Alizee's Song Titles Translation

[brad]

Originally Posted by aFrenchie

- "Des extrémistes à deux balles": in this sentence "2 balles" is for "2 Euros" (well, in fact for "Francs" before the Euro but it's still used!) like when you say "buck" for Dollar, so litterally: "Extremist not worth 2 bucks", I'd say something like "laughable extremists" or simply "stupid extremists"

a lot of people think she is talking about 'Male Extremists' here (if you can see the obvious connection). I always knew there had to be something more to that .. just didnt seem right, lol.

Originally Posted by aFrenchie

- "Qui m’expédient dans l’cafard": VERY weird, it's not good French for sure (Farmer's dialect! ). Although, I'm sure of the meaning: "avoir le cafard" (or "sombrer dans le cafard") = "to feel low / glum / blue", so -> "That make me feel <choose-one-the-best-word-here>"

This is interesting ... looks like the translation I am using is WAAAAY off here.

Originally Posted by aFrenchie

- "Y’a comme un hic": my dictionary says: hic = snag (could it be good?). Anyway, explanation is always better than word for word attempts: we say "Y a un hic" in French when there's a little problem, a little worry, something unexpected. "Comme" = "Like", so I'd try "there's like a little snag" (if snag is ok for you???)

After looking at what you wrote, I actually think 'tricky' works here. I think the people that translated this song tried to take a lot of 'symbolism' out of the lyrics .. probably more than there should be. (like why they chose to use tricky here instead of snag)

translations are interesting, because words can have so many subtle meanings when used in different ways. you can really change the meaning of a song just by chaning one word here or there.

I wouldnt mind seeing your version of this song .. but like you said, I think most of these songs are literally impossible to translate.

[aFrenchie]

Originally Posted by brad

a lot of people think she is talking about 'Male Extremists' here (if you can see the obvious connection).

Not really (connection) but it may be me. Or is there a possible pun in English, impossible in French, this time?
I'm quite sure that the idea is only to laugh at some people that want to prove their (extreme) political ideas when they're just suckers...

This is interesting ... looks like the translation I am using is WAAAAY off here.

You used:
"lead me on like hypocrites"
you probably just changed The Honorable's version a bit:
"Who lead me on hypocritically (4)"
He also added this comment in the forum:
(4) Idiomatic expression....ahhhh! Heh, heh...Did I get this right? I pulled that one out of my memories of French II from back in the days...

Sincerely, I fail to see the idiomatic expression he's talking about! Can't see the connection with hypocrisy...

After looking at what you wrote, I actually think 'tricky' works here. I think the people that translated this song tried to take a lot of 'symbolism' out of the lyrics .. probably more than there should be. (like why they chose to use tricky here instead of snag)

Well, now that I think about it, maybe you/they found very good ways to get around French lyrics when they're impossible to translate similarly! I mean some English tricks that would escape to me because English is not my first language! Then maybe I just should shut up. Ha ha!
Can the "Getting there can be tricky" expression (or Honorable's "Getting there is tricky") be a good replacement for the unexpected little problem idea that I explained in my previous post?

I wouldnt mind seeing your version of this song .. but like you said, I think most of these songs are literally impossible to translate.

Ouch, I haven't saved the text! Anyway, I made only a little bit...

[aFrenchie]

Ok, I've read The Honorable's posts further in the forum. Now I can see the connection for the extremists: the 2 balls! Ha ha!
Big problem: it's in French and what he's thinking about are never called "balles" in French. Not even "boules" that would be way more appropriate! We use TONS of other words for that. Just not this one!

[brad]

how about this ...

Délit docile

i translated it (with a lot of weird research) to be

mildly offensive

That was a really hard thing for me to figure out, i'm not sure if it is correct.

[brad]

Originally Posted by aFrenchie

Ok, I've read The Honorable's posts further in the forum. Now I can see the connection for the extremists: the 2 balls! Ha ha!
Big problem: it's in French and what he's thinking about are never called "balles" in French. Not even "boules" that would be way more appropriate! We use TONS of other words for that. Just not this one!

exactly .. that is what i was thinking, the honorable has a tendency to insert a lot of 'suggestive' lyrics when I don't think they really should be there. still tho, i tend to think his are the most accurate.

[aFrenchie]

Originally Posted by brad

how about this ...

Délit docile

i translated it (with a lot of weird research) to be

mildly offensive

Why not, yes! It's an "image" (metaphor sense) anyway, even in French, so you surely know better than me in English! Still: "Délit" is a noun, not an adjective. Maybe you should replace "mildly" with "mild"

exactly .. that is what i was thinking, the honorable has a tendency to insert a lot of 'suggestive' lyrics when I don't think they really should be there. still tho, i tend to think his are the most accurate.

He's not bad indeed. He seems to know some French. But this time he made a huge (and hilarious) mistake about the balls

[brad]

well .. babelfish says

Délit = offence
docile = flexible

so that makes me think of (and keep in mind i don't know any french) a nuisance, or inconvenience, or something that just bugs you a little bit.

it is a little bit of a stretch, but if you know what 'mildly offensive' means in english .. Délit docile mean something similar?

for example, some people might find it mildly offensive if you didn't take your shoes off when going into their house... lol

[aFrenchie]

Literally, Délit is offence indeed, but in the criminal sense, like "misdemeanor" or even "crime". That can be just a theft though. Anyway something definitely reprehensible, condemnable.
I wouldn't think of "flexible" (that also exists in French) for docile. My dictionary says "docile", "tame", "submissive" in English. I think they're all better than flexible.

Actually, both terms are absolute opposites. That's what Farmer wanted of course. You should just try to do the same opposite in English.

[brad]

Originally Posted by aFrenchie

Literally, Délit is offence indeed, but in the criminal sense, like "misdemeanor" or even "crime". That can be just a theft though. Anyway something definitely reprehensible, condemnable.
I wouldn't think of "flexible" (that also exists in French) for docile. My dictionary says "docile", "tame", "submissive" in English. I think they're all better than flexible.

Actually, both terms are absolute opposites. That's what Farmer wanted of course. You should just try to do the same opposite in English.

yeah i agree .. offence in english can be another word for a crime, and docile is actually used in english a lot. it means just as you said, tame or submissive .. 'peacefull' maybe.

i basically just tried to find a word that i could stick with offensive, and actually make sense. lol .. again from what you have written, i think it is correct.

[aFrenchie]

Note: according to my dictionnary "offensive" can be a noun. That's why I suggested "mild". Could have been "mild offence" as well...