Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
l’impossible partage
English translation:
"unrequited love'
Added to glossary by
emiledgar
Oct 14, 2008 13:28
15 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term
l’impossible partage
French to English
Art/Literary
Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
From a short blurb about a book on painter Theodore Chassériau:
Chassériau est le peintre du manque, du désir et de la frustration amoureuse, de l’obscurité des sentiments ou de l’impossible partage.
Partage is just one of those nouns in France that cries out to be a verb in English. I can't find a way of turning this sentence around to make that option work nicely. Does "the painter of impossible sharing" sound totally odd to you? Stranger things have been said in art texts... ;-)
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Chassériau est le peintre du manque, du désir et de la frustration amoureuse, de l’obscurité des sentiments ou de l’impossible partage.
Partage is just one of those nouns in France that cries out to be a verb in English. I can't find a way of turning this sentence around to make that option work nicely. Does "the painter of impossible sharing" sound totally odd to you? Stranger things have been said in art texts... ;-)
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Oct 15, 2008 21:52: emiledgar Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+2
26 mins
Selected
"the painter...or of unrequited love'
"l' impossible partage" = 'unrequited love." This expression is so evocative in English
and means precisely the same thing so it would be a shame not to use it. Especially since painting unrequited love rather than writing it is a striking concept.
and means precisely the same thing so it would be a shame not to use it. Especially since painting unrequited love rather than writing it is a striking concept.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "While Phillipa's answer may be truer to the French, and could work equally well, I agree that this is too beautiful to pass up. Upon further examination of Chasseriau's work, it is a very fitting description.
Thank you to everyone for your help!"
+3
9 mins
Philippa Smith
Native in English
Works in field
29 years turning out perfect English
Native in: English (Variant: British) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
47
impossibility of sharing
You could try this instead, as '"impossible sharing" does sound a bit too odd to me. My feeling is that it refers to the urge for total union that cannot ever be satisfied....
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
liz askew
2 mins
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Thanks Liz!
|
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| agree |
Fabio Barbieri
: yes, nicely idiomatic.
1 hr
|
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Ta Fabio!
|
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| agree |
Sandra Mouton
1 hr
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And thanks to you Sandra!
|
+1
17 mins
Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Specializes in field
United Kingdom
Arts/Academic translator - Art historian
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
348
the impossibility of love requited / reciprocated
amour partagé is requited love
I wonder if this is what is meant here given the preceding text.
I wonder if this is what is meant here given the preceding text.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Vicky James
: I think this is the meaning, along with emiledgar's suggestion.
4 hrs
|
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Thank you, Vicky
|
58 mins
thwarted / doomed (efforts at) communion
is 'partage' here that feeling of being 'as one' with someone do you think ?
or perhaps even partnership / really 'engaging' with someone or something ... I'm just throwing ideas at you, it's hard to match the concise lyrical French !
or perhaps even partnership / really 'engaging' with someone or something ... I'm just throwing ideas at you, it's hard to match the concise lyrical French !
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