Sep 2, 2020 09:17
3 yrs ago
68 viewers *
French term
bois de vache
French to English
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Context:
"Pour ce soir de fête, cependant, ils avaient cuit un pain de seigle en plus dans leur poêle au « bois de vache »."
A destitute Georgian family is cooking bread in a stove, fueling it with cow dung, as they all do in these areas. In French, we use the phrase "bois de vache"... I even thought of making a play of words, something like "cowwood", but honestly I need your advice :)
"Pour ce soir de fête, cependant, ils avaient cuit un pain de seigle en plus dans leur poêle au « bois de vache »."
A destitute Georgian family is cooking bread in a stove, fueling it with cow dung, as they all do in these areas. In French, we use the phrase "bois de vache"... I even thought of making a play of words, something like "cowwood", but honestly I need your advice :)
Proposed translations
(English)
4 +7 | (dried) cow dung cakes or patties | Yvonne Gallagher |
4 +2 | cow dung log | Robert Such |
4 | cow pie | Marco Solinas |
3 -5 | cow's wood | Lisa Rosengard |
Proposed translations
+7
2 hrs
Selected
(dried) cow dung cakes or patties
cakes or patties is the most common way of describing these in US English. They are even sold in the USA for use in religious ceremonies
https://www.vedicvaani.com/cowdung-cakes
Or just dried cow dung fuel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_dung_fuel
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Note added at 5 days (2020-09-07 09:24:45 GMT) Post-grading
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Glad to have helped
https://www.vedicvaani.com/cowdung-cakes
Or just dried cow dung fuel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_dung_fuel
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Note added at 5 days (2020-09-07 09:24:45 GMT) Post-grading
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Glad to have helped
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Daryo
3 hrs
|
Thank you
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agree |
Libby Cohen
: Yes, clearest and most specific phrase. Per NPR, Amazon, various other sites explaining the health and environmental problems related to rural Asian cooking traditions (oven fuelled by cow dung patties/cakes).
4 hrs
|
Thank you//I think "cow" dung should be specified to match the source text, as there are different kinds of dung available.
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|
agree |
Eliza Hall
: Yes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_dung_fuel
4 hrs
|
Thank you. (I already gave that link?)
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|
agree |
AllegroTrans
12 hrs
|
Thank you
|
|
agree |
Tony M
17 hrs
|
Thank you
|
|
agree |
Cyril Tollari
23 hrs
|
Thank you
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agree |
Carol Gullidge
: prefer cow-dung "fuel" to "cakes" or "patties", simply because I'm not only British, but also a squeamish Briton! But I'm sure dung cakes and patties are quite clear to the US audience! However, I actually like "cow-dung pellets" - not to eat of course!
23 hrs
|
Thanks! I'd have thought (dried) cow-dung patties/cakes would be perfectly understandable everywhere as being fuel (used by the poor) not something to eat! No need to be "squeamish":-). //"pellets" are usually wood, for a pellet stove, this part of world
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a lot, Yvonne"
30 mins
cow pie
"cow-pie-fueled" stove
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Note added at 30 mins (2020-09-02 09:48:09 GMT)
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see https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cow pie
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Note added at 30 mins (2020-09-02 09:48:09 GMT)
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see https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cow pie
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Carol Gullidge
: Sadly, this only reminds me of Desperate Dan’s favourite food in the Dandy comic!
36 mins
|
neutral |
Althea Draper
: Depending on the target language, 'cow pie' may be correct for Canadian or US English, but in UK English it would more likely be a 'cowpat'.
36 mins
|
neutral |
Tony M
: This also conjures up to me the idea of putting a WHOLE 'cow-pat/pie' in the stove! I think we need to concentrate on the substance, rather than the form it takes.
1 hr
|
neutral |
AllegroTrans
: Definition of cow pie : a dropping of cow dung; i.e. not 'fuel' at that stage
4 days
|
+2
1 hr
cow dung log
Cow dung log?
But how about 'dung-burning stove' for 'poêle au « bois de vache »'?
