Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.
You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
French to English translations [PRO] Cinema, Film, TV, Drama / Film Festivals
French term or phrase:Un titre bidon
I´m translating a text about a controversial Polish film that was screened at a famous film festival. The text is written by the festival´s director. He is describing how they managed to get the film to the festival location to screen it.
I´m having difficulty coming up with a good translation of "Un titre bidon". "title" doesn´t seem relevant here and the usual translations of bidon (fake, dummy, false, phoney, etc.) don´t seem to do the job either.
The best I´ve come up with so far is "write any old silly thing".
Any ideas gratefully received! Thanks in advance!
(Note: pls see my other posting on this paragraph)
«Pour le faire venir en fraude, XXXX, son distributeur avait transvasé les bobines dans de vieilles boîtes toutes rouillées. Je lui avais fait jurer de n’en parler à personne. « Qu’est-ce que je peux marquer sur l’étiquette pour la douane ? m’avait demandé XXXX. – Un titre bidon… Mettez J’irais cracher sur vos tombes, au moins je m’en rappellerai… »
Explanation: I think that a phony title actually is the right idea here, though I would probably use "a trumped-up title," which I like better... Then the speaker suggests something different – something too ridiculous, too extreme, too likely to call attention to the canisters ("J’irais cracher sur vos tombes").
But since you seem not to like the phony/trumped-up idea, I suggest instead "Make something up" – better here IMO than "write any silly old thing" [note anyway that I changed the order of the adjectives].
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 22 mins (2011-06-28 20:29:51 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
(oops, sorry; I forgot to turn bold off)
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 32 mins (2011-06-28 20:40:32 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
I just read Leslie Marcus' post on the "au moins..." question... Newly informed that the Vian film may have been contemporaneous , I think "un titre bidon" should perhaps be translated as "any old title."
...And it looks like my "Answer" should have been a Discussion entry. :o
I have given the points to cc in nyc since they added this translation to their Answer at a later stage and it is the one I used. Thanks also to Tony for giving me the entire phrase, 'Just make up any old title' 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
actually the title of a highly controversial (and often banned) "video nasty" made at the end of the 1970s (and remade in 2010). So it does seem as if the suggestion is to put an actual film title, rather than 'any old thing'.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
12 mins confidence:
Put anything you (bloody) like
Explanation: ...would be my attempt. You pretty much had it already, as far as I can see.
Martyn G United States Local time: 00:50 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +4
