jeune artiste pas du tout prometteur

English translation: Quite unpromising young artist, endlessly seeking new direction

15:09 Feb 14, 2007
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting / Boualam Mehdi
French term or phrase: jeune artiste pas du tout prometteur
Jeune artiste pas du tout prometteur, sans cesse en quête de recherche.
I can't get my head around this one! The remainder of this short summary reads:
Mélange de figuratif et d'abstrait. Mèlant la BD à la peinture.
Amy Grieve
Local time: 15:34
English translation:Quite unpromising young artist, endlessly seeking new direction
Explanation:
if the source text is vague and waffly, I say stay vague and waffly in your translation...
Selected response from:

Alanna Wilson-Duff
Local time: 01:34
Grading comment
Thank you - this was very helpful.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +7Quite unpromising young artist, endlessly seeking new direction
Alanna Wilson-Duff
4 +2young artist (painter?) totally devoid of (lacking in) talent, constantly...
CMJ_Trans (X)
4A not very promising artist, always trying to learn
Veronica Coquard
4in the search of inspiration
Bridget Jean
4The meaning: young artist with little talent and future in art who is constantly looking for his own
Johanne Benoit-Gallagher
4a not very promising young artist incessantly pursuing his quest
Thais Maria Lips
4trying to be experimental
Bourth (X)
3unpromising young artist who always turns around himself in pursuit of something/
Ingeborg Gowans (X)
2young artist showing no promise, endlessly studying [and not creating]
blavatsky


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Sentence help please!
A not very promising artist, always trying to learn


Explanation:
I agree with Eutychus that the "en quête de recherche" doesn't mean much!

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Note added at 9 mins (2007-02-14 15:18:21 GMT)
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Sorry, "a not very promising YOUNG artist..."

Veronica Coquard
France
Local time: 16:34
Native speaker of: English
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Sentence help please!
in the search of inspiration


Explanation:
Je pense que l'auteur voulait dire "en quête d'inspiration"
Ceci dit, étant française, je vous laisse Mesdames et Messieurs les anglophones, trouver la traduction qui conviendra le mieux.

Bridget Jean
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:34
Works in field
Native speaker of: French
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Sentence help please!
The meaning: young artist with little talent and future in art who is constantly looking for his own


Explanation:
La tournure de phrase en maladroite mais peu être comprise.

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Note added at 23 mins (2007-02-14 15:32:33 GMT)
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L'explication a pris trop de place. Même phrase que dans la section des notes :
The meaning: young artist with little talent and future in art who is constantly looking for his own voice (style).

Johanne Benoit-Gallagher
Canada
Local time: 11:34
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
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30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +7
Sentence help please!
Quite unpromising young artist, endlessly seeking new direction


Explanation:
if the source text is vague and waffly, I say stay vague and waffly in your translation...

Alanna Wilson-Duff
Local time: 01:34
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you - this was very helpful.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Veronica Coquard: Nice one! And a funny bunny! :-)
3 mins
  -> thanks inkling!

agree  Miranda Joubioux (X)
26 mins
  -> thanks miranda

agree  katsy
56 mins
  -> thanks katsy

agree  Ben Gaia: indeed
2 hrs
  -> thanks ben

agree  emiledgar: good one!
7 hrs
  -> thanks emiledgar

agree  jean-jacques alexandre: I like it
17 hrs
  -> thanks jean-jaques

agree  Cervin
23 hrs
  -> thanks cervin
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Sentence help please!
young artist (painter?) totally devoid of (lacking in) talent, constantly...


Explanation:
trying to come up with something new (original)

the idea behind 'recherche' is that of originality. When they say: je n'aime pas le style mais je sens qu'il y a quand même de la recherche derrière son oeuvre (for example), they mean that the artist is trying to break new ground, has some original ideas, hwoever well or poorly executed

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 16:34
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 58

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Richard Benham: At least you noticed that he is "pas du tout prometteur" and not just not very promising...!
29 mins

agree  Natasha Dupuy
3 hrs
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38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Sentence help please!
a not very promising young artist incessantly pursuing his quest


Explanation:
none

Thais Maria Lips
United States
Local time: 11:34
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese, Native in EnglishEnglish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Sentence help please!
trying to be experimental


Explanation:
Seems to me they are suggesting that he is trying to be inventive, ahead of his time, experimental, but falling flat on his easel every time.

If an artist wants to get ahead, rather than getting a hat (see below), isn't that what he has to do (be different, not fall on his easel)? Break through, away from, or out of accepted art practice, invent something no one has ever done before, to boldly go where no painter has gone before.

Cubes, points and naked ladies are old hat, so an inspired artist will come up with something else.

I reckon its that, or I'll eat mine (hat, that is).

Bourth (X)
Local time: 16:34
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 94
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Sentence help please!
unpromising young artist who always turns around himself in pursuit of something/


Explanation:
this is maybe too negative, but I think basically this is what is meant here. big ego, no talent, and never getting anywhere?

Ingeborg Gowans (X)
Canada
Local time: 12:34
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 8
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Sentence help please!
young artist showing no promise, endlessly studying [and not creating]


Explanation:
5 cents worth

blavatsky
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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