https://www.proz.com/kudoz/french-to-english/finance-general/86141-soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9-g%C3%A9n%C3%A9rale.html?

'Société Générale'

English translation: Société Générale (de Belgique)

07:01 Sep 14, 2001
French to English translations [PRO]
Finance (general)
French term or phrase: 'Société Générale'
I am currently working on a small Flemish-English translation (a mini biography about a Belgian engineer), and am having problems with the above French phrase.

The sentence is as follows (translated into English):

In those days, 'industry' was synonymous with the 'Société Générale'.

All suggestions welcome - KudoZ points will be awarded asap.

Thanks,

Pikey
Anne Key (X)
Local time: 12:49
English translation:Société Générale (de Belgique)
Explanation:
Your document refers to the Société Générale de Belgique (SGB), which was Belgium's largest industrial and banking holding group for most of the last century until it was taken over by the French Suez Group in the late 80s.

Please note that the SGB had nothing to do with the French Société Générale, created after the 2nd World War -- contrary to what many of my colleagues have written.

Because the SGB's economic power derived from the whole of the Belgian empire, including the mining riches of Congo, its size and influence were immense in relation to the small country that Belgium is -- hence the reference to industry being synonymous with it.

The history of the SGB goes back to 1822 -- before Belgium was even born -- when King William I of Holland created the "Société Générale des Pays-Bas pour favoriser l'industrie nationale". After Belgium became an independent kingdom in 1830, the company became the "Société Générale pour favoriser l'industrie nationale" until 1905, when it was renamed the Société Générale de Belgique.
Selected response from:

VBaby
Local time: 12:49
Grading comment
Extremely detailed and very useful answer - many thanks to everyone for their suggestions, it definitely helped clarify matters!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1Société Générale (de Belgique)
VBaby
4 +1Société Générale = name of big French bank
Klaus Dorn (X)
4 +1Société générale
Serge L
2 +2'Société Générale'
martina schneider
5 -1Societe Generale
peterver
4 -1Société générale
Serge L


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +2
'Société Générale'


Explanation:
I suppose this is the name of a firm, so I would not translate it !

martina schneider
Germany
Local time: 13:49

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Maya Jurt: Yes it is
8 mins

agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne
13 mins
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Société Générale = name of big French bank


Explanation:
it's the name of one of the biggest French banks, hence I suppose what they are trying to say here is that all of industry was financed by them.

Klaus Dorn (X)
Local time: 15:49
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marian Greenfield
9 mins

agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne
11 mins

disagree  VBaby: Reference is to the former Société Générale de Belgique, totally unrelated to the French bank Société Générale
2 hrs
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Société générale


Explanation:
I think you'd better leave it untranslated.

The "société générale" is one of the biggest Belgian financial holdings.

The titile of their English web page is "Société générale group"

HTH,

Serge L.




    Reference: http://www.socgen.com/en/html/index_en.htm
Serge L
Local time: 13:49
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  VBaby: Your link refers to the French Société Générale, which is totally unrelated to the former Société Générale de Belgique
2 hrs
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Société générale


Explanation:
I think you'd better leave it untranslated.

The "société générale" is one of the biggest Belgian financial holdings.

The titile of their English web page is "Société générale group"

HTH,

Serge L.




    Reference: http://www.socgen.com/en/html/index_en.htm
Serge L
Local time: 13:49
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: Previous answers right too of course - must capitalise both nouns in English - always useful to have the ref to check!
1 min
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Societe Generale


Explanation:
being Belgian we definitely know them
the 'Flemish' name of the bank is 'Generale Bank'

peterver
Local time: 12:49

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Serge L: (ex-)Generale Bank=Générale de Banque, while "Société générale"="generale Maatschappij)
12 mins
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Société Générale (de Belgique)


Explanation:
Your document refers to the Société Générale de Belgique (SGB), which was Belgium's largest industrial and banking holding group for most of the last century until it was taken over by the French Suez Group in the late 80s.

Please note that the SGB had nothing to do with the French Société Générale, created after the 2nd World War -- contrary to what many of my colleagues have written.

Because the SGB's economic power derived from the whole of the Belgian empire, including the mining riches of Congo, its size and influence were immense in relation to the small country that Belgium is -- hence the reference to industry being synonymous with it.

The history of the SGB goes back to 1822 -- before Belgium was even born -- when King William I of Holland created the "Société Générale des Pays-Bas pour favoriser l'industrie nationale". After Belgium became an independent kingdom in 1830, the company became the "Société Générale pour favoriser l'industrie nationale" until 1905, when it was renamed the Société Générale de Belgique.


    Reference: http://www.meespiersongonet.com/hist_brussels.htm
    Reference: http://www.rtbf.be/defis/140498.html
VBaby
Local time: 12:49
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 86
Grading comment
Extremely detailed and very useful answer - many thanks to everyone for their suggestions, it definitely helped clarify matters!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mary Lalevee: Yes exactly.Basically ran Congo.
3 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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