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brute de toile tiré en long a 240
qualification ordinale
Feb 28, 2010 10:05
14 yrs ago
French term

quelque chose à vous faire pardonner

French to English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
I'm trying to find a way to translate "quelque chose à vous faire pardonner" in the following passage, from a text on matching food and wine, that sounds appropriate. Literally it means "something to apologise for" but that seems a bit too "serious" to me for this kind of marketing text, if you see what I mean. I currently have "Whether you are celebrating good news, or trying to get back into someone’s good books..." which is the kind of thing I'm looking for, though probably a little clumsy. Can anyone think of something a bit snappier? Thanks in adavnce for any suggestions / comments...

"Si vous avez une bonne nouvelle à fêter, voire quelque chose à vous faire pardonner, sachez que la coquille Saint-Jacques est un mets d’une grande délicatesse pour ce genre de circonstance"
Proposed translations (English)
3 +7 need to make up for something?
3 +3 want to get yourself off the hook
3 +3 want to say sorry (for something)
4 +2 offering an apology
3 +2 want to make amends
3 +2 something to make up for
3 +2 patch up your differences
3 +1 looking to impress...
3 want to reconcille a broken past
3 needing to get back your cuisining credibility
3 Get back into someone's good graces
3 something to reproach oneself with

Proposed translations

+7
58 mins
Selected

need to make up for something?

perhaps a bit less negative than some of the other suggestions?

"Thanks to La Pentola restaurant for the AMAZING R600 meal voucher! Have a look at their website to see what you'll miss out on if you don't email NOW. Tell me why you deserve a free meal. Do you need to make up for something? Need a romantic atmosphere for that special person? Forgot someone's birthday?"
Reference:

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:HZGZrXmcXQwJ:www.facebook.com/pages/Pretoria-South-Africa/Tuks-FM-1072-Bent-Show/133033516882+%22need+t

Note from asker:
I think I'll have to go with this one. Not easy to choose from all these options. Many thanks to everyone who answered and/or commented. I haven't been using proz.com as much as I used to, but it's great to see that the kudoz forums are still alive and well.
Peer comment(s):
agree Estelle Demontrond-Box : Sorry Lori, Your answer had not appeared when I gave mine!
17 mins
agree JH Trads : seems the right register here
38 mins
agree Evans (X)
1 hr
agree C. Tougas
3 hrs
agree MatthewLaSon : This is what I like best here. Perfect for the context!
7 hrs
agree Tony.J.A.@DT : I like this one best too
7 hrs
agree kashew
9 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I think I'll have to go with this one. Not easy to choose from all these options. Many thanks to everyone who answered and/or commented. I haven't been using proz.com as much as I used to, but it's great to see that the kudoz forums are still alive and well."
+3
4 mins

want to get yourself off the hook

a suggestion

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Note added at 11 mins (2010-02-28 10:16:35 GMT)
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another thought :
"if you want to make amends (for something)"
a bit classier than the previous suggestion, but probably not snappy enough !
Peer comment(s):
neutral polyglot45 : sorry - only saw the main answer - missed the rest
27 mins
agree emiledgar
29 mins
thank you Richard
agree Carol Gullidge : if you want to make amends...
2 hrs
thank you Carol
agree philgoddard : I'm not keen on "get yourself off the hook" - it implies that what you've done isn't really wrong - but I like "make amends".
3 hrs
thank you Phil
Something went wrong...
+3
26 mins

want to say sorry (for something)

I totall agree with Mary's analysis, but if you want to keep the idea of apologizing, then why not do it in this less formal way; along the lines of 'say it with flowers', though here it's 'say it with wine'!
Peer comment(s):
agree Julie Barber : I would keep it simple like this, or something to apologise for...(but don't agree with MM's analysis!)
11 mins
agree Carol Gullidge
2 hrs
agree L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen : K.i.s.s. Sorry a word that many find difficult to pronounce...
6 hrs
Something went wrong...
+2
27 mins

want to make amends

if you've got something to celebrate or are seeking to make amends/curry favour/clear the slate/want to get back into someone's good graces

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Note added at 29 mins (2010-02-28 10:35:01 GMT)
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sorry - I see the main idea was already mentioned but not the others in the body of the answer

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Note added at 30 mins (2010-02-28 10:36:00 GMT)
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you could also say " have a bad conscious"

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Note added at 30 mins (2010-02-28 10:36:13 GMT)
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or even "guilty conscience"
Peer comment(s):
agree Mary Moritz : This is good in a positive sense of "taking a step forward"
36 mins
agree sueaberwoman : I like get back into someone's good graces (or good books, as the asker originally suggests). Google turns up ad copy using both.
1 hr
Something went wrong...
32 mins

want to reconcille a broken past


Want to celebrate a good news? want to reconcille a broken past?...(more intimate) / want to reconcille a broken deal ( business)

The ad could be reworded irrespective of the language of the source text, more personalizing it to the target audience.

