Jun 2, 2009 10:26
15 yrs ago
French term
Navré… Désolé
French to English
Art/Literary
Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
philosophy
A human story told by a sculptor:
"Et si on se quittait, maintenant ! Pour toujours…
… Navré… Désolé… Des mots… Plus rien à dire… J’assiste au triomphe implacable de ses impossibilités.
Of course, one of them ought to be "Sorry", but the other?
"Et si on se quittait, maintenant ! Pour toujours…
… Navré… Désolé… Des mots… Plus rien à dire… J’assiste au triomphe implacable de ses impossibilités.
Of course, one of them ought to be "Sorry", but the other?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +7 | Sorry... so sorry |
David Vaughn
|
| 4 | Heartbroken.... So terribly sorry |
Rami Heled
|
| 3 +1 | desolate |
Anne-Marie Grant (X)
|
| 3 | Devastated... Desolate |
Melissa McMahon
|
| 3 | Mortified... Sorry |
Biliana @ Four
|
| 2 | sorry...really sorry |
John Peterson
|
Proposed translations
+7
10 mins
Selected
Sorry... so sorry
Or "so terribly sorry" or "terribly sorry"
I can't think of anything else that doesn't come off ridiculous or silly-inventive.
I can't think of anything else that doesn't come off ridiculous or silly-inventive.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a million - I see, it must be that way round!"
9 mins
Rami Heled
Native in French
Lost & Found in Translation
Native in: French 
, Hebrew
Works in: English to French, French to English, Hebrew to French, and 9 more.
Heartbroken.... So terribly sorry
...
12 mins
John Peterson
Native in English
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, English to French, Turkish to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
20
sorry...really sorry
I see navré as being more emphatic, but on that basis I'd expect desolé (sorry) to precede navré (really sorry or really, really sorry); hence the low confidence level.
19 mins
Devastated... Desolate
As John has mentioned, you expect intensity to increase as you go. If you want to have 'sorry', I'd say "sorry... devastated...", but if "desolé" is more intense than "navré", I'd translate it as "desolate".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 24 mins (2009-06-02 10:50:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Nb. the tone is pretty dramatic: I don't think "sorry" really captures the emotion here.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 24 mins (2009-06-02 10:50:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Nb. the tone is pretty dramatic: I don't think "sorry" really captures the emotion here.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
polyglot45
: so how would you say "sorry" in French then? These words are bandied about with abandon in everyday French// the register is still wrong to a French ear
8 mins
|
|
"désoler" in its literary sense means "to desolate, devastate": I read the tone as literary - ""J’assiste au triomphe implacable de ses impossibilités" is not everyday French.
|
+1
4 mins
desolate
for 'navré', would be my suggestion. Perhaps 'desolate, remorseful' if you need
pathos.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2009-06-02 10:33:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Remorseful would also work as a translation of navré.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 52 mins (2009-06-02 11:18:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Sorry - I should have posted two words as an answer:
Desolate...remorseful
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 57 mins (2009-06-02 11:23:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I agree with Melissa that the tone needed here is stronger than 'sorry'
pathos.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2009-06-02 10:33:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Remorseful would also work as a translation of navré.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 52 mins (2009-06-02 11:18:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Sorry - I should have posted two words as an answer:
Desolate...remorseful
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 57 mins (2009-06-02 11:23:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I agree with Melissa that the tone needed here is stronger than 'sorry'
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Helen Shiner
: Perhaps, 'desolate ... regretful'
12 mins
|
|
Thanks, Helen
|
|
| neutral |
polyglot45
: desolate in English is distinctly OTT in relation to the everyday French "désolé" ("sorry I trod on your toe, désolé")
18 mins
|
|
Yes, you're right - I was really thinking of desolate as a trans. for navré
|
1 hr
Biliana @ Four
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
Your Insurance Partner
Native in: Bulgarian , English
Works in: English to Bulgarian, Bulgarian to English, French to English, and 3 more.
Mortified... Sorry
just to keep the translation to 2 single words, per the original...?
Something went wrong...