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boiseries

English translation: restoration or design

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21:17 Jul 19, 2011

French to English translations [PRO]
Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting / Cabinet making

French term or phrase: boiseries

cabinet maker's sign/or home page introducing his main area's of work

EBENISTERIE - Atelier de Fabrication
Bibliothèques
Boiseries
Meubles
Chaises

Is 'boiseries' woodworking or panelling?

Lisa Melvin KudoZ activity Questions: 34 (none open) Answers: 0 United Kingdom
Local time: 06:41

English translation:restoration or design

Explanation:
While I agree with all who translate "boiseries" as "panelling", "boiseries" in the context of fine woodworking includes sculpting, refinishing, matching wood types and structure, which, IMO, is closer to the English sense of restoration and/or design.

Selected response from:

mannix
Local time: 07:41

Grading comment

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided
4 +5	decorative woodwork	xxxmediamatrix
4 +3	paneling	cc in nyc
4 +2	woodwork	David Vaughn
3	restoration or design	mannix

Discussion entries: 4

Answers

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

woodwork

Explanation:
lots of stuff

David Vaughn
Local time: 07:41
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 265

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

agree

Nikki Scott-Despaigne

17 mins

neutral

cc in nyc: In the USA "woodwork" is commonly used for interior wood trim – doors, stairways and moldings

18 mins

-> Which is indeed included in what an ébéniste does. From the list given, it is clear this has to be kept open. This artisan is probably not limiting themself.

disagree

xxxmediamatrix: Do you think your readers would know that 'woodwork' excludes parquet floors? // We are trying to find an adequate translation for the source text, not doing a sales pitch.

1 hr

-> ;-)) No decorative floors? It's more important to not exclude business for this guy than to worry people thinks he does floors. About floors, he can say no if that is the case. But a lost customer because of a too narrow advertisement is lost forever.

agree

gallagy2: think it's possibly decorative but also take point (NSD/YOU) about keeping it more general. Anyway, it's not wrong so shouldn't have disagree imo

1 hr

agree

Wordeffect: The best option without being too limiting. As you say below, the general reader might not get "decorative" as opposed to "structural".

10 hrs

neutral

Christopher Crockett: Have to agree with cc here --clearly this ébéniste does woodworking (duh); the list of the specific *types* of ww he does need not/should not be redundant: "Bookcases, Paneling, Furniture (or Cabinets), Chairs"

15 hrs

7 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

decorative woodwork

Explanation:
Not just 'panelling' - any kind of decorative woodwork (rood screens in churches, for example), as distinct from structural elements (which are the produced by carpenters)

xxxmediamatrix
Local time: 01:41
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

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

agree

philgoddard: Yes, panelling is a bit narrow.

1 min

agree

cecilea7

14 mins

neutral

Nikki Scott-Despaigne: I would keep this as general as possible.// "Boiserie" is not necessarily decorative.

15 mins

-> What do you find overly specific about 'decorative woodwork'?

neutral

David Vaughn: Are the bookcases also decorative? "Decorative" to me implies a certain approach - you wouldn't call "rustic", "modern" or "Scandinavian" styles "decorative". // Sorry, the reader will not know you mean decorative in opposition to structural -also dubious

36 mins

-> "As distinct from structural elements", as I wrote in my answer. Bookcases, in the context of Asker's text, would more likely fall within the general scope of 'ébenistérie', hence are covered elsewhere in the ST.

agree

1045

1 hr

agree

B D Finch

12 hrs

agree

Christopher Crockett: Agree with David --panelling is, itself, "decorative."

15 hrs

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

paneling

Explanation:
Sounds right to me... and to Larousse also! (I'd give it a 4.5)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 mins (2011-07-19 21:36:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

IMO – and also the online dico – paneling is not just a board of wood. See:

pan·el·ing /ˈpænlɪŋ/
–noun
1. wood or other material made into panels.
2. a surface of panels, especially of decorative wood or woodlike panels..
3. panels collectively.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/paneling [boldface added for emphasis]

Maybe this is a stateside thing?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 42 mins (2011-07-19 21:59:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

BTW, "boiseries" redirects to "panelling" [British spelling] in Wikipedia. (I'm just saying....) ;-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiseries

Reference: http://www.larousse.com/en/dictionaries/french-english/boise...

cc in nyc
Local time: 01:41
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12

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

agree

xxxBourth: Given the other elements, this looks right to me. Now, had we "pews" in there, "rood screens" might also be applicable, but we only get those on Canal+ at midnight on the 1st Sat. of the month.

13 mins

-> Thank you.

agree

piazza d

15 mins

-> Thank you.

neutral

David Vaughn: All wood panelling is boiserie, but the contrary isn't true. // "May" is the important word. My reading of the list is that this is NOT a specialist, but a generalist. Boxing him in, even with fine panelling, is likely to hurt business.

38 mins

-> You make a good point. However, that may not hold in the context of Asker's list, where "boiseries" falls between "bibliothèques" and "meubles"

agree

Christopher Crockett: Yes, he's a generalist --but he is advertising that the "specializes" in these four types of woodwork (among others).

15 hrs

-> Thank you. Yes, that's how I read the list too.

15 hrs confidence:

restoration or design

mannix
Local time: 07:41
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Voters for reclassification
as
PRO / non-PRO

Non-PRO (2): cc in nyc, Nikki Scott-Despaigne

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English translation: restoration or design

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English translation: restoration or design

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