Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
un choix bien personnel
English translation:
very much a personal choice
Added to glossary by
Paul Jones
Mar 27, 2017 12:22
7 yrs ago
French term
United Kingdom
Fast, accurate and affordable service
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, Catalan to English
un choix bien personnel
Non-PRO
French to English
Medical
Psychology
I'm translating a psychiatric report and I'm a little confused about the phrase "il s’agit d’un choix bien personnel". Obviously it looks like the translation would be "it's a personal choice" or "it's very much a personal choice". However I can't really understand how that fits into the context. The context is a woman who is off work because she doesn't like her new tasks. Here's the text:
Original: "Madame sent qu’on ne l’a jamais replacée selon ses compétences. Elle a bien peu de motivation à retourner à son même emploi, se disant en désaccord avec les tâches attitrées. Ici, vous comprendrez qu'il s’agit d’un choix bien personnel."
My translation: "She feels that she was never given a role suited to her abilities. She has little motivation to return to her old job because she disagrees with her new tasks. It is important to understand that this is very much her own choice."
It's her own choice to do what? Not return to work? Like, she could return to work if she wanted to?
Original: "Madame sent qu’on ne l’a jamais replacée selon ses compétences. Elle a bien peu de motivation à retourner à son même emploi, se disant en désaccord avec les tâches attitrées. Ici, vous comprendrez qu'il s’agit d’un choix bien personnel."
My translation: "She feels that she was never given a role suited to her abilities. She has little motivation to return to her old job because she disagrees with her new tasks. It is important to understand that this is very much her own choice."
It's her own choice to do what? Not return to work? Like, she could return to work if she wanted to?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +6 | very much a personal choice |
liz askew
|
| 3 | that it is mostly a personal choice |
Barbara Cochran, MFA
|
Proposed translations
+6
17 mins
Selected
very much a personal choice
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/11/healthy-finances/
26 Nov 2016 - Timescales are very long, and finding winners requires prodigious ... Ah, yes, very much a personal choice as I rub my itchy eyes and sneeze.
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Note added at 20 mins (2017-03-27 12:42:25 GMT)
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tâches attitrées=
designated/assigned tasks
not "new tasks".
Also "en désaccord avec" =
disagrees with
not "dislikes"
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2017-03-27 12:42:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
BTW
its her personal choice not to return to work
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 mins (2017-03-27 12:43:41 GMT)
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and I fail to see how this is judgmental
the French use "Madame" in lots of instances, that is not judgmental
26 Nov 2016 - Timescales are very long, and finding winners requires prodigious ... Ah, yes, very much a personal choice as I rub my itchy eyes and sneeze.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2017-03-27 12:42:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
tâches attitrées=
designated/assigned tasks
not "new tasks".
Also "en désaccord avec" =
disagrees with
not "dislikes"
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2017-03-27 12:42:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
BTW
its her personal choice not to return to work
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 mins (2017-03-27 12:43:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
and I fail to see how this is judgmental
the French use "Madame" in lots of instances, that is not judgmental
Note from asker:
| I'd just like to mention that "Madame" here isn't judgmental because the rest of the report uses Madame throughout to refer to the patient. ;) |
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
polyglot45
: in this context "Madame" is clearly judgmental. // Maybe not in this case but it very often is
15 mins
|
| agree |
philgoddard
: I agree with the asker that the French isn't totally clear, but that's not their problem.
30 mins
|
| agree |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
: @polyglot, the use of "Madame" throughout is not at all unusual and not at all judgmental. It is very common. It is often used in formal writings where in EN the name of the person would be repeated.
1 hr
|
| agree |
B D Finch
1 hr
|
| agree |
Tony M
: It's not judgemental in the way it would be if said in EN!
3 hrs
|
| agree |
Drmanu49
7 hrs
|
| agree |
Verginia Ophof
1 day 1 hr
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
1 hr
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
Laudable Lady Linguist
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, French to English, English to Spanish, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
that it is mostly a personal choice
Other possibility.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Tony M
: There is not justification for adding 'mostly', which in effect amounts to over-interpretation.
2 hrs
|
Discussion
Also, I'd suggest in your final translation that you don't say she doesn't like the tasks she is meant to do. (I realize that you say that only in your general interpretation of this part of the report. It is important to report what the patient says. Report writing requires keeping description and interpretation apart. The patient appears to report being in disagreement with the tasks ("se disant en désaccord..."). This is not exactly the same thing as saying she does not like them, even though it may be the case. The point is that is not what is said.