Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
zappeur et dé-coordonné
English translation:
flitting and inconstant / channel-hopping, inconsistent
Added to glossary by
Cath St Clair (X)
Mar 18, 2009 03:24
15 yrs ago
French term
zappeur et dé-coordonné
French to English
Social Sciences
Philosophy
Consumer society
I have lumped these together as I have a feeling I will have to break away from the French completely to express this concept.
Context: A philosophical piece by Gilles Lipovetsky on “hyper-consumer society”.
"De là, le profil de ce consommateur nouveau style décrit si souvent comme erratique, nomade, volatile, imprévisible, fragmenté, dérégulé. Parce qu’il est de plus en plus affranchi des contrôles collectifs à l’ancienne, l’hyperconsommateur s’impose comme un acheteur **zappeur et dé-coordonné**. C’est sur ce fond que le néo-acheteur est devenu un consommateur de marques et non plus de produits."
My working translation is “purchasers without loyalties”:
“Because individuals have increasingly broken away from the old-style collective controls, hyper-consumers are making their mark as purchasers without loyalties.”
Am I adding a meaning that wasn’t in the original? And have I lost something? Any ideas? (I can’t use any of the following adjectives, due to their appearance in the previous sentence: erratic, nomadic, volatile, unpredictable, fragmented, unregulated)
Context: A philosophical piece by Gilles Lipovetsky on “hyper-consumer society”.
"De là, le profil de ce consommateur nouveau style décrit si souvent comme erratique, nomade, volatile, imprévisible, fragmenté, dérégulé. Parce qu’il est de plus en plus affranchi des contrôles collectifs à l’ancienne, l’hyperconsommateur s’impose comme un acheteur **zappeur et dé-coordonné**. C’est sur ce fond que le néo-acheteur est devenu un consommateur de marques et non plus de produits."
My working translation is “purchasers without loyalties”:
“Because individuals have increasingly broken away from the old-style collective controls, hyper-consumers are making their mark as purchasers without loyalties.”
Am I adding a meaning that wasn’t in the original? And have I lost something? Any ideas? (I can’t use any of the following adjectives, due to their appearance in the previous sentence: erratic, nomadic, volatile, unpredictable, fragmented, unregulated)
Proposed translations
(English)
4 +2 | flitting and inconstant | B D Finch |
4 | flighty and without loyalty | Jenn Mercer |
3 | unfocused and uncoordinated | Marco Solinas |
Proposed translations
+2
5 hrs
Selected
flitting and inconstant
I think this would work.
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Note added at 5 days (2009-03-23 08:32:46 GMT) Post-grading
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You clearly have a very literal-minded proofreader.
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Note added at 5 days (2009-03-23 08:32:46 GMT) Post-grading
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You clearly have a very literal-minded proofreader.
2 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks. I liked "flitting" and I used your suggestion. (The fact that my proofreader changed it to "channel-hopping, inconsistent" is another matter ;)"
17 mins
unfocused and uncoordinated
I am not so sure about the lack of loyalty. After all he buys brands, rather than products
Note from asker:
"After all he buys brands, rather than products" - good point, thanks |
20 mins
flighty and without loyalty
I think your working translation might be a bit too sedate for "zappeur," but I agree that "without loyalty" would work well for "dé-coordonné."
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