Jun 18, 2013 17:11
11 yrs ago
French term
le plaisir de la natte
Non-PRO
French to English
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
sexualité
Contexte: en Inde les couples dorment dans la même pièce que le reste de la famille, par terre sur des nattes, et y font tout ce que des couples normaux font la nuit dans la chambre à coucher. Est-ce qu'il existe une expression équivalente en anglais?
La phrase complète (on parle d'une déesse, mais cette info ne vous aidera pas ici) : "La nourriture souillée ou les autres impuretés ne la dérangent pas. Mais le plaisir de la natte, ça, elle ne le tolère pas!"
Merci!
La phrase complète (on parle d'une déesse, mais cette info ne vous aidera pas ici) : "La nourriture souillée ou les autres impuretés ne la dérangent pas. Mais le plaisir de la natte, ça, elle ne le tolère pas!"
Merci!
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +1 | pleasures of the flesh |
Jane F
|
| 4 | the two-backed beast on the mat |
Huw Davies
|
| 3 | promiscuity |
kashew
|
Proposed translations
+1
40 mins
Selected
pleasures of the flesh
self-explanatory!
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Note added at 14 hrs (2013-06-19 07:45:00 GMT)
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Perhaps 'marital relations' would be more in line with the woman's way of speaking?
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Note added at 14 hrs (2013-06-19 07:45:00 GMT)
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Perhaps 'marital relations' would be more in line with the woman's way of speaking?
Note from asker:
| I agree with Damien. The person speaking here is an elderly low caste village woman who would never be so straight forward....I would prefer something else... |
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Damien Poussier
: That's probably a bit too self-explanatory. The original uses an euphemism that's more removed from reality than "pleasures of the flesh".
8 mins
|
|
do you have a better idea?
|
|
| agree |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
: Actually, I think this works quite well, although DP has a point. A number of possibilities I've considered, including using mat for "natte", make it seem that on the mat it's no, elsewhere it's maybe. Not the same idea as the original.
15 mins
|
|
thanks Nikki!
|
|
| agree |
Victoria Britten
: how about putting the two together: marital pleasures?
21 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I finally decided to keep this, as it is important to understand what she is talking about...and am not sure readers will get what is meant if I use an euphemism. Thanks to all for your contributions! "
16 hrs
promiscuity
*
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Note added at 16 heures (2013-06-19 09:55:07 GMT)
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More implicitly sexual in English compared with French (overcrowding). Charnel goings on. Wrestling on the mat euphemistically!
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Note added at 16 heures (2013-06-19 09:55:07 GMT)
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More implicitly sexual in English compared with French (overcrowding). Charnel goings on. Wrestling on the mat euphemistically!
1 day 16 hrs
Huw Davies
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Works in field
United Kingdom
Finding 'le mot juste'
Native in: English (Variant: UK)
Works in: Russian to English, French to English
the two-backed beast on the mat
'Making the two-backed beast' is a very old euphemism for sexual intercourse, so you could say: '...but as for the two-backed beast on the mat, she can't stand it!'
Example sentence:
'...your daughter and the Moor are now making-the-beast-with-two-backs'
Note from asker:
| Hi Huw! Thanks for this contribution. Is this expression globally understood by today's English speakers (if it's old)? I like it, but am afraid my readers won't understand it. |
Discussion
I would prefer to stick to the French phrasé, since I am quoting an interview of a low caste village woman, and every word and the level of language is meaningful. The "impuretés" only relate to food here. The entire point is to say that the goddess who is meant here has no problems with stuff that other Hindu gods are said to reject (i.e. impurity in terms of soiled food offering, alcohol, blood - it's here the Hindu concept of impurity), but cannot stand seeing other people having sexual intercourse while she cannot (her myth tells how she was repudiated by her husband and cursed to live on as a very ugly woman).