LeeRitchie

Would someone translate this for me? I can't understand the bed part. I am needing a room with a Queen or two twins.

Thanks in advance

1 room 1er stage bed 2 person bathroom toilet 69euros breakfast included ro
1 room 2éme stage big bed bathroom toilet 75euros breakfast included

grandmere

The first would probably be one flight up, a two person bed, or what we'd call a double bed.

The second would be up two flights with maybe what we'd call a queen sized bed.

gaelle

since the first room is for 2 people and it says "bed" singular, then it is most likely a double bed.

the second room for 75 euros MAY be a queen bed but it is not clear. what is the link for the hotel because reading it in french may be more helpful.

LeeRitchie

The above mentioned text was from an e-mail sent by the owner of the Hotel when I requested info on rooms and availability.

Here is the hotel web site and hopefully, that will help.
http://www.hotel-moulin-des-templiers.com/

Merci!

StCirq

If you just send the French email, it should be easy. What you've provided doesn't make much sense, especially since the word "stage," which is the only word there that's not English, should be étage. Looking at the website is no help - we don't know what you asked for.

LeeRitchie

Here is the e-mail I sent:
Do you have a room for two available on September 13, 2010?

If so, how much is the tariff (including breakfast)?

Also how much is dinner (per persoan) and what time do you serve it?

How many minutes drive from A-6 turnoff?

How much time will it take to drive to CDG airport the next day?

Thank you!
Lee Ritchie

And this is the reply:
Bonjour
Thank you for e-mail
I propose 2 rooms to you:
1 room 1er stage bed 2 person bathroom toilet 69euros breakfast included ro
1 room 2éme stage big bed bathroom toilet 75euros breakfast included
diner 19.50euros
From the motorway exit Avallon 7km to the hotel.
To go to the CDG airport it takes 3 hours 1/2.
Thank you to answer me quickly
Aimée

kappa1

Could it be that the bed in the 2nd floor room is bigger because it costs more ? But it's not clear at all. I would ask the difference again to the hotel .

kathryn88

I do not speak French, so have relied on this website to translate in either direction:
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

StCirq

Well, the email's not in French at all, except for the word stage, which isn't even correct (it's étage), so I don't know how anyone can "translate" it for you. He/she hasn't provided the details you want at all, anyway. I'd write back and ask for an explanation or ask him/her to write it in French, not an attempt at English. I suspect grandmere's got it right, but who knows?

LeeRitchie

StCirq

Since I don't know french I didn't know if the writer was using a combination of french and english words hence the request for a "translation".

Thanks to everyone for trying to help me out

rex

In general, the reply posted by grandmere is correct, as far as the information available in the answer you received can be deciphered - - and their website provides one other (minor) clue.

The one thing you might want to know is: does the room for 69 euros have one bed for two persons (and what size is it?) or does it have two (twin) beds? The web site shows under <<Tarifs>> that a "twin" room costs 75 euros, so this room presumably has one (double) bed.

The second room has a "big" bed but it might be 160 cm ("queen") or 180 cm ("king") or even two twin (80 or 90 cm) beds pushed together to make what I like to call a "pseudo-king" (I never like these). 80 cm (single or twin) beds are almost unknown in the US, but they do exist in France (it seems like they are holdovers, mostly in Paris in hotels with tiny rooms).

Based on the photo shown on http://www.hotel-moulin-des-templiers.com/page1_a.htm - - I predict that in general, the rooms have standard double beds (of 140 cm).

If nailing down these details are important to you, you might try sending this in French - - and hopefully you will get a reply in French instead of the fractured English you received as an answer to your initial inquiry.

La chambre de 69 euro, a-t-elle UN lit? de 140 cm? 160 cm?

La chambre de 75 euro, (2eme etage), a-t-elle un lit de 160 cm? 180 cm? ou deux lits twins mises ensembles?

And report back to us what the property says in reply.

You might also wish to ask if either room has a shower? a bathtub? or a bathtub WITH shower, if it is important to you. Note that a bathtub WITH shower might mean only a hand-held "showering-off" capability, not a shower head installed into the wall over the tub.

These questions would be...

La chambre (de xx euro) a-t-elle une douche? une baignoire? or une baignoire AVEC douche?

Best wishes,

Rex

LeeRitchie

Rex...you are the bomb dude!

LeeRitchie

On the subject of Americans who cannot speak French(and those of us who don't want to be accused of being "ugly Americans"....we (my husband and I) have approximately 9 months until we visit France. That's about as much time as it would take to have a baby!

Do you think it's possible to learn enough French (minimum levels of communication...but at least attempting to be polite and respectful to the local folk) by then? If so...what course or CD series do you believe would help us acheive this goal most effectively? Any ideas?

Mathieu

Nine months is certainly enough to learn a few words and phrases that will help you get about and endear yourself as charming tourists to the local French, even though many that you will encounter will speak English.
Be sure to also learn the possible French responses that you may receive to your questions, and how they sound as spoken by a French person so that you can recognise them when you hear them. Don't attempt to overdo it and make like you are more fluent than you are else you'll be in for a very frustrating time. But your intention is in the right direction.
If it all proves too difficult, I'd consider the baby option. You have enough time as you note, and will have no end of attention in France with a baby in your arms.

LeeRitchie

Mathieu,

Alas...that is no longer possible.....the baby that is!! LOL!
We are recent empty nesters with our youngest a JR at Miami U.

I love your sense of humor though

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

AJPeabody

Just a thought. The hotel may be using a translation site and not really speak any English. As I remember it, the French for a double bed (the American size bigger than twin and smaller than queen) is "grand lit," which with crude translation would be "big bed." You really do need actual dimensions to decide what they mean.

rex

<< ...you are the bomb dude! >>

Umm... I think that's a compliment, right? Thanks.

Sure, you can (and should) learn quite a bit of French in nine months. You'll get so much more out of your trip. Whether it's nine months or nine weeks, I'll plagiarize myself (from a similar recent post), and provide these three main tips:

1. Set goals, and measure your progress. With over six months, a vocabulary of 600 words is a reasonable goal. Make your own flash cards, and be sure you are mastering 20-25 new words a week. And don't feel bad that you're still forgetting what 10-20% of the cards mean as the number gets up into the hundreds. Whatever you learn in the next nine months, you may increase that by 10-20% every day, once you get to France.

2. Whatever audio materials you have to use, it really is the best thing you can do for yourself to SAY IT OUT LOUD. Not under your breath, not mumbling, not "in your head". You have to get use to how (bad you think) you sound. And listen to how you sound and how the recorded materials you have sound.

3. You might consider using a "chat" site online and try making some cyber-friends between now and then. Any internet savvy French speakers will also be quite fluent in English, and they may be willing to help you with useful phrases. Start at www.yahoo.fr for example, and read things you can readily recognize that are news stories as often as you can.

StCirq

Take a "conversation course" so you know the basics of asking and getting answers to questions. Watch France 24 on cable to get used to hearing the language. Whatever you do - and you can do a LOT in 9 months - make sure it's interactive so you can get the back and forth as well as the pronunciation, which is crucial.