Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
pouvait présager "Une Vie de Chien"
English translation:
That "A Dog's Life" awaited her
Added to glossary by
Mark Nathan
Jul 30, 2008 20:53
15 yrs ago
French term
pouvait présager "Une Vie de Chien"
French to English
Art/Literary
History
early life of a ninety year old woman
This is from a text celebrating the ninetieth birthday of a lady called Geneviève.
"....(Geneviève) est née à POMEROL, en ce mois de Juin 1918, comme une jolie fleur de vigne, à un moment où tout n’était que bouleversements : de la misère de nos « Poilus », aux exploits de « La Grosse Bertha » qui avait lancé ses obus sur Paris dont Ste Geneviève est la patronne.
Cela pouvait présager « Une vie de Chien » - film de Charlie Chaplin, à l’affiche en ce printemps 18. Mais ce ne fût pas le cas, grâce à l’enthousiasme, la force et le courage dont elle a toujours fait preuve, et grâce au vin qui a été le meilleur des fortifiants.
De plus, quelques mois après, comme par miracle, le 11 Novembre mettait fin à cette longue et dure période."
I have become a bit muddled with the sense here, and would like someone to confirm my understanding (I am not presenting this as a finished translation).
The upheavals of World War 1 could have led one to expect (that Geneniève would lead a life like Chaplin's tramp in) "A Dog's Life" but, thanks to her courage etc., and fortified by wine (??!!), it did not turn out that way. And in any case the war ended a few month's after she was born.
Any comments welcome.
"....(Geneviève) est née à POMEROL, en ce mois de Juin 1918, comme une jolie fleur de vigne, à un moment où tout n’était que bouleversements : de la misère de nos « Poilus », aux exploits de « La Grosse Bertha » qui avait lancé ses obus sur Paris dont Ste Geneviève est la patronne.
Cela pouvait présager « Une vie de Chien » - film de Charlie Chaplin, à l’affiche en ce printemps 18. Mais ce ne fût pas le cas, grâce à l’enthousiasme, la force et le courage dont elle a toujours fait preuve, et grâce au vin qui a été le meilleur des fortifiants.
De plus, quelques mois après, comme par miracle, le 11 Novembre mettait fin à cette longue et dure période."
I have become a bit muddled with the sense here, and would like someone to confirm my understanding (I am not presenting this as a finished translation).
The upheavals of World War 1 could have led one to expect (that Geneniève would lead a life like Chaplin's tramp in) "A Dog's Life" but, thanks to her courage etc., and fortified by wine (??!!), it did not turn out that way. And in any case the war ended a few month's after she was born.
Any comments welcome.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+4
5 mins
Selected
That "A Dog's Life" awaited her
:)
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Note added at 15 mins (2008-07-30 21:09:15 GMT)
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I skipped the first part. "...could have been taken as an omen that "A Dog's Life"- Charlie Chaplin's film... awaited her"
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Note added at 1 hr (2008-07-30 22:14:13 GMT)
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My suggestion for the complete sentence: "These circumstances / All this could have been taken as an omen that "A Dog's Life"- Charlie Chaplin's film on show that 1918 spring - awaited her"
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Note added at 15 mins (2008-07-30 21:09:15 GMT)
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I skipped the first part. "...could have been taken as an omen that "A Dog's Life"- Charlie Chaplin's film... awaited her"
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-07-30 22:14:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
My suggestion for the complete sentence: "These circumstances / All this could have been taken as an omen that "A Dog's Life"- Charlie Chaplin's film on show that 1918 spring - awaited her"
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Melissa McMahon
: yes, important to keep the actual title I think - they seem to be trying hard to give a sense of time and place using proper names!
3 hrs
|
Thanks, Melissa:)
|
|
agree |
Emma Paulay
11 hrs
|
Thanks, Emma:)
|
|
agree |
lydiar
13 hrs
|
Thanks, lydiar:)
|
|
agree |
jean-jacques alexandre
13 hrs
|
Merci, Jean-Jacques:)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks everyone"
28 mins
could have been an omen for an impending "dog´s life" or: see below
could have been interpreted as omen for an impending dóg´s life"
+2
48 mins
would have led one to believe she would have a hard life ahead
"....(Geneviève) born in POMEROL, in June of 1918, as a lovely blossoming flower, during a time characterized by upheavals : from the misery of our soldiers at the front, to the bombardments by « Big Bertha » of Paris, the patron saint of which is precisely Saint Geneviève.
This would have led one to believe that she would have a hard life ahead of her, just as the main character in Charlie Chaplin's
« A Dog's Life » - premiering during that spring of 1918. Fortunately this was not the case, thanks to her enthusiasm, her forceful character and her unfailing courage which she showed at all times, fortified along the way with that best of drinks, French wine.
To top things off, some months later, as if by miracle, on November 11th, this long and difficult period finally came to an end (with the conclusion of the war)."
This would have led one to believe that she would have a hard life ahead of her, just as the main character in Charlie Chaplin's
« A Dog's Life » - premiering during that spring of 1918. Fortunately this was not the case, thanks to her enthusiasm, her forceful character and her unfailing courage which she showed at all times, fortified along the way with that best of drinks, French wine.
To top things off, some months later, as if by miracle, on November 11th, this long and difficult period finally came to an end (with the conclusion of the war)."
Note from asker:
Thanks for the full translation! |
Peer comment(s):
agree |
MatthewLaSon
: Yes, that's the idea here.
14 mins
|
agree |
Melissa McMahon
: yes, I like your longer version
2 hrs
|
1 hr
This seemed to set her up for having a rotten life
Hello,
temps de chien = rotten/lousy weather
pouvait présager = would predict (can't really say this in English)
The conditions at that time would make it seem that she would end having a rotten existance.
temps de chien = rotten/lousy weather
pouvait présager = would predict (can't really say this in English)
The conditions at that time would make it seem that she would end having a rotten existance.
11 hrs
French term (edited):
NFG "vin...le meilleur des fortifiants"
the wine provided extra strength
I know you didn't ask for this, I just had the feeling that it might be easier to work 'strength' rather than 'fortified' into your sentence.
13 hrs
French term (edited):
pouvait présager \"Une Vie de Chien\"
it could have meant
Oxford Thesaurus
presage, bode, forecast, foresee, mean, omen,predict,prophesy,spell
presage, bode, forecast, foresee, mean, omen,predict,prophesy,spell
Discussion