Ofcourse, this is something that strikes my mind. But as Mary Mortiz has put it, caution and precaution should be exercised in addressing the public in different markets.

Best of Luck


Paul
Peer comment(s):
neutral Julie Barber : Hi Paul, I think that this would be a bit extreme and negative!
6 mins
Something went wrong...
+2
42 mins

offering an apology

I'd keep it really simple along these lines or "want to apologise"

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Note added at 47 mins (2010-02-28 10:52:28 GMT)
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Sorry and Apologies
Did you make the biggest mistake of your life? Do you want to apologize from the person cooncerned in this mistake? Apologize in an unrejected way, make things right back like they used to an should be. Send a gift from All Best Ideas to relief yourself.
https://www.allbestideas.com/en/category.aspx?catid=26

Apologies are often delicate to make in person, nonetheless with flowers, it is made effortless. Roses can be the ideal manner for you to say ” I am sorry”
http://www.reviewgallery.net/product-reviews/florists-tell-i...

When you need your apology to count
http://www.imsorry.com/

There are so many creative ways to say sorry, which is why adding your own special touch to your apology can make all the difference in getting things back on track.

Be an apology star and share your own apology ideas....
http://www.perfectapology.com/ways-to-say-sorry.html
Peer comment(s):
agree Mary Moritz : This is also good in a positive sense
28 mins
Morning and thank you Mary, have a nice Sunday!
agree Carol Gullidge : ... by way of an apology (agree that the notion of apology can't simply be ignored)... a bit worried about that first link though!
2 hrs
Thanks Carol, that first link is a bit OTT and odd!
Something went wrong...
+1
11 mins

looking to impress...

I agree that a direct translation is "serious" and I'd even go further and say the original text is awkwardly intimate. I'm surprise that that is even in a French "marketing" text because "those things aren't discussed" in public in France. It's just odd.

Your suggestion is a very British saying, though, so be careful on who the target customer is.

If you used "looking to impress..." it has a slightly more positive note. Looking to impress someone for business or personal reasons without going into details on the why (which could be either positive or negative reasons).

Hope that helps.


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Note added at 1 hr (2010-02-28 11:15:55 GMT)
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I was trying to analyze the text from a cultural standpoint, both on the French and English (not British, though, because I can only attest to the US culture).

Juliebaraba's list is excellent and I like "make amends" or "offer an apology".
Note from asker:
Quite a few 'neutrals' here, but I quite like this one I must say. It certainly sounds a lot more natural in the context than anything more literal. Possibly, though, as argued in a few of the comments here, it strays just a little too far from the French.
Peer comment(s):
agree Tony M : Yes, I like it, and also wondered about 'out to impress' or 'seeking to impress'?
13 mins
neutral polyglot45 : sorry but I disagree with your analysis. Impress is something else and not stated here. One can take liberties but I feel this is going too far. Sorry
17 mins
No need to be sorry...point well taken
neutral writeaway : agree with polyglot45. don't see how 'impress' is suggested by the French
22 mins
it's not! and I was aware of that when I posted.
neutral Julie Barber : I agree with polyglot - it's too different and I don't agree with the analysis either. "Something to apologise for.." isn't too negative
22 mins
I think it depends on how delicately it is said in a marketing doc
neutral emiledgar : Sorry but I have to agree that this is one liberty too far (to use a mixed metaphor).
23 mins
Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

something to make up for

Maybe?
Peer comment(s):
agree kashew : Yes!
9 hrs
Thanks Kashew
agree Elizabeth Hartnett (X) : Yes! This makes the most sense here: a special occasion, whether it is a celebration or a make-up dinner.
16 hrs
Thanks Elizabeth
Something went wrong...
10 hrs

needing to get back your cuisining credibility

*
Something went wrong...
11 hrs

Get back into someone's good graces

.......
Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

patch up your differences

At the risk of adding yet another suggestion....
Perhaps what Tony Blair may have said to Gordon Brown (if they were French, that is...)

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Note added at 2 hrs (2010-02-28 12:13:11 GMT)
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2 for the price of one:

"hold out an olive branch"

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Note added at 12 hrs (2010-02-28 22:58:17 GMT)
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One more:

"Kiss and make up"
Peer comment(s):
agree Jean-Claude Gouin
53 mins
agree Carol Gullidge : I lkke either of these, and both are nice and snappy - especially "hold out an olive branch"
6 hrs
Something went wrong...
1 day 1 hr

something to reproach oneself with

Hope this helps.
Reference:

http://dictionnaire.reverso.net/francais-anglais/pardonner/forced

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