Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

ingénue libertine

English translation:

innocent libertine

Added to glossary by Kelly Harrison
Dec 15, 2011 17:25
12 yrs ago
French term

ingénue libertine

Non-PRO French to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
Sentimentale, mais parfois ***ingénue libertine***, elle est tout à la fois désireuse de se brûler aux feux de l'amour, mais aussi d'être sécurisée en fondant un foyer stable. Mais le Prince Charmant, viril, valeureux et généreux, n'existe le plus souvent que dans ses rêves, aussi les désillusions sont-elles fréquentes.

Ceci est un livre dont la charactère trompe son mari... mais est-ce que quelqu'un saura trouver un joli équivalent, pas trop perjoratif?

This is a book where the main character has lots of affairs, can anyone help me find a way of translating this without explicitly saying that she is a trollop? Is there a similar sort of character in English literature? How about lady chatterly?

Merci d'avance!
Proposed translations (English)
5 +1 innocent libertine
3 loose ingénue

Discussion

Mpoma Dec 15, 2011:
thanks for that reference, but I didn't mean literally "what does she get up to?". I meant what does the expression mean? What ramifications and resonances ripple off it? My suggestion is not right: "ingénue" is not about chastity, a mature decision, but about being on the threshold of life and experience. Whereas libertine is all about experience. "Torn between inexperience and desire..."? I dunno...
Mpoma Dec 15, 2011:
great question! The problem with the expression is not so much that it is paradoxical, as that it is completely ambiguous. What does an "ingénue libertine" actually get up to? Is it all in her head? I can only imagine sthg clumsy for the mo: "She is romantic, and sometimes torn between chastity and lasciviousness..." Just a suggestion...

Proposed translations

+1
2 hrs
Selected

innocent libertine

How the title of Colette's book was translated: http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/981488
Note from asker:
Thank you kashew!
Peer comment(s):

neutral Mpoma : bof! for example - "ingénue" is the noun in the FR phrase and the word "libertine" is much less common in EN and too specific.
1 hr
I can read French, thanks.
agree B D Finch
2 hrs
Thanks
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "If that's how it was translated...!"
1 hr

loose ingénue

ingénue means naive because inexperienced

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Note added at 3 hrs (2011-12-15 21:09:08 GMT)
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Yes, in English ! We'd like to find a perfect equivalent, but...

Scarlett Johansson: 'I'm done with playing ingénue roles'
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a356056/scarlett-joh...
Note from asker:
In English? Ingenue?
Something went wrong...
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