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May 11, 2007 09:41
17 yrs ago
French term

l’humeur n’était jamais à la rêverie

French to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
From a children's story about life on the moon.

Dans l’empire de Karlunia, l’humeur n’était jamais à la rêverie.
Fiers mais peu imaginatifs, les karluniens formaient un peuple très respectueux de l’ordre et de la discipline, un peuple qui cultivait l’esprit de compétition.

Right now I've got "The people of the Empire of Karlunia were not want to daydreaming", but I'm not at all happy with it.
Any suggestions to get my brain going in another direction would be great.
TIA
Proposed translations (English)
3 +7 were not given to daydreaming
3 +1 daydreaming was not their wont or......
3 +1 The nature of the Empire of Karlunia never lent itself to daydream/dreaming
4 the mood was never dreamy
3 was no place for daydreamers
2 +1 the mood never took a dreamy turn
3 The mood in the Karlunian Empire was not one that encouraged daydreaming.
3 {Never losing sight of reality}/{always with their feet firmly on the ground}
2 they neverallowed themselves any daydreaming

Discussion

Julie Barber May 12, 2007:
Unless you changed it to something more fun like 'fanciful thoughts' :
marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience <a fanciful person>
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/fanciful
Julie Barber May 12, 2007:
Lots of children's stories are 'fantastic' by nature. I think you have to put yourself in the child's shoes though and think about what they will relate to the most - daydreaming or fantasising? I'd have thought it was the first.
Dylan Edwards May 11, 2007:
Agree other options should be considered. There was no place for fantasy...
French Foodie (asker) May 11, 2007:
Hmm, something with fantasising could be could, since this is quite a fantatic tale...
French Foodie (asker) May 11, 2007:
Hi CMJ, I like that, but I've got imaginative in the next sentence, which is why I was feeling stuck on daydreaming...
CMJ_Trans (X) May 11, 2007:
FANTASISING
CMJ_Trans (X) May 11, 2007:
woolgathering?
CMJ_Trans (X) May 11, 2007:
what about - letting their imagination run riot or free, rather than "daydreaming" which seems odd to me here ?
jean-jacques alexandre May 11, 2007:
It sure would !!!
Emma Paulay May 11, 2007:
The worst would be to combine both your mistakes...!
French Foodie (asker) May 11, 2007:
Ah! Yikes. Reminds of an orgasm/organism blunder I once caught, luckily just before going to print!! Thanks for the smile.
Sandra Petch May 11, 2007:
And the dreaded kind the spellcheck won't pick up. Whenever I have the word "public" in a text I run a search to be sure I haven't mistyped something "hairy" (if you see what I mean) as I once did. Red faces all round!
French Foodie (asker) May 11, 2007:
Don't mind your notes, Julie. This kind of brainstorming is exactly want I needed.
French Foodie (asker) May 11, 2007:
Oh, geez. Thanks for the correction Sandra. Just the kind of typo to show the tired state of my brain this morn!
Sandra Petch May 11, 2007:
"...wont to daydreaming" I wasn't at all sure so I checked in the dictionary as I am wont to do when in doubt ;-)

Proposed translations

+7
2 mins
Selected

were not given to daydreaming

*

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2007-05-11 09:45:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or was not given to daydreaming if you use Empire rather than 'the people of...'

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2007-05-11 09:47:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

another possibility given the explanation that follows could be

'were not fond of daydreaming' or something along those lines

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2007-05-11 09:49:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or (last note I promise...)

