Lost in French translation

In summary: Sûre est corrigé. Les gens qui vivent à La Bretagne sont appelés "Bretons". "avez-vous su" et "a provenu" ne sont pas grammaticalement corrects, ils devraient... "vous avez raison, cyrus!"In summary, the French speaker is looking for someone to help translate a paragraph about Brittany. They believe that the person will enjoy the region due to its beautiful cliffs and nice weather. The people of Brittany are very friendly, and the
  • #1
Math Is Hard
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I am hoping one of our French speakers will wander by and will help me out. I hope I am expressing myself correctly. In my paragraph I want to say:

I am sure that you will adore Brittany. There are beautiful cliffs overlooking the sea. Brittany is famous for nice weather. The people of Brittany are very friendly, too. In fact, did you know that the tradition of kissing on the cheeks when greeting originated in this region ?

Here is my French version:

Je suis sûre que vous adorerez La Bretagne. Il y a de belles falaises donnant sur la mer. La Bretagne est célèbre pour le beau temps. Les personnes de Bretagne sont très amicales, aussi. En fait, avez-vous su que la tradition de se faire les bises sur les joues pendant la salutation a provenu de cette région ?

Merci!
-MIH
 
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  • #2
le I le am le sure le that le you le will le adore le Brittany. le There le are le beautiful le cliffs le overlooking le the le sea. le Brittany le is le famous le for le nice le weather. le The le people le of le Brittany le are le very le friendly, le too. le In le fact, le did le you le know le that le the le tradition le of le kissing le on le the le cheeks le when le greeting le originated le in le this le region ?

le welcome.
 
  • #3
cyrusabdollahi said:
le I le am le sure le that le you le will le adore le Brittany. le There le are le beautiful le cliffs le overlooking le the le sea. le Brittany le is le famous le for le nice le weather. le The le people le of le Brittany le are le very le friendly, le too. le In le fact, le did le you le know le that le the le tradition le of le kissing le on le the le cheeks le when le greeting le originated le in le this le region ?

le welcome.
oh my god!:rofl: that was hysterical. You kill me, cyrus!:rofl:
 
  • #4
cyrusabdollahi said:
le I le am le sure le that le you le will le adore le Brittany. le There le are le beautiful le cliffs le overlooking le the le sea. le Brittany le is le famous le for le nice le weather. le The le people le of le Brittany le are le very le friendly, le too. le In le fact, le did le you le know le that le the le tradition le of le kissing le on le the le cheeks le when le greeting le originated le in le this le region ?

le welcome.

:rofl:
When said out loud, make sure there is a supremely bad and heavy French accent to go along with it.
 
  • #5
SimplySolitary_ said:
:rofl:
When said out loud, make sure there is a supremely bad and heavy French accent to go along with it.
:rofl:
while wearing a beret and holding a baguette?
 
  • #6
While smoking le cigarette.

The french have cigarettes as breakfast.
 
  • #7
Math Is Hard said:
Je suis sûre que vous adorerez La Bretagne. Il y a de belles falaises donnant sur la mer. La Bretagne est célèbre pour le beau temps. Les personnes de Bretagne sont très amicales, aussi. En fait, avez-vous su que la tradition de se faire les bises sur les joues pendant la salutation a provenu de cette région ?
Few things. "Sûre" should be "sûr" and instead of "pendant la salutation" you should say "en saluant." That's all I could find so hopefully others will check over it too.
 
  • #8
z-component said:
Few things. "Sûre" should be "sûr" and instead of "pendant la salutation" you should say "en saluant." That's all I could find so hopefully others will check over it too.
Are you sure about "sûr"? I am a woman.
"En saluant" sounds good. Thanks for your help.:smile:
 
  • #9
Math Is Hard said:
I am hoping one of our French speakers will wander by and will help me out. I hope I am expressing myself correctly. In my paragraph I want to say:

I am sure that you will adore Brittany. There are beautiful cliffs overlooking the sea. Brittany is famous for nice weather. The people of Brittany are very friendly, too. In fact, did you know that the tradition of kissing on the cheeks when greeting originated in this region ?

Here is my French version:

Je suis sûre que vous adorerez La Bretagne. Il y a de belles falaises donnant sur la mer. La Bretagne est célèbre pour le beau temps. Les personnes de Bretagne sont très amicales, aussi. En fait, avez-vous su que la tradition de se faire les bises sur les joues pendant la salutation a provenu de cette région ?

Your translation is way too literale and the sentence structure is mostly "english" and not really "french". Sûre is corrected. People living in Brittany are called "Breton". "avez-vous su" and "a provenu" is not grammatically correct, it should "saviez-vous" and provenir is conjugated with "être" not "avoir".

So I rewrote it but it might be too advance for what you are looking for.

