Sep 27, 2018 15:47
5 yrs ago
French term
en terre douce
French to English
Other
Tourism & Travel
This is a tourist website for the Haut Rhôone area of France. There are two sentences where this term is used, and I'm unsure as to what is means. Can anyone help?
Vous y trouverez toutes les informations pratiques et les bons plans pour découvrir ou redécouvrir ce magnifique territoire et ainsi naviguer en famille en terre douce.
Naviguez en terre douce
Many thanks
Alison
Vous y trouverez toutes les informations pratiques et les bons plans pour découvrir ou redécouvrir ce magnifique territoire et ainsi naviguer en famille en terre douce.
Naviguez en terre douce
Many thanks
Alison
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+2
1 hr
Selected
in an enchanting / charming / lovely / fascinating land
It calls for some adaptation or creative trans.
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Daryo
: CL5? otherwise, yes ... that's the general idea.
21 mins
|
neutral |
Tony M
: This sort of idea, yes — though I think this use of 'land' is rather old-fashioned now in EN: "land of our fathers" / "land of the free" ; "..;-country" is still used, like "Brontë country, Hardy country", etc., but I don't really think that works here.
2 hrs
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agree |
Philippa Smith
: Unlike Tony, I think "land" is just right here (and having looked at the website), e.g. "Discover an enchanting land" (and then "explore our region" for "découvrir notre territoire")
16 hrs
|
agree |
GILLES MEUNIER
3 days 13 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
40 mins
some ideas
It depends a lot on the exact context, but any of these could fit:
off the beaten track
green lanes
away from the highways
scenic byways
footpaths
bridleways
Of course, they may need to be fitted into the sentence in different ways.
off the beaten track
green lanes
away from the highways
scenic byways
footpaths
bridleways
Of course, they may need to be fitted into the sentence in different ways.
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Daryo
: scenic byways - maybe.
2 hrs
|
Thanks
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neutral |
Tony M
: I agree in principle with this type of suggestion — but I can't help feeling that most of these place rather too much emphasis on a rural setting, which may not be entirely what was meant, overall...
2 hrs
|
That could be true, Tony, though it doesn't conjure up a city setting for me either. Like most marketing-type questions, you really need the entire context in front of you
|
55 mins
these pleasant landscapes
..
et ainsi naviguer en famille en terre douce.
and so find your way in these pleasant landscapes
et ainsi naviguer en famille en terre douce.
and so find your way in these pleasant landscapes
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Tony M
: Again, I find placing too much emphasis on the scenery may not be ideal here.
2 hrs
|
it's just my first instinctive reaction - first association.
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2 hrs
wander the welcoming realms
Hello
Before you shoot this down, please see my reference in the reference section cos only then does it make any sense.
naviguez = wander
douce = welcoming, a bit like home sweet home
realms = all the aspects of the region
Before you shoot this down, please see my reference in the reference section cos only then does it make any sense.
naviguez = wander
douce = welcoming, a bit like home sweet home
realms = all the aspects of the region
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Jennifer White
: a realm is a kingdom, surely?
24 mins
|
Hello JW: It's got secondary meanings too. I quote one dico:a particular environment or walk of life. The point though was to signal the site and try to come up with a solution in that context. I'm open to other ideas.
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neutral |
Daryo
: synonyms: kingdom, sovereign state, monarchy; empire, principality, palatinate, duchy; country, land, domain, dominion, nation, province - not quite, but OTOH this is a kind of texts where poetic licence is not forbidden.
33 mins
|
neutral |
Tony M
: Poetic language / licence is one thing; but IMHO this is taking it into a whole different register, which I sense would be unwelcome here...
59 mins
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neutral |
AllegroTrans
: rathe too fanciful and ott imho
1 hr
|
+2
3 hrs
lovely region
Perhaps in the first instance where the term is used, you might consider "wander through this lovely region", and in the second instance, use a slightly different phrase, such as "explore this lovely area".
Peer comment(s):
agree |
AllegroTrans
: best suggestion so far but I would like to see the whole text
12 mins
|
neutral |
Tony M
: I'm afraid that's rather like "damning with faint praise" as the Bard said — a bit like saying it is 'nice'; and 'wandering' suggests something perhaps less purposeful than 'naviguer'...,
19 mins
|
I agree about "wandering" being less purposeful. Maybe "plan your family's journey through this lovely region" would be an improvement, since the source mentions "naviguer en famille".
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agree |
Gordon Matthews
: "(find your way around/wander through this) lovely region" seems to me to be the best solution. "land" is somewhat old-fashioned and more limited to rocks, soil and landscape. "region" is a commonly used and understood term which is more comprehensive.
14 hrs
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23 hrs
French term (edited):
naviguer en famille en terre douce
turning your family navigation into plain sailing /Getting around will be plain sailing...
...Here, you'll find all the practical info and great ideas for ....., making plain sailing of your website navigation
WHERE navigating COULD refer to ease of navigating the website, or simply to getting around in situ during your family break.
It would be essential to ascertain what the author has in mind with both "y" and "naviguer".
There arises even the possibility of simply "... navigating the website from the comfort of your own home/armchair...", the idea being either that the website is easy to navigate or that by using it you can iron out all the details/sort out the nitty-gritty before even setting out on your journey
Medium CL, as the ST is currently too ambiguous to be make it possible to be totally confident
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2018-09-28 15:21:34 GMT)
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SORRY, I've only just seen SafeTex's Reference, which makes some of my suggestions above obsolete. Apologies for this, but I think that a lot of what I say above still stands, especially the idea of "making plain sailing of your website navigation"
WHERE navigating COULD refer to ease of navigating the website, or simply to getting around in situ during your family break.
