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patrimoine 'noir'

English translation: dark heritage

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	patrimoine 'noir'
English translation:	dark heritage
Entered by:	Michele Fauble

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08:48 Oct 13, 2005

French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Anthropology

French term or phrase: patrimoine 'noir'

This is a doc talking about the dark side of heritage: cock-fighting.

I need to find a way of getting round the use of 'black' heritage, which can be confused with the heritage of black populations.

"Le cas d’un patrimoine « noir » : les combats de coqs dans le Nord de la France"
"Une partie de ces pratiques se rattache à des comportements jugés « inquiétants », irrationnels, voire même « dangereux » : c’est le cas des combats de coqs, mais on pourrait citer le phénomène des voyants et des envoûteurs, la sorcellerie au village, certaines formes de chasse, tout ce qui pourrait faire partie d’un patrimoine « noir »"
"Mais doit-on diviser le patrimoine en un versant blanc et un versant noir : le premier, digne d’intérêt (beffrois, machines agricoles, jeux traditionnels) et dont la protection est encouragée ; le second, néfaste ; qu’il convient de faire disparaître ?"

I'd be grateful for any ideas you have on how to avoid the white/black image...

Anna Kiff KudoZ activity Questions: 69 (2 open) (7 closed without grading) Answers: 32
Local time: 18:00

dark heritage

Explanation:
'Dark heritage' is often used of those practices that are held in low regard.

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Note added at 25 mins (2005-10-13 09:14:04 GMT)
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... about cockfighting, New Mexico’s dark "heritage" that refuses to die. ...
www.desertexposure.com/200503/200503_cockfighting.html

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Note added at 48 mins (2005-10-13 09:37:52 GMT)
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The European Union's bright heritage of culture and traditions ...
myeurope.eun.org/eun.org2/eun/en/myEurope_News/content.cfm?ov=31036&lang=en

Selected response from:

Michele Fauble
Local time: 10:00

Grading comment

Thanks for all your help
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +6

dark heritage

Michele Fauble

5 +2

dark side or darker side of our heritage

Jane Lamb-Ruiz

murky heritage

Rachel Fell

sinister traditions

Conor McAuley

infamous/discreditable

suezen

shameful side of our heritage

GillW

Discussion entries: 4

Answers

23 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

dark heritage

Michele Fauble
Local time: 10:00
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thanks for all your help

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Vicky Papaprodromou: An even clearer example for 'dark heritage/history' at: http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/01/25/france.holocaust/

12 mins

-> thanks

agree

xxxBourth: Abs. no prob. with any supernatural connotations since the text goes on to include those. I'd throw in religion while I'm at it ... Keep away from the Dark Side. May the Force be with you.

28 mins

-> thanks

agree

Jocelyne S

30 mins

-> thanks

agree

Flo Demolis: dark heritage, absolutely. I find it more difficult to translate "le versant blanc"... the lighter side, as opposed to the darker side?

33 mins

-> thanks

agree

Elizabeth Lyons

1 hr

-> thanks

agree

French Foodie

1 hr

-> thanks

neutral

Jane Lamb-Ruiz: Michele..I'm afraid this is making my ears ring..darker side...a style thing, IMO

9 hrs

-> thanks ('dark' + 'heritage' is a frequent collocation)

9 mins confidence:

infamous/discreditable

Explanation:
unedifying, shocking ....

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Note added at 11 mins (2005-10-13 09:00:44 GMT)
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disreputable/reputable

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Note added at 52 mins (2005-10-13 09:41:45 GMT)
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Maybe you could also use 'good' and 'bad', keeping the inverted commas ...

suezen
Local time: 18:00
Native speaker of:

English