Je suis certaine que vous allez adorer la Bretagne. Il y a des falaises magnifique avec une vue sur la mer. La Bretagne est aussi reconnue pour sa temperature agréable. En plus, les Bretons sont des gens sympathiques. Saviez-vous que la tradition des baiser sur les jours lors des salutations provient de cette région?
 
  • #10
Thanks, Ian. This helps a lot!:smile:
 
  • #11
iansmith said:
Your translation is way too literale and the sentence structure is mostly "english" and not really "french". Sûre is corrected. People living in Brittany are called "Breton". "avez-vous su" and "a provenu" is not grammatically correct, it should "saviez-vous" and provenir is conjugated with "être" not "avoir".

So I rewrote it but it might be too advance for what you are looking for.

Je suis certaine que vous allez adorer la Bretagne. Il y a des falaises magnifique avec une vue sur la mer. La Bretagne est aussi reconnue pour sa temperature agréable. En plus, les Bretons sont des gens sympathiques. Saviez-vous que la tradition des baiser sur les jours lors des salutations provient de cette région?

Très bien, par contre j'ai corrigé deux petites fautes :)

Je suis certaine que vous allez adorer la Bretagne. Il y a des falaises magnifiques avec une vue sur la mer. La Bretagne est aussi reconnue pour sa température agréable. En plus, les Bretons sont des gens sympathiques. Saviez-vous que la tradition des baiser sur les jours lors des salutations provient de cette région?
 
  • #12
Merci to you both. :smile:

Just a question-- shouldn't "la tradition des baiser" be "la tradition des baisers"? And I am certain that "sur les jours" was meant to be "sur les joues" (on the cheeks).

And should I say "je suis sûr" or "je suis sûre"? I was not quite clear on that. thanks.
 
  • #13
Math Is Hard said:
Just a question-- shouldn't "la tradition des baiser" be "la tradition des baisers"?

That would be correct, although I would change "la tradition des baiser" to "la tradition de s'embracer"

Math Is Hard said:
And I am certain that "sur les jours" was meant to be "sur les joues" (on the cheeks).

Right about that one.

Math Is Hard said:
And should I say "je suis sûr" or "je suis sûre"? I was not quite clear on that. thanks.

Depends on the gender of who sais it. Are you a guy or a woman? In the first case you would use sûr, in the other sûre.
 
  • #14
Dmitri! Long time no see! I hope that you are happy and well. Thanks for the advice and clarifications.

OK, I am going to post the entire composition with edits so the context of the paragraph is clear. It is written as a letter to friends.

Any additional advice is welcomed.

Salut, Claire et Linda,

Je sais que vous vous amusez bien à Paris, mais Paris n’est pas toute la France ! Je vous propose un petit voyage de quelques jours en La Bretagne.

Vous pourrez prendre le TGV de Paris à Rennes et nous pourrons rester pendant quelques jours chez mon oncle. Etudiez-vous encore l'architecture ? La ville a beaucoup d'architecture bien préservée du 16ème siècle. Rennes a trois musées que vous pourriez également apprécier : Le Musée des Beaux Arts, Le Musée de Bretagne, et L’Ecomusée du Pays de Rennes. Nous pourrons aller au marché dans Guerlesquin. Les musiciens passent par le marché et ils jouent de la musique gaélique.

Je suis certaine que vous adoreriez la Bretagne. Il y a des falaises magnifiques avec une vue sur la mer. La Bretagne est aussi reconnue pour sa température agréable. En plus, les Bretons sont des gens sympathiques. Saviez-vous que la tradition de s’embrasser sur les joues lors des salutations provient de cette région?

J'espère que vous décidiez de venir. Nous nous amuserons bien et vous retournerez avec quelques histoires et photos merveilleuses.
 
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What does "Lost in French translation" mean?

"Lost in French translation" refers to the concept of something being misunderstood or incorrectly translated from one language to another. It is often used to describe situations where the original meaning or intent of a phrase or text is lost when translated into French.

Why is it important to avoid getting "Lost in French translation"?

It is important to avoid getting "Lost in French translation" because misunderstandings and miscommunications can lead to confusion, mistakes, and even conflicts. It is especially important in professional and academic settings where accuracy and clarity are crucial.

What are some common causes of "Lost in French translation"?

Some common causes of "Lost in French translation" include literal translations that do not take into account cultural or linguistic nuances, idiomatic expressions that do not have direct translations, and the use of outdated or incorrect translations.

How can one prevent "Lost in French translation"?

To prevent "Lost in French translation," it is important to have a good understanding of both the source language and the target language. This includes knowledge of cultural differences, idiomatic expressions, and nuances of the languages. It is also helpful to have a native speaker review the translation for accuracy and clarity.

What are some strategies for dealing with "Lost in French translation"?

Some strategies for dealing with "Lost in French translation" include asking for clarification or context, double-checking translations with native speakers, and using translation tools or services that take into account cultural and linguistic differences. In some cases, it may also be helpful to provide additional context or explanations to ensure the correct interpretation.

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