Oct 20, 2008 16:49
15 yrs ago
French term
rêveuses d'elles-mêmes
French to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Hi
A scene in a fictional bar.... the mood is "gentleman's club", leather armchairs, dark wood, vintage malts...
Various imaginary customers are described, including:
"Deux femmes blondes et rêveuses d'elles-mêmes."
Just before this, the customers as a whole are said to be "occupés d'eux-mêmes" which I've translated as "wrapped up in themselves."
As ever, thanks for your help.
A scene in a fictional bar.... the mood is "gentleman's club", leather armchairs, dark wood, vintage malts...
Various imaginary customers are described, including:
"Deux femmes blondes et rêveuses d'elles-mêmes."
Just before this, the customers as a whole are said to be "occupés d'eux-mêmes" which I've translated as "wrapped up in themselves."
As ever, thanks for your help.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+3
22 mins
Selected
(indulging) in self-absorbed reveries
in fantasy worlds of their own
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Wow, I almost regret asking this because the answers are all so brilliant, making it tough to choose one! In the end I am going for "lost in worlds of their own" which I hope captures the self-absorbed aspect in "of their own" and the dreaming aspect in "lost". A huge thank you Emma and all for your help, I couldn't have done without it. "
24 mins
Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Specializes in field
United Kingdom
poetically precise prose with... panache
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
80
aspiring; ambitious
a bit of a long shot, but I see this as having dreams for their (own) future(s)
OR, you could say
"wrapped in their own dreams for the future",
and replace your "wrapped up in themselves" (which I think is lovely!) with "self-centred"
Perhaps!
OR, you could say
"wrapped in their own dreams for the future",
and replace your "wrapped up in themselves" (which I think is lovely!) with "self-centred"
Perhaps!
+1
1 hr
Jonathan MacKerron
Native in English
Retired as of Jan 2019!
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
22
can't seem to get over themselves / full of themselves
a couple more
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Note added at 1 hr (2008-10-20 17:58:10 GMT)
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in their own space
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Note added at 1 hr (2008-10-20 17:58:10 GMT)
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in their own space
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Edward LAMB
: A good, trendy, contemporary version, in the given context...
2 hrs
|
1 hr
French term (edited):
rêveuses d\'elles-mêmes
...narcissistic illusions
"Two blonds lost in their respective narcissistic illusions..."
6 hrs
Anne Farina
France
France
Native in French
&
English
Works in field
France
With passion and complicity...
Native in: French 
, English
Works in: English to French, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
8
dreaming their lives away
...
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Note added at 6 hrs (2008-10-20 23:04:41 GMT)
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dreaming about themselves and the lives they'd like to have
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Note added at 6 hrs (2008-10-20 23:04:41 GMT)
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dreaming about themselves and the lives they'd like to have
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Edward LAMB
: "Only trouble is, gee whiz...", ain't (sic) that an old Everly Brothers lyric...?!!!
5 hrs
|
+4
19 mins
absorbed/engrossed
Self-absorbed sounds a bit too harsh for "reveuse", so I'm just brainstorming here to get the ball rolling.
Absorbed/engrossing in their own dreams...
Dreaming their me-centred dreams, self-centred dreams
Dreaming of me, myself and I
Two blondes who star in their own dreams
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Note added at 21 mins (2008-10-20 17:10:45 GMT)
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Didn't mean to set the confidence so high on that, since I'm just tossing ideas around...
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Note added at 15 hrs (2008-10-21 08:01:28 GMT)
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I'm certainly not saying that engrossed is by any means the best choice, but I do have to take issue with it being "unfortunate".
engrossed: to take or engage the whole attention of : occupy completely <ideas that have engrossed the minds of scholars for generations> <self-engrossed>
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Note added at 15 hrs (2008-10-21 08:09:40 GMT)
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Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield - Google Books Result
by Katherine Mansfield - 2006 - Fiction - 688 pages
It simply was that we were such egoists, so self-engrossed, so wrapped up in ourselves that we hadn'ta corner in our hearts for anybody else. ...
books.google.com/books?isbn=1840222654...
Absorbed/engrossing in their own dreams...
