Feb 27, 2005 11:41
19 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term
fontainier
French to English
Tech/Engineering
Construction / Civil Engineering
In a film about the construction of the gardens at the Palace of Versailles, there is a lot of talk about the "fontainiers" who built the Grand Canal in the palace grounds and brought in the water supply. Any ideas?
Proposed translations
(English)
4 +1 | canal builders |
Bourth (X)
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4 +1 | fountain-builder |
Isabel Hohneck
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3 +1 | hydraulic engineer |
Tony M
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3 | aquatic architect |
Michel A.
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Proposed translations
+1
41 mins
Selected
canal builders
Larousse Lexis gives 3 defs for "fontainier":
1. (Vx) Fabricant, marchand, réparateur de fontaines
2. Agent municipal chargé du service des fontaines publiques
3. (1538) Celui qui fait des sondages pour amener les eaux souterraines à la surface du sol.
None of these quite fit the Versailles context if, as you say, they "brought in the water supply" rather than exploit a natural spring at the site of the Grand Canal. But since they had to a) dig the Grand Canal and b) (presumably) dig further smaller canals to bring the water to the Grand Canal, they must have been canal builders.
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Note added at 43 mins (2005-02-27 12:25:10 GMT)
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Interestingly, Ferdinand de Lesseps, who built the Suez Canal, was born in Versailles (in 1805)!
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Note added at 53 mins (2005-02-27 12:35:07 GMT)
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Which set me thinking about \"engineer\" ... On second thoughts, I prefer \"water engineers\":
The construction of the Marly machine (an emmense hydraulic machine, driven by the current of the river--since destroyed) allowed the transport of water from the Seine River. The park developed around the Grand Canal, an artificial pond of about seventy acres with a circumference of almost five miles. The hundreds of fountains and waterfalls drew from an elaborate underground network of reservoirs and aqueducts.
[http://www.nv.cc.va.us/home/cevans/Versailles/Site/mainbuild...]
At Versailles, these forces that seemed to threaten the \"natural\" hierarchy of noble political control were hidden. The WATER ENGINEERs from Paris who built the early supplies for Versailles placed their pumps and holding tanks outside the walls of the gardens, where they would not be immediately visible to those touring the grounds
[http://legalminds.lp.findlaw.com/list/rre/msg00239.html]
When faced with a deep valley, Roman engineers should use pressurized pipes that are inverted siphons. Roman WATER ENGINEERs build these rather than arcades because tall arcades are too unstable when built too tall
[www.prek-12engineering.org/data/d39/Aqueduct.doc]
the place, with the assistance of all sorts of architects, WATER ENGINEERs, landscapers and ... It is a series of stunning gilded statues and fountains and water ...
www.bespolka.com/bespolka web site/ 03%20RussiaMongolia/Russia%202003/Russia%202003-09-03.htm
fountains to sewage systems. As experienced WATER ENGINEERs and pump ...
www.the-pda.com/Documents/ Member%20Details/Mem-Allsebrook.htm
1. (Vx) Fabricant, marchand, réparateur de fontaines
2. Agent municipal chargé du service des fontaines publiques
3. (1538) Celui qui fait des sondages pour amener les eaux souterraines à la surface du sol.
None of these quite fit the Versailles context if, as you say, they "brought in the water supply" rather than exploit a natural spring at the site of the Grand Canal. But since they had to a) dig the Grand Canal and b) (presumably) dig further smaller canals to bring the water to the Grand Canal, they must have been canal builders.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 43 mins (2005-02-27 12:25:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Interestingly, Ferdinand de Lesseps, who built the Suez Canal, was born in Versailles (in 1805)!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 53 mins (2005-02-27 12:35:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Which set me thinking about \"engineer\" ... On second thoughts, I prefer \"water engineers\":
The construction of the Marly machine (an emmense hydraulic machine, driven by the current of the river--since destroyed) allowed the transport of water from the Seine River. The park developed around the Grand Canal, an artificial pond of about seventy acres with a circumference of almost five miles. The hundreds of fountains and waterfalls drew from an elaborate underground network of reservoirs and aqueducts.
[http://www.nv.cc.va.us/home/cevans/Versailles/Site/mainbuild...]
At Versailles, these forces that seemed to threaten the \"natural\" hierarchy of noble political control were hidden. The WATER ENGINEERs from Paris who built the early supplies for Versailles placed their pumps and holding tanks outside the walls of the gardens, where they would not be immediately visible to those touring the grounds
[http://legalminds.lp.findlaw.com/list/rre/msg00239.html]
When faced with a deep valley, Roman engineers should use pressurized pipes that are inverted siphons. Roman WATER ENGINEERs build these rather than arcades because tall arcades are too unstable when built too tall
[www.prek-12engineering.org/data/d39/Aqueduct.doc]
the place, with the assistance of all sorts of architects, WATER ENGINEERs, landscapers and ... It is a series of stunning gilded statues and fountains and water ...
www.bespolka.com/bespolka web site/ 03%20RussiaMongolia/Russia%202003/Russia%202003-09-03.htm
fountains to sewage systems. As experienced WATER ENGINEERs and pump ...
www.the-pda.com/Documents/ Member%20Details/Mem-Allsebrook.htm
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, Bourth, I'll go with water engineer, especially as the text also mentions the Marly machine."
4 mins
aquatic architect
it's an explan-traduction ;-)
+1
4 mins
fountain-builder
Declined
Reference:
Comment: "Thanks for the link but my text is dealing with the period before the fountains were installed at Versailles."
+1
1 hr
hydraulic engineer
Declined
I believe this is an even more 'official' term, though perhaps more confusing, in view of the more modern meaning of 'hydraulic'. But in a clearly-defined context like yours, I believe it could be viable...
25 Google hits associate it with Versailles:
24184 Olausson 2126.
... of Vaux-le-Vicomte and the water parterre at ... bosquets at Clagny and at Versailles like les ... professionals – both gardeners and HYDRAULIC ENGINEERS – and the ...
taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/ index/XUU6KEMBU62HUMVQ.pdf
25 Google hits associate it with Versailles:
24184 Olausson 2126.
... of Vaux-le-Vicomte and the water parterre at ... bosquets at Clagny and at Versailles like les ... professionals – both gardeners and HYDRAULIC ENGINEERS – and the ...
taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/ index/XUU6KEMBU62HUMVQ.pdf
Peer comment(s):
agree |
df49f (X)
: you're welcome - fontainiers are indeed hydraulic engineers, not just canal engineers -I did a whole conference EN/FR on la "machine de Marly" and the fontainiers who worked on this amazing system
1 hr
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Thank,s, df49f!
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Comment: "Thanks for the input. I agree with you about possible confusion with "hydraulic". Your answer works too but I can only choose one and I think Bourth's answer works better throughout the text."
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