaria Testa, the letter and the spirit are perfectly matched down to the very last note.
12 hrs
Josephine Cassar
Malta
Malta
Native in English
Malta
12 yrs. experience translating EU stuff
Native in: English (Variants: UK, British) 
, Maltese
Works in: English to Maltese, Italian to Maltese, French to Maltese, and 3 more.
the letter bonds with the spirit
or- the letter is in harmony with the spirit
+2
12 hrs
polyglot45
Native in French
&
English
Native in: English , French
Works in: English to French, French to English, German to French, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
6
the letter and the spirit are as one
if you want to remain poetical
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
writeaway
: yes, this translates the French without introducing new notions
55 mins
|
| agree |
Yolanda Broad
4 days
|
Discussion