Dreaming their me-centred dreams, self-centred dreams
Dreaming of me, myself and I
Two blondes who star in their own dreams
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Note added at 21 mins (2008-10-20 17:10:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Didn't mean to set the confidence so high on that, since I'm just tossing ideas around...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 hrs (2008-10-21 08:01:28 GMT)
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I'm certainly not saying that engrossed is by any means the best choice, but I do have to take issue with it being "unfortunate".
engrossed: to take or engage the whole attention of : occupy completely <ideas that have engrossed the minds of scholars for generations> <self-engrossed>
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 hrs (2008-10-21 08:09:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield - Google Books Result
by Katherine Mansfield - 2006 - Fiction - 688 pages
It simply was that we were such egoists, so self-engrossed, so wrapped up in ourselves that we hadn'ta corner in our hearts for anybody else. ...
books.google.com/books?isbn=1840222654...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Dylan Edwards
: yes, or maybe "dreamily self-absorbed", if that softens the effect of "self-absorbed" a bit
1 hr
|
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Hi Dylan, thanks, I think that could work well
|
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| agree |
Mark Nathan
: self-absorbed
1 hr
|
|
thanks Mark
|
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| agree |
Sandra Mouton
: blondes who star in their own dreams. I think 'absorbed' is more suitable to "occupés d'eux-mêmes"
2 hrs
|
|
thanks Sandra
|
|
| neutral |
Edward LAMB
: I have to disagree with "engrossed", which seems, to my ears, a most unfortunate, ambiguous choice of words... Had you preferred to "toss in" your fourth idea: "blondes who star in their own dreams", I could only have agreed...Yet, in the final analysis..
3 hrs
|
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What do you mean had I preferred to toss it in? I did include it as an idea. Sorry for my "unfortunate" choice of word - as I stated clearly, I was merely brainstorming to help get the ball rolling.
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| agree |
mill2
: something along the lines of Dylan's suggestion
16 hrs
|
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thanks Mill, I like Dylan's suggestion too
|
+1
59 mins
lost in their vaporous thoughts
I don't know why but "vaporous" came to mind - I suppose as in "vaporous blond" which would seem to be the connotation in this context - as they are rêveuses d'elles-mêmes, maybe vaporous (rêverie, daydreaming, imagination) could work here
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Note added at 1 day12 hrs (2008-10-22 05:47:52 GMT)
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For what it's worth, I'd just like to add a few thoughts. This is not in my opinion a usual expression in French (I have never heard of anyone talk of someone as being "rêveuse d'elle-même) and therefore, this being a literary translation, I think an attempt should be made to render this unusual aspect. Furthermore, the more I think about the expression, the more it seems to me that they are not so much wrapped up in themselves as in the image they wish or hope to project of themselves - one which is unattainable (a Hollywood image?) and in stark contrast to the reality at the bar. So they are having thoughts of what they wish they could be, not of what they actually are. Another suggestion, therefore, might be "lost in vaporous thoughts of themselves".
Perhaps also "d'eux-mêmes" and "d'elle-mêmes" is important for the rhythm in the source text which may not be rendered so well in English with "themselves" and "themselves". But you have mentioned "wrapped up" which is good and which you might use twice in order to compensate. Just wanted to share some ideas!
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Note added at 1 day12 hrs (2008-10-22 05:47:52 GMT)
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For what it's worth, I'd just like to add a few thoughts. This is not in my opinion a usual expression in French (I have never heard of anyone talk of someone as being "rêveuse d'elle-même) and therefore, this being a literary translation, I think an attempt should be made to render this unusual aspect. Furthermore, the more I think about the expression, the more it seems to me that they are not so much wrapped up in themselves as in the image they wish or hope to project of themselves - one which is unattainable (a Hollywood image?) and in stark contrast to the reality at the bar. So they are having thoughts of what they wish they could be, not of what they actually are. Another suggestion, therefore, might be "lost in vaporous thoughts of themselves".
Perhaps also "d'eux-mêmes" and "d'elle-mêmes" is important for the rhythm in the source text which may not be rendered so well in English with "themselves" and "themselves". But you have mentioned "wrapped up" which is good and which you might use twice in order to compensate. Just wanted to share some ideas!
Reference:
Note from asker:
| Thank you lundy for "lost" which was important here and for your comment. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Andy Bliss
: I don't quite know why, but I agree with you. I guess because it conjures up the classy, voluptuous yet mildly seedy feel of certain Paris clubs. It's also a very pretty phrase in English.
22 hrs
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Well thank you Andy!
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