Please help with French translation
Mar 31st, 2005, 02:49 AM
#21
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Marie: One of the things I like MOST about France is the practice of "Monsieur....Madame".
But I admit I learned my French and formed my linguistic habits many years ago.
I am often surprised at how much more informal French speech has become.
We were taught never to use "tu" to a stranger or an older person -- and never to call a girl "une fille" (always "une jeune fille"
because "une fille" suggested she might be a prostitute.
Lately I heard that Quebec schools have decided to adopt a "more rigorous" code of decorum, to reinforce disciple. Kids will now be expected to address their teachers as "vous"!!!
I would have been sent out of the room if I had ever addressed a teacher as "tu"!
But in those days, any girl who exposed the skin between her T-shirt and her jeans PROBABLY WAS "une fille".
Autre temps, autre moeurs.
But I admit I learned my French and formed my linguistic habits many years ago.
I am often surprised at how much more informal French speech has become.
We were taught never to use "tu" to a stranger or an older person -- and never to call a girl "une fille" (always "une jeune fille"
because "une fille" suggested she might be a prostitute. Lately I heard that Quebec schools have decided to adopt a "more rigorous" code of decorum, to reinforce disciple. Kids will now be expected to address their teachers as "vous"!!!
I would have been sent out of the room if I had ever addressed a teacher as "tu"!
But in those days, any girl who exposed the skin between her T-shirt and her jeans PROBABLY WAS "une fille".
Autre temps, autre moeurs.
Mar 31st, 2005, 12:28 PM
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To Tedgale :
Bonsoir Monsieur
My students use "vous" when addressing me, and this is the norm in all our French schools... Some colleagues use "vous" when addressing their students, but I am unable to do so, I say "tu" to them (I work in a high school)
About the proverb, my favourite book ("1317 proverbes et dictons anglais" by Alfred M. Tinel) also gives "the leopard can never change its spots" (Jérémie, XIII, 23 and Shakespeare in "Richard II", I, 1) as well as "the nature of a fish is to swim". The French equivalents are not only "chassez le naturel, il revient au galop" (ou "à grands pas" but also "bon chien chasse de race" and la caque sent toujours le hareng", "la caque" being a "herring barrel".
To Joelle : are you French ? Cordialement. Marie
Bonsoir Monsieur
My students use "vous" when addressing me, and this is the norm in all our French schools... Some colleagues use "vous" when addressing their students, but I am unable to do so, I say "tu" to them (I work in a high school)
About the proverb, my favourite book ("1317 proverbes et dictons anglais" by Alfred M. Tinel) also gives "the leopard can never change its spots" (Jérémie, XIII, 23 and Shakespeare in "Richard II", I, 1) as well as "the nature of a fish is to swim". The French equivalents are not only "chassez le naturel, il revient au galop" (ou "à grands pas"
but also "bon chien chasse de race" and la caque sent toujours le hareng", "la caque" being a "herring barrel". To Joelle : are you French
? Cordialement. Marie
Mar 31st, 2005, 04:35 PM
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I think "The leopard cannot change his spots" is the closest adage I can find.
Now a serious, non-confrontational question:
Marie: Would you write "autre temps" or "autres temps"?
I have never heard "temps" used in the plural. And I cite comparable uses, such as le bon vieux temps for "the good old days".
Now a serious, non-confrontational question:
Marie: Would you write "autre temps" or "autres temps"?
I have never heard "temps" used in the plural. And I cite comparable uses, such as le bon vieux temps for "the good old days".
Mar 31st, 2005, 05:00 PM
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Ted: "Autres temps, autres moeurs" is an old French proverb.
"Les temps sont durs" is another example of temps used in the plural form. But I agree with you. Temps is usually used in the singular, e.g. "Le temps des lilas".
Ginny
"Les temps sont durs" is another example of temps used in the plural form. But I agree with you. Temps is usually used in the singular, e.g. "Le temps des lilas".
Ginny
Apr 1st, 2005, 09:30 AM
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To Tedgale,
Most of the time, the noun "temps" is used in the singular.
Yet, "temps" is used in the plural in the following proverbs and expressions :
- "Prov. Autres* temps, autres moeurs. -
- «Que les temps sont changés» (Racine, Athalie, V, 5).
- Le malheur, la misère des temps (- Pignouf, cit. 2).
- Les temps sont durs.
- Dans des temps difficiles comme le nôtre (- Renouveau, cit. 3).
- «ô temps, ô moeurs!» (cit. 1) : trad. du lat. «O tempora! o mores!» (Cicéron)." ("Grand Robert Electronique" dictionary)
And it is also in the plural in these other expressions (from "Le Grand Robert)
"Au plur. (1535). LES TEMPS. (Avec une nuance d'indétermination). Les temps les plus reculés (cit. 13), lointains. Temps bibliques (cit. 3), héroïques (cit. 3), fabuleux, préhistoriques (cit. 1). «Et ceci se passait (cit. 137) dans des temps très anciens». - Anciennement, autrefois, jadis. Les temps antiques (- Attribut, cit. 4), modernes (- Décrasser, cit. 1), actuels (- Fonder, cit. 6), futurs (cit. 1). Leur histoire s'étend (cit. 39) depuis les premiers temps jusqu'aux derniers. Depuis l'origine (cit. 8) des temps. La suite, la succession des temps (- Authentique, cit. 6; feuilleter, cit. 5)"
Voilà ! Bon après-midi ! Marie
Most of the time, the noun "temps" is used in the singular.
Yet, "temps" is used in the plural in the following proverbs and expressions :
- "Prov. Autres* temps, autres moeurs. -
- «Que les temps sont changés» (Racine, Athalie, V, 5).
- Le malheur, la misère des temps (- Pignouf, cit. 2).
- Les temps sont durs.
- Dans des temps difficiles comme le nôtre (- Renouveau, cit. 3).
- «ô temps, ô moeurs!» (cit. 1) : trad. du lat. «O tempora! o mores!» (Cicéron)." ("Grand Robert Electronique" dictionary)
And it is also in the plural in these other expressions (from "Le Grand Robert)
"Au plur. (1535). LES TEMPS. (Avec une nuance d'indétermination). Les temps les plus reculés (cit. 13), lointains. Temps bibliques (cit. 3), héroïques (cit. 3), fabuleux, préhistoriques (cit. 1). «Et ceci se passait (cit. 137) dans des temps très anciens». - Anciennement, autrefois, jadis. Les temps antiques (- Attribut, cit. 4), modernes (- Décrasser, cit. 1), actuels (- Fonder, cit. 6), futurs (cit. 1). Leur histoire s'étend (cit. 39) depuis les premiers temps jusqu'aux derniers. Depuis l'origine (cit. 8) des temps. La suite, la succession des temps (- Authentique, cit. 6; feuilleter, cit. 5)"
Voilà
! Bon après-midi ! Marie
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