Jun 1, 2010 05:02
14 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term
vent
French to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
"Aux temps anciens d’étranges individus bardés d’un drôle d’attirail battaient la campagne de France. Ampoules, ficelles, turbans, flasques et grimoires les paraient en une bizarre armure où l’éphémère le disputait au matériel : c’étaient les marchands d’Orviétans qui distillaient leurs médecines et leurs sciences aux chalands crédules. Ils vendaient du rêve et de la sorcellerie. Et le pouvoir de guérir ou de raccommoder les peines de cœur. Ils donnaient même la force d’échapper à quelques maléfices semés par des jaloux. Ils vendaient de l’espoir, ***du vent*** et des légendes que l’on se contait plus tard au coin de l’âtre."
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +1 | bull/hokum |
polyglot45
|
| 4 +1 | selling hot air |
Francis Marche
|
| 4 | fresh air |
Helen Chauveau
|
| 4 -1 | a breath of fresh air, dreams |
Bourth (X)
|
| 3 | hoaxes |
Sébastien GUITTENY
|
Proposed translations
+1
2 hrs
polyglot45
Native in French
&
English
Native in: English 
, French
Works in: English to French, French to English, German to French, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
52
Selected
bull/hokum
As Francis says, "du vent" and "vendre du vent" suggests - as do earlier sentences - that these are con men : a lot of nothing/empty promises/candyfloss/thin air.
However I can see that this sits fairly ill in the sentence: they sold hope, <B>fantasy and legends... might get you out of a tight corner, though perhaps in the end I like "hokum" best
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Note added at 2 hrs (2010-06-01 07:50:47 GMT)
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there is also "hogwash"
However I can see that this sits fairly ill in the sentence: they sold hope, <B>fantasy and legends... might get you out of a tight corner, though perhaps in the end I like "hokum" best
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Note added at 2 hrs (2010-06-01 07:50:47 GMT)
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there is also "hogwash"
Note from asker:
| Eureka! Hokum - that's exactly it! Many thanks. |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
1 hr
fresh air
Medieval charlatans often duped gullible customers by selling bottled air or dreams!
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-06-01 06:24:19 GMT)
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It seems that gullible customers are still being duped today!
http://www.greenmuze.com/nature/sky/2399-fresh-bottled-count...
http://www.ecosalon.com/canned-fresh-air/
http://www.treedroppings.com/air.php
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-06-01 06:24:19 GMT)
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It seems that gullible customers are still being duped today!
http://www.greenmuze.com/nature/sky/2399-fresh-bottled-count...
http://www.ecosalon.com/canned-fresh-air/
http://www.treedroppings.com/air.php
Example sentence:
They sold hope, fresh air and fairy tales....
They sold hope and castles in the air....
Note from asker:
| Hi, even more interesting! "flasks of air" is a strong possibility. Whoever thought of Treedroppings as a brand?! |
+1
6 mins
Francis Marche
France
France
Native in French
&
English
France
36 years experience on 4 continents
Native in: French , English
Works in: English to French, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
7
selling hot air
"c'est du vent" = bunkum / baloney!
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-06-01 06:53:39 GMT)
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Vendre du vent =
Vendre quelque chose qui n’a aucune valeur
http://www.p-interactif.com/spip.php?article81
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-06-01 06:53:39 GMT)
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Vendre du vent =
Vendre quelque chose qui n’a aucune valeur
http://www.p-interactif.com/spip.php?article81
Note from asker:
| Hi, interesting - I hadn't thought of it like that! |
-1
1 hr
a breath of fresh air, dreams
Not the same as the previous "fresh air" answer since I read this figuratively, as "dreams". "A breath of fresh air" is like "hope", something to dream about, something to take your mind off your troubles, and therefore quite close to "legends" too.
You can buy cans of Paris (or wherever you happen to be) air to this day still, in tourist shops, but hope - unlike ships or Paris - is harder to get in bottle, so I don't see this as a literal turn of phrase.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2010-06-01 07:39:01 GMT)
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If Francis is right about the expression having a more conventional meaning, then maybe "sold smoke and mirrors" contains the purely illusory notion while suggesting they might nonetheless have got something (enjoyable) for their money.
You can buy cans of Paris (or wherever you happen to be) air to this day still, in tourist shops, but hope - unlike ships or Paris - is harder to get in bottle, so I don't see this as a literal turn of phrase.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2010-06-01 07:39:01 GMT)
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If Francis is right about the expression having a more conventional meaning, then maybe "sold smoke and mirrors" contains the purely illusory notion while suggesting they might nonetheless have got something (enjoyable) for their money.
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Francis Marche
: Pure fantasy from you part, I'm afraid. I suppose you know the French idiom "vendre du vent".
20 mins
|
|
Of course, but that conventional meaning is strangely out of place amongst "hope" and "legend" ...
|
6 hrs
Sébastien GUITTENY
France
France
Native in French
Works in field
France
Tempus fugit sic carpe diem
Native in: French
Works in: French to English, English to French
hoaxes
They sold false pieces of information, they lied intentionally.
Discussion