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biologie
la débrouille supplée les acteurs confirmés

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

C’est le temps des copains

English translation:

Those were the days (past tense, as the st is in historic present)

Added to glossary by Carol Gullidge
Jun 6, 2007 12:13
17 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term

C’est le temps des copains

French to English Art/Literary Other general (obituary in online journal about the late Jean-Claude Brialy)
Don't know if this is a set expression, but I'm having great difficulty with the whole of this first sentence. However, I'll post the phrases separately, only including them all here in case it helps put it all into context. I'm afraid I can't see logical connections between each phrase...

Logically, I assume it was a time when friends helped each other out, a bit of the old boy network??


C’est le temps des copains, quand la débrouille supplée les acteurs confirmés qu’on ne peut se payer, voir Belmondo et Godard. C’est ainsi que Jacques Rivette le prend pour son court métrage, le Coup du berger, en 1956.

Any help would be much appreciated!

TIA
Proposed translations (English)
3 Happy Daze
3 +4 It was all about the buddy system/in those days we relied on the buddy system
3 +2 Back in those days, friends had to pull together
2 +1 it was the time of the rat-pack
3 In those times you had to count on your friends
3 you got by with a little help from your friends
3 Those were the days, my friend
2 It wasn't what you knew, but who you knew

Discussion

Carol Gullidge (asker) Jun 11, 2007:
A fantastic response to this set of questions, which really had me stumped! In fact the author was suddenly waxing lyrical in an otherwise generally prosaic text..

It was Odette who put me on the right track (thanks, Odette!) and Robert who first picked up her thread. So, although I'm actually using Charlie's solution, it was Robert's answer that got me thinking along those lines ain the first place (the lightbulb moment!), and was therefore the most helpful. But I wish the points could be shared! Alanguelaise would be in there as well, with her comment at 2 hours.

Thanks, everybody!
Emma Paulay Jun 6, 2007:
CMJ's song might be Brassens' "Les Copains d'Abord" 1964...
Alanguelaise Jun 6, 2007:
Apparently there was also a French soap called "Le Temps des Copains" that was televised from 1961 (see http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Temps_des_copains)
CMJ_Trans (X) Jun 6, 2007:
I never go to the cinema and I know Brialy from les Grosses Têtes. Anyway I think there was also a song along these lines....
Carol Gullidge (asker) Jun 6, 2007:
I think the real clue to this lies in Odette's comment above. Many thanks, Odette!
Carol Gullidge (asker) Jun 6, 2007:
Poor old Gainsbourg! Can he have been that bad...?
Carol Gullidge (asker) Jun 6, 2007:
Wow!! I'm glad I asked. I had no idea that "le temps des copains" referred to that era.
A terrific response!

"Le Beau Serge" is Brialy's nickname (at least, in the obituary), after the role he had in the film of that name.
CMJ_Trans (X) Jun 6, 2007:
it was Brialy who died. Serge was "Gainsbourg" and he dies ages ago and was pig-ugly
Odette Grille (X) Jun 6, 2007:
Le temps des copains refers to the sixties (well, here 56...). 'Pals' were mentionned in songs and a radio show was called Salut les copains
Carol Gullidge (asker) Jun 6, 2007:
thanks for the great answers so far!

"Le Beau Serge" died a week ago
CMJ_Trans (X) Jun 6, 2007:
he died last week
Jonathan MacKerron Jun 6, 2007:
he must have died recently??

Proposed translations

1 hr
Selected

Happy Daze

Odille is right. This appears to refer to a time in the sixties: puberty, school chums, adolescent crisis, rock 'n' roll, Johnny Halliday.

"Le temps des copains" is used for retro restaurants, a TV series, etc.

There was a popular American TV program (1974-1984) "Happy Days" that captured the essence of this complex, very evocative phrase.

Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, Robert! I didn't use this particluar example, but it got me thinking, and searching..."
+1
2 mins

it was the time of the rat-pack

one possible interpretation

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2007-06-06 12:17:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

it was when actors could could survive thanks to their friends

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2007-06-06 12:19:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

it was back in the days when friends would do anything to help each other
Peer comment(s):
agree Assimina Vavoula
16 mins
thx
neutral Denise DeVries : reference is too recent since the time period referred to is 1956
27 mins
rat-pack had long ended by the mid 70s and since the Oceans 11/12/13 series is not negatively charged at all
Something went wrong...
9 mins

It wasn't what you knew, but who you knew

Sounds like maybe people were relying on inside contacts or mates rather than talent alone, hence my suggestion. Not too sure about it though. Another idea in the mix, anyway!
Something went wrong...
+4
26 mins

It was all about the buddy system/in those days we relied on the buddy system

buddies sounds similar to "copains".

"that period of time was all about the buddy system", or "in those days we/one relied on the buddy system" , or "in those days we turned to our buddies for help"

Peer comment(s):
agree Denise DeVries
3 mins
agree Vicky Papaprodromou
2 hrs
agree Claire Chapman : buddy system even has its own Wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_system
2 hrs
agree katsy : I think this is it - a more general reference to 'copains' (copinage -using your contacts etc...), as I remember (oh, dear!!) Salut les Copains was in the 60's.. oops Alzheimer's ? Odette has already said that about Salut les Copains
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 mins

In those times you had to count on your friends

You had to count on your friends (your gang?) to act in your films because you didn't have enough money to pay well-known actors.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-06-06 13:20:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Belmondo and Godard were the well-known actors that couldn't be afforded. Voir=comme=like here IMO.
Note from asker:
Thanks, Emma! that sounds pretty logical, but how does "voir Belmondo et Godard" fit in?
thanks for the note on "voir". When the rest made no sense, I couldn't figure out which sense of voir was needed here. Now it all fits into place!
Peer comment(s):
neutral katsy : just to say that the Belmondo and Godard ref. is more likely, like Godard (a producer) did with Belmondo (who must have been pretty young at the time.)/ here's a ref.http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Luc_Godard#Premiers_films
5 hrs
Yes you're right. I knew Godard was a producer, but thought perhaps he was an actor first. That'll teach me to take short cuts!
Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

Back in those days, friends had to pull together

Another option!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-06-06 14:45:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or maybe you could say "It was back in the days when you could only get by with a little help from your friends", with the reference to the Beatles lyrics keeping a similar kind of sixties reference
Peer comment(s):
agree Emma Paulay : Like the Beatles ref best!
2 hrs
Thanks, Emma!
agree suezen : so sorry, didn't see this!
2 hrs
No worries! Great minds think alike, and all that ;-)
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

you got by with a little help from your friends

just another idea
Something went wrong...
6 hrs

Those were the days, my friend

Given all the popular cultural references le temps des copains brings up, I wonder whether the above song title might work, especially since it is a slightly sad tune, and possibly in keeping with an obit, and has the added benefits (IMHO) of being reasonably snappy and suitable for the start of a sentence :-)
Note from asker:
Actually, Charlie, I had pre-empted you with this: Those were the days when you could get by with a little help from your friends, etc. - 2 songs with 1 stone! Originally written by a Russian in the 30s, sung by Mary Hopkins, and reminiscing about lost youth. So I think it's perfect. Great minds! I really got the idea from Odette, Robert and Alanguelaise. And thanks!
Something went wrong...
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