Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
Le degré zero du spectacle
English translation:
the bare bones of spectacle
Added to glossary by
philgoddard
May 29, 2015 13:20
8 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term
Le degré zero du spectacle
French to English
Art/Literary
Textiles / Clothing / Fashion
fasion performance
(in reference to fashion shows) C’est le degré zéro du spectacle.
My dictionary comes up with "the most basic form of" but to me that is missing the pejorative connotation that is evident in the text/phrase.
My dictionary comes up with "the most basic form of" but to me that is missing the pejorative connotation that is evident in the text/phrase.
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Jun 8, 2015 12:26: philgoddard Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+4
45 mins
Selected
the bare bones of spectacle
The idea is not "rock bottom", though I think there is a pejorative connotation - it means the spectacle has had all the fun taken out of it.
The asker hasn't provided the full context, but it's an interview with the director of a performance piece about the fashion industry, featuring Tilda Swinton. He's talking about how fashion shows have become much shorter and simpler than they used to be:
"Dans les années 50, un défilé Dior durait deux heures et cinq minutes. Dans les années 80, quarante minutes chez Montana, puis vingt minutes dans les années 90. Aujourd'hui, c'est sept minutes. L'outil défilé est devenu très peau de chagrin. Il y a de l'irrévérence à dépenser autant d'argent pour sept minutes. Je ne comprends pas qu'on en soit toujours là. C'est le degré zéro du spectacle. On applaudit, quand c'est fini les mannequins reviennent pour le final, soit le degré zéro de la narration."
And here's another example of "le degré zéro" being used in a similar way, to mean "the fundamental unit" or "in its most simple form":
"On peut donc tordre l’espace, on peut tordre le temps, on pourrait tordre le photogramme et aller jusqu’au niveau sub-iconique, c’est‑à‑dire qu’avant le photogramme, il y a le pixel. On peut considérer que le film est un ensemble de photogrammes, qu’un photogramme est un ensemble de pixels et, au bout du compte, le degré zéro du film, c’est le pixel."
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Note added at 1 hr (2015-05-29 14:23:22 GMT)
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So in fact Emma's dictionary is correct in saying "in its most basic form". That in itself is not pejorative, but we can see from the surrounding text that the interviewee doesn't like it.
The asker hasn't provided the full context, but it's an interview with the director of a performance piece about the fashion industry, featuring Tilda Swinton. He's talking about how fashion shows have become much shorter and simpler than they used to be:
"Dans les années 50, un défilé Dior durait deux heures et cinq minutes. Dans les années 80, quarante minutes chez Montana, puis vingt minutes dans les années 90. Aujourd'hui, c'est sept minutes. L'outil défilé est devenu très peau de chagrin. Il y a de l'irrévérence à dépenser autant d'argent pour sept minutes. Je ne comprends pas qu'on en soit toujours là. C'est le degré zéro du spectacle. On applaudit, quand c'est fini les mannequins reviennent pour le final, soit le degré zéro de la narration."
And here's another example of "le degré zéro" being used in a similar way, to mean "the fundamental unit" or "in its most simple form":
"On peut donc tordre l’espace, on peut tordre le temps, on pourrait tordre le photogramme et aller jusqu’au niveau sub-iconique, c’est‑à‑dire qu’avant le photogramme, il y a le pixel. On peut considérer que le film est un ensemble de photogrammes, qu’un photogramme est un ensemble de pixels et, au bout du compte, le degré zéro du film, c’est le pixel."
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Note added at 1 hr (2015-05-29 14:23:22 GMT)
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So in fact Emma's dictionary is correct in saying "in its most basic form". That in itself is not pejorative, but we can see from the surrounding text that the interviewee doesn't like it.
Reference:
Note from asker:
Thank you Phil. |
Peer comment(s):
agree |
tralamode
: I like this solution, I think the writer is careful not to attach much more of a pejorative sense than is translated by 'bare bones'
19 mins
|
Thanks.
|
|
agree |
James A. Walsh
35 mins
|
agree |
Verginia Ophof
: my initial interpretation also...the bare basics
40 mins
|
agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
: yes, a good solution
21 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks."
8 mins
This scrapes the bottom of the barrel
If I'm not mistaken this sounds like a review from a fashion critic, and the above captures the negative, yet relatively formal register you're looking for:) There's plenty of other variations of this available.
Note from asker:
Thank you matthew. |
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
philgoddard
: I don't think it is pejorative. I believe the idea is "the essence" or "stripped bare", but we don't have enough context.//OK, it is somewhat pejorative, but not for the reason you've given.
8 mins
|
If you look at the last paragraph that the asker has put up Phil, it sounds pretty scathing to me:P
|
12 mins
Rock bottom
Without more context I can't really give you more. It could be has hit rock bottom, is rock bottom, ...
Note from asker:
Thank you. |
+1
19 mins
It's rock bottom
suggestion
Reference:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2217179/Rihannas-TV-style-hits-rock-bottom.html
Note from asker:
Thank you. |
45 mins
Spectacle degree zero
Or maybe "Fashion degree zero" but I think that would be more a criticism of fashion while this is a criticism of the fashion show. Important to keep the ref. to Barthes here I think.
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
philgoddard
: I don't think non-French people will understand the literal translation.
6 mins
|
Yes depends on how specialized the text is, if this is just a review then you're right, "spectacle at its most fundamental level" maybe
|
1 hr
(one of the) lowest form of all spectacles
As opposed to the highest, like an opera concert, etc.
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Note added at 1 hr (2015-05-29 15:06:47 GMT)
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"forms"
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Note added at 1 hr (2015-05-29 15:06:47 GMT)
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"forms"
Reference comments
41 mins
Reference:
Barthes
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree |
philgoddard
: Yes, Barthes' book is about stripping language back to its basics so there's almost nothing left.
9 mins
|
Discussion