Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
taxi de papier
English translation:
(paper) cigarette packet
Added to glossary by
Tony M
Apr 12, 2013 02:59
11 yrs ago
French term
United States
Award Winning Translator and Editor
Native in: English (Variants: British, US)
Works in: French to English, German to English, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
taxi de papier
French to English
Art/Literary
Other
Tobacco industry
Hello. I am in the midst of translating a novel and I have hit a wall with the expression "taxi de papier". Even my well-read French husband is stumped, :-). Anyway, here is the context. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
"Il se leva, s’étira, vérifia, en touchant toutes ses poches de ses mains de magicien, s’il n’avait pas oublié, dans sa distraction proverbiale, un vieux paquet de cigarettes, même avec une seule cigarette en son taxi de papier, qui la menait vers les lèvres de ses habitués. Oui, même avec une seule cigarette, oubliée, négligée, tordue et sèche comme une mal-aimée ! Il n’aurait pas élevé la moindre protestation, bien au contraire."
"Il se leva, s’étira, vérifia, en touchant toutes ses poches de ses mains de magicien, s’il n’avait pas oublié, dans sa distraction proverbiale, un vieux paquet de cigarettes, même avec une seule cigarette en son taxi de papier, qui la menait vers les lèvres de ses habitués. Oui, même avec une seule cigarette, oubliée, négligée, tordue et sèche comme une mal-aimée ! Il n’aurait pas élevé la moindre protestation, bien au contraire."
Proposed translations
(English)
| 2 +1 | paper taxi |
Tony M
|
| 2 +1 | paper vehicle |
Sandra & Kenneth Grossman
|
Change log
Apr 15, 2013 15:33: Tony M changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/113959">Révelle Clarke-Avignant's</a> old entry - "taxi de papier"" to ""cigarette (paper) packet""
Proposed translations
+1
8 mins
Selected
paper taxi
It's just an image!
I'm not sure if it means that actual paper tube in which the tobacco is held, or the squishy paper packet (common here in France), but either way, the use of 'qui la menait vers les lèvres de ses habitués' seem to confirm the taxi metaphor.
I can't help thinking that in the absence of a cigarette, this writer may have resorted to smoking 'something else'...! I'm glad s/he didn't stretch the already thin metaphor any further... I don't think it would have stood it ;-)
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Note added at 3 days12 hrs (2013-04-15 15:34:39 GMT) Post-grading
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The WWII period further re-inforces the notion of the squishy paper fag packet, as they were even more common back in those days.
I'm not sure if it means that actual paper tube in which the tobacco is held, or the squishy paper packet (common here in France), but either way, the use of 'qui la menait vers les lèvres de ses habitués' seem to confirm the taxi metaphor.
I can't help thinking that in the absence of a cigarette, this writer may have resorted to smoking 'something else'...! I'm glad s/he didn't stretch the already thin metaphor any further... I don't think it would have stood it ;-)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days12 hrs (2013-04-15 15:34:39 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
The WWII period further re-inforces the notion of the squishy paper fag packet, as they were even more common back in those days.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Alan Douglas (X)
2 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Alan!
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks much! This helped. Although, I won't use the literal translation, because that would be just as confusing in English, I think. "
+1
2 hrs
Sandra & Kenneth Grossman
Israel
Israel
Native in English
Israel
Quality, Reliability, Experience.
Native in: English 
, Romanian
Works in: French to English, Hebrew to English, Romanian to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
18
paper vehicle
Perhaps less puzzling than taxi.
Note from asker:
| Ha ha! Talking about stretching a metaphor! I love it! :-D |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Marco Bertoli
17 mins
|
|
Thanks!
|
|
| neutral |
Tony M
: I think there's an important point in using 'taxi', because you PAY for the privilege...
12 hrs
|
Discussion
une seule cigarette dans son paquet de papier qui la mène vers les lèvres... Un geste que font beaucoup d'hommes: prendre le paquet, placer le pouce sur l'ouverture puis frapper ou secouer le paquet pour libérer une seule cigarette sur la longueur de son filtre, puis porter le paquet à la bouche pour en tirer la cigarette plutôt que de tirer la cigarette avec les doigts. Dans ce sens, le paquet est le "taxi" qui amène la cigarette de la poche aux lèvres.