Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
"On y va comme si on en revenait".
English translation:
we go about it half-heartedly, as if retracing our steps
- The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2020-07-21 22:55:28 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
French term
"On y va comme si on en revenait".
In this translation, there are 4 phases we go through when trying to make major changes in our lives (lifestyle, philosophy, approach)
Phase 2 is:
***On y va comme si on en revenait.***Le cœur n’y est plus. Il vaut mieux ne pas rester coincé en phase 2 car c’est dur pour nous et notre entourage. Dans cette phase, il faut se ressourcer, réfléchir à ses valeurs (voir chapitre sur les 6 valeurs).
So I get the drift, (we drag our feet, half-heartedly) but is there an English phrase that is closer to the French?
Thanks
Proposed translations
we go about it half-heartedly, as if retracing our steps
but "On y va comme si on en revenait" I think equates to retracing steps or
going back over the same old ground
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2020-07-22 12:03:16 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
glad to help. I like some of other answers but they are mostly dealing with "Le cœur n’y est plus" not with "comme si on en revenait" which is your question
"We go there as if we were returning."
On y va comme si on revenait. Le coeur n'y est plus. Il vaut mieux ne pas rester coincé en phase deux car c'est dur pour nous et notre entourage. Dans cette phase, il faut se ressourcer, réfléchir à ses valeurs.
We go there as if we were returning. The heart is no longer there. It's better to not remain stuck in the second phase since it's hard for ourselves and those nearby us. In this phase we need to rejuvenate, consider our values.
neutral |
Tony M
: Far too literal, and does not convey in EN the real sense required here. There are other flaws in your proposed translation too.
13 mins
|
We have) lost momentum
***We approach it as if we already know the result*** disinterested
***We approach it as if we already know the result*** disinterested
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2020-07-18 12:12:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
disinterested/uninterested
"it is the same old grind"
agree |
Yolanda Broad
3 hrs
|
agree |
Cyril Tollari
1 day 22 hrs
|
disagree |
Yvonne Gallagher
: "Grind" means same boring job or daily routine so not a match for this context. It should be "(going back over) same old GROUND"
2 days 21 hrs
|
we do it without conviction
Going through the motions
I really like this one. Shame I have already sent the job. |
Discussion
I had to delivery this job at midday so I went with the "dragging our feet" thing but I'll choose one answer that I like if only so that the question is not lost.
Thanks again
***We approach it as if we already know the result*** disinterested.
https://www.smartrecoverysd.org/wp-content/uploads/Recommend...
Based partly on this, I now have
"“We go for it but dragging our feet”.
I have to decide soon as the job is for delivery today around midday.
Unlike everyone else, I see the 'y aller' as not being to some specific place, but rather, in the more general sense of 'go to it' or more naturally 'go about things' — cf. FR expressions like 'y aller comme un fou'
NOW it makes more sense, in the context of motivation: "you set about things / attack new things (etc.) as if you were tired /bored from already having done them'" etc.
From this point of understanding the S/T, we can then move forward to try and find a good way of expressing it in EN — and in this interpretation, I don't think literal can really work, without inserting the ugly 'things'
1 The French was in "" which I forgot to mention
2 The Literal translation is understandable to English people me thinks.
I wonder what others think?
SafeTex
Presently, I have:
“We drag our feet as if we don’t want to go down this road”.
as I'm trying to keep the idea of "(spiritual) journey" which is aller/revenir in the French
Hulbert Lee
Hulbert writes about motivation, doing whatever he can to help put people in a position to create a better life for themselves
"To lose one's energy, motivation, or enthusiasm to continue doing something.