It would be essential to ascertain what the author has in mind with both "y" and "naviguer".
There arises even the possibility of simply "... navigating the website from the comfort of your own home/armchair...", the idea being either that the website is easy to navigate or that by using it you can iron out all the details/sort out the nitty-gritty before even setting out on your journey
Medium CL, as the ST is currently too ambiguous to be make it possible to be totally confident
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2018-09-28 15:21:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
SORRY, I've only just seen SafeTex's Reference, which makes some of my suggestions above obsolete. Apologies for this, but I think that a lot of what I say above still stands, especially the idea of "making plain sailing of your website navigation"
Reference comments
1 hr
Reference:
In context
Hello
It's interesting to visit the website and on the home page see "naviguez en terre douce" over three pictures that appear and what you can discover if you click on the link below the phrase (animations, territoire, et patrimoine)
I kind of feel that any solution offered has to fit in here and even encompass all of these things (not just landscape or land). It also rules out any choice that is too limiting like "bridleway", at least on the home page.
It's interesting to visit the website and on the home page see "naviguez en terre douce" over three pictures that appear and what you can discover if you click on the link below the phrase (animations, territoire, et patrimoine)
I kind of feel that any solution offered has to fit in here and even encompass all of these things (not just landscape or land). It also rules out any choice that is too limiting like "bridleway", at least on the home page.
Reference:
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree |
Tony M
: More than ever, this makes me think the writer was using 'naviguer' in the Internet sense of 'browse', with a rather ill-placed nod as ph-b says to 'naviguer en eau douce' — to some extent, a 'fair-weather sailor'!
1 hr
|
agree |
AllegroTrans
1 hr
|
agree |
ph-b (X)
1 hr
|
agree |
Carol Gullidge
21 hrs
|
3 hrs
Reference:
douce - many possible meanings
doux adjective, masculine (douce f sl, doux m pl, douces f pl)
soft adj
L'enfant a caressé la douce fourrure du lapin. The child stroked the rabbit's soft fur.
Le tissu de ma robe est très doux. The fabric of my dress is very soft.
mild adj
Je n'utilise que du savon doux car j'ai la peau sensible. I only use mild soap because I have sensitive skin.
L'hiver a été doux cette année. Winter has been mild this year.
smooth adj
La peau du bébé est très douce. The baby's skin is very smooth.
gentle adj
J'utilise un savon doux pour me nettoyer le visage. I use a gentle soap to cleanse my face.
delicate adj
Les fleurs emplissent l'air d'un doux parfum. The flowers fill the air with a delicate scent.
tender adj
Ma femme a toujours été douce avec moi. My wife has always been tender with me.
kind adj
Le professeur de mon fils est toujours très doux et patient. My son's teacher is always very kind and patient.
meek adj
Mon frère a toujours été doux et calme. My brother has always been meek and quiet.
less common: sweet adj
·
mellow adj
·
balmy adj
·
downy adj
Examples:
pente douce f—gentle incline n
·
gentle gradient n
musique douce f—soothing music n
lumière douce f—gentle light n
soft adj
L'enfant a caressé la douce fourrure du lapin. The child stroked the rabbit's soft fur.
Le tissu de ma robe est très doux. The fabric of my dress is very soft.
mild adj
Je n'utilise que du savon doux car j'ai la peau sensible. I only use mild soap because I have sensitive skin.
L'hiver a été doux cette année. Winter has been mild this year.
smooth adj
La peau du bébé est très douce. The baby's skin is very smooth.
gentle adj
J'utilise un savon doux pour me nettoyer le visage. I use a gentle soap to cleanse my face.
delicate adj
Les fleurs emplissent l'air d'un doux parfum. The flowers fill the air with a delicate scent.
tender adj
Ma femme a toujours été douce avec moi. My wife has always been tender with me.
kind adj
Le professeur de mon fils est toujours très doux et patient. My son's teacher is always very kind and patient.
meek adj
Mon frère a toujours été doux et calme. My brother has always been meek and quiet.
less common: sweet adj
·
mellow adj
·
balmy adj
·
downy adj
Examples:
pente douce f—gentle incline n
·
gentle gradient n
musique douce f—soothing music n
lumière douce f—gentle light n
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree |
Daryo
41 mins
|
thanks
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neutral |
Carol Gullidge
: all this is very true but very basic, and I can't really see what your point is...
19 hrs
|
the point is to get the akser thinking laterally
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Discussion
You state that this IS a tourist website, and not that it is referring to one, implying that the text is actually taken directly from the website... This knowledge could make a big difference to the interpretation of the (somewhat brief!) text
If the websites is very much linked to the actual River Rhône, perhaps using it as some kind of 'fil conducteur', then it might even be a direct allusion to inland waterways and the major transport route that the Rhône is of course so famous as.
It sounds very much to me as if they have coined this expression — perhaps also with a clin d'œil à « Douce France » — because they couldn't think of anything very concrete to say about their "nice part of France"!
As ph-b says, ideally you need to ask the writer what (on earth!) they were thinking of; otherwise, I'd say just do a good copywriting job.
By the way, also don't forget that 'naviguer' is a buzzword in terms of 'browsing' the Internet — possibly this was (even unconsciously) lurking somewhere there at the back of their mind — "browsing" in the sense of looking around and seeing what's on offer; a bit more modern perhaps than the well-worn 'découvrir'...