Hatrack River Writers Workshop: French anyone? Translation check.

This is topic French anyone? Translation check. in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by walexander (Member # 9151) on :

English in:

Find her! A prize for the man who brings her to me alive!

French out: Trouvez-la! Un prix pour l'homme qui me l'apporte vivant!

reverse translate: french-english: (Problem)

Find it! A price for the man who brings it to me life!

Not going to work I think, Ugg. I hate translation software.

Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :

One of my friends fluent in French suggested, "Une récompense à l'homme qui lui apporte en vie pour moi!" or "Une récompense à l'homme qui la ramène vivant à moi!" I don't understand her translations, but I trust her. You'll probably also want to change "la" to "lui" (her/him) in the first sentence.

Posted by walexander (Member # 9151) on :

Thanks that helps a lot.

So 'Lui' is 'her?' feminine?

One other quick one if you have a chance to ask your friend.

Apportez-la-moi!

Bring her to me!

These are luckily the only two lines of french in this story.

Thanks again.

Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :

"Lui" can mean "her" or "him" (and sometimes "she", "he", or "it").

I'll ask my friend about the imperatives he next time I talk to her.

Posted by walexander (Member # 9151) on :

Thanks,

Posted by Teraen (Member # 8612) on :

Another point to realize is you have to make it "close enough."

If it really needs to be accurate, I am sure that can be fixed in editing. I really doubt an editor would toss your manuscript away because of a minor grammar error in a foreign language... especially if it isn't near the beginning and they manage to get drawn into the rest of your story...

Posted by geronl (Member # 9156) on :

Maybe we could all learn Japanese the Anime Way (lol!)

http://animeworld.com/japanese/index.html

Posted by Pyre Dynasty (Member # 1947) on :

"Mon canard est EN FEU!!"

http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20050620.html

Posted by AmiraDay (Member # 9154) on :

I think it is;

trouver sa. L'homme qui la ramène à moi vivant recevra un prix.
That translates to: find her. The man who brings her to me alive will receive a prize.

Hope that helps!

Posted by walexander (Member # 9151) on :

Thanks for the translations. There are only three sentences in french, and they occur almost toward the end of the story. But there very important, so I want them correct. I can't have the detective translating them wrong.

If anyone can also translate the third line which appears separate from the first two, that would be great. In english it's: "Bring her to me."

Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :

I'm sorry for the delay, walexander. I keep forgetting to ask my friend about that last line. Maybe I'll remember tomorrow when I see her.

And maybe it doesn't matter. I'm fairly certain "Amenez-la moi" is better than "Apportez-la-moi". See below for why.

Google translation of this page*
About.com's lesson on the different between amener and apporter

Also, if I'm interpreting it correctly (could be!), then my Webster's New World French Dictionary seems to indicate that apporter is male (requiring le) rather than female and that About.com is correct.

*The link to the Google translation doesn't want to work. Here's another way to view the page: Go to www.google.fr, type in "Hatrack River", click on "Traduire cette page", then navigate to this topic. Hover over a line to see it as originally written.

[This message has been edited by aspirit (edited August 12, 2010).]