Daydreaming wasn't for the people of the Empire of Karlunia

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2007-05-12 08:14:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Just adding to my asker notes, for fanciful (though I still prefer daydreaming)

Main Entry: fan·ci·ful
Pronunciation: 'fan(t)-si-f&l
Function: adjective
1 : marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience <a fanciful person>
2 : existing in fancy only <a fanciful notion>
3 : marked by or as if by fancy or whim <gave their children fanciful names>
synonym see IMAGINARY
- fan·ci·ful·ly /-f(&-)lE/ adverb
- fan·ci·ful·ness /-f&l-n&s/ noun
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/fanciful
Peer comment(s):
agree Vicky Papaprodromou
1 min
thank you Vicky
agree jean-jacques alexandre : excellent, but you took it away from me, gallantry prevails
32 mins
I'm so sorry JJ ;-)
agree Odette Grille (X)
43 mins
thanks Odette
agree Katarina Peters
2 hrs
thanks Katarina
agree Jacqui Audouy
7 hrs
thanks Jacqui
agree Silvia Brandon-Pérez : Ah! Beautiful.
9 hrs
oh why thank you ;-)
agree mill2
1 day 2 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks to everyone, and especially to CMJ and Julie for the fanciful lead, which I did not use hear, but elsewhere in my story."
2 hrs

was no place for daydreamers

daydreaming was frowned upon...

Just ideas over a cup of coffee.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-05-11 11:50:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

...had no time for daydreaming/daydreamers
Something went wrong...
+1
2 hrs

daydreaming was not their wont or......

not inclined to daydream
not disposed to daydream

were disinclined to daydream

daydreams were for the boys

In K daydreamining was not a habit/custom

BRAINSTORMING

But I'm not sure daydreaming is the best answer.... what is ? Will think

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-05-11 12:28:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

people had to time for daydreaming
Peer comment(s):
agree Swatchka
8 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
3 hrs

The nature of the Empire of Karlunia never lent itself to daydream/dreaming

a bit wordy, I know....but I thought of 'nature' or even 'disposition' as a way to translate 'humeur' and I didn't want to lose the 'jamais' aspect in the French text.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2007-05-11 13:21:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or another way at it:

In the Empire of Karlunia, no one ever did much daydreaming
In the Empire of Karlunia, no one ever tried to daydream
Peer comment(s):
agree Swatchka
8 hrs
Something went wrong...
6 hrs

they neverallowed themselves any daydreaming

well, I am reminded of "the Grinch" who could not enjoy himself; seeing that in this story apparently we have 'orderly' people who take themselves and life in general very seriously...; just another angle
Something went wrong...
+1
18 mins

the mood never took a dreamy turn

Is that English? Or did I make it up? Sometimes I'm not sure!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2007-05-11 18:20:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

You could even say : the K empire was very down-to-earth.
Peer comment(s):
agree Julie Barber : I think that's nice. You could also have it as 'the mood never turned to dreaming/daydreaming'. As a professional daydreamer, I can say I like your option ;-)
11 mins
Thanks Julie. I like your alternative. The most important discoveries were made by daydreamers, so let's keep at it!
Something went wrong...
1 day 1 hr

the mood was never dreamy

Perhaps it would be simpler this way...
Something went wrong...
1 day 7 hrs

The mood in the Karlunian Empire was not one that encouraged daydreaming.

I was thinking of using "conducive to daydreaming" but depending on the age of the children "conducive" may not be appropriate.
Something went wrong...
2 days 4 hrs

{Never losing sight of reality}/{always with their feet firmly on the ground}

Never prone to have their head in the clouds

never prone to illusions/daydreaming


Some egs:



lawrencejones.eu Success Online

Head in the clouds, feet firmly on the ground. Lawrence Jones, February 19th 2007, 9:53AM. Well, after a long hard but very satisfying weekend climbing ...
www.lawrencejones.eu/blog/19/02/2007/head_in_the_clouds_fee... - 19k -



The Hindu : Entertainment Chennai : Feet firmly on the ground

But I also have my feet firmly on the ground," he laughs. He's in Mumbai right now to judge a talent show for STAR. "I enjoy watching dance and Javed ...
www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/07/22/stories/20050722031501... - 25k



The Swedenborgian Church-Sermons-Feet on the Ground and Head in ...

He had his feet firmly on the ground and his head fixed in the heavens. None of us may embody the genius of Swedenborg or the brilliance of Burnham. ...
www.swedenborg.org/odb/sermon_detail.cfm?sermonID=3585 - 20k
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