But how about 'dung-burning stove' for 'poêle au « bois de vache »'?
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Tony M
: I don't believe they make them into actual 'logs' for use in this kind of stove and in poor areas. / Me too! I would have agreed with that!
9 mins
|
They can be cakes, or patties, too. In any case, I prefer 'dung-burning stove'.
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agree |
Jessica Noyes
: Yes to 'dung-burning stove'
1 hr
|
agree |
Carol Gullidge
: We used to have a machine for making paper logs out of old newspapers, so why not dung logs!
1 day 13 mins
|
-5
13 hrs
cow's wood
"They'd cooked a rye bread on their stove made from cow's wood."
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Note added at 14 hrs (2020-09-02 23:27:10 GMT)
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wordpanda.net/definition/bois-de-vache
Another definition is 'buffalo wood'.
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Note added at 6 days (2020-09-08 21:56:30 GMT) Post-grading
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If it's about the fuel, not the material from which the stove was made, then the words in the original question refer to a stove placed over a furnace for wood burning.
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Note added at 14 hrs (2020-09-02 23:27:10 GMT)
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wordpanda.net/definition/bois-de-vache
Another definition is 'buffalo wood'.
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Note added at 6 days (2020-09-08 21:56:30 GMT) Post-grading
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If it's about the fuel, not the material from which the stove was made, then the words in the original question refer to a stove placed over a furnace for wood burning.
Peer comment(s):
disagree |
AllegroTrans
: 'Stove made from cow's wood' is just nonsense and anyway this is about the fuel. Look at Yvonne's answer and the comments in Dbox
1 hr
|
disagree |
Tony M
: Not only is "cow's wood" nonsensical in EN, but also, the stove isn't made of it — it is just the fuel used.
6 hrs
|
disagree |
Carol Gullidge
: sorry, but your explanation makes no sense, and your proposal had already been dismissed in the Discussion. And THINK about it: a stove made of wood wouldn't last very long! Your Explanation is in quotes for added credibility, but where is its source??
12 hrs
|
disagree |
Yvonne Gallagher
: rather nonsensical. A stove made of wood will burn down on the first occasion!
13 hrs
|
disagree |
B D Finch
: And they brewed tea in a chocolate teapot.
16 hrs
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Discussion
@ Barbara: an unconscionable omission. I proffer my grovelling apologies to afficinados everywhere.
However, the nationality of the target audience had already been established by others on this site, and, as it happens, there is in fact quite a cultural gap regarding choice of vocabulary in this particular case. Of course nobody is claiming the US variations are incorrect, but since this will almost certainly also be read by UK EN readers, it makes sense that it is also palatable to them as well - if that is reasonable and possible without having to contort the TT for the target US readership. Cow Pie was a prime example of this, as I mentioned quite early in the proceedings. But if you feel so strongly about this, why don't you give an Agree to Cow Pie, etc., along with your reasons...
Incidentally, I'd be a bit surprised if no US readers were familiar with Desperate Dan and his famous cow pies, but now I guess I'm showing my age! And perhaps the "Dandy" wasn't published in the US, although we did have it in Nigeria.
If something neutral (and mutually inoffensive, non-hilarious or non-repulsive in both languages!) can be found, that is what I would plump for.
More nostalgia: http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/d/despdan.htm
The Comments are appearing in a totally random order, as well as incredibly slowly...
(A good use, perhaps, for all that methane produced by dairy farming!)
I think you cold easily get away with something simple like "dung fuel" or "manure fuel". Dung is usually from cows, whereas when we talk about manure, we're more usually referring to horse manure...
This is about cow dung:
"It can even be used as fuel. It burns hotter than wood, with no smell or soot, and remains an important fuel in areas around the world
where trees are scarce or absent."
https://www.countrylife.co.uk/nature/11-things-you-never-new...
You're right. But the thing is I don't know this person yet :) Do you think it's incorrect to use KudoZ to ask my questions? I mean I'm not a KudoZ old-timer, so maybe I'm misusing it.