"ils ne s’encombrent jamais d’une rivale embarrassante" - they don't take kindly to unwelcome rivals ( translation glossary) Games / Video Games / Gaming / Casino,Art/Literary

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	"ils ne s’encombrent jamais d’une rivale embarrassante"
English translation:	they don't take kindly to unwelcome rivals
Entered by:	Mari O'Keefe

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1:26pm Feb 11, 2007

French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Games / Video Games / Gaming / Casino

French term or phrase: "ils ne s’encombrent jamais d’une rivale embarrassante"

This sentence appears in the following piece of dialogue. Any ideas on how to translate it?

Eleanor: Mais au fait, je ne me suis même pas présentée. Je m’appelle Eleanor. Oh, mais dis-moi, j’adore ce que tu portes! Tu sais s’ils font les mêmes pour fille ? N’hésite pas à m’appeler si tu as besoin de quelqu’un pour t’aider à t’habiller de manière décente. Quoi qu’il en soit....bienvenue chez les dingues !

Sandy: Ne fais pas attention à eux et à tout ce qu’ils peuvent bien te raconter. Crois-moi, ces deux là ne sont pas très fréquentables.

Carol: Quel accueil, ça fait chaud au cœur. Ils sont toujours comme ça ?

Sandy: Non, ça leur arrive d’être sympa de temps à autre. Mais je préfère te prévenir tout de suite, ils ne s’encombrent jamais d’une rivale embarrassante. Alors reste prudente.

Carol:Ne t’inquiète pas, je m’en souviendrai.

Mari O'Keefe

KudoZ activity
Questions: 138 (3 open)
Answers: 0

United Kingdom

they won't welcome a (potential) rival aboard

Explanation:

another way of putting it

Selected response from:

Anca Nitu
Canada

Note from asker to answerer

Really nicely put. Thank you, Anca!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +2

They never let a rival stand in their way

Alain Pommet

3 +1

they won't welcome a (potential) rival aboard

Anca Nitu

they will never burden themselves with a rival who could get in their way.

Sigrid Junkermann

They don't take kindly to unwelcome rivals.

jonno

they never take on the hindrance of a potential rival in their group

Emma Paulay

Answers

21 mins confidence:

ils ne s’encombrent jamais d’une rivale embarrassante they never take on the hindrance of a potential rival in their group

Explanation:
A fairly clumsy first attempt, but that's the idea.

Emma Paulay
France
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

38 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

They never let a rival stand in their way

Explanation:

Another idea. Interestingly 's'encombrer' and 'embarrassant' have similar meanings of 'getting in the way', being burdensome.

Conversely we say 'clear the way to do something'.

Alain Pommet
France
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

3 hrs confidence:

ils ne s’encombrent jamais d’une rivale embarrassante they will never burden themselves with a rival who could get in their way.

Explanation:
from what I understand this is about being or not being accepted into a group that is self-interested, and wants to move on without being disturbed/held back by anything or anyone. A rival (to one of their members - or to the whole group) in their ranks would keep them from doing so.

Sigrid Junkermann
United States
Native speaker of:

German

4 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

they won't welcome a (potential) rival aboard

Explanation:

another way of putting it

Anca Nitu
Canada
Native speaker of:

Romanian
PRO pts in category: 4

Note from asker to answerer

Really nicely put. Thank you, Anca!

1 day2 hrs confidence:

ils ne s’encombrent jamais d’une rivale embarrassante They don't take kindly to unwelcome rivals.

Explanation:
I know it's closed but I just thought it looked a bit clunky for teenager dialogue.

I'm not totally sure of the context, but it looks something like:
"They don't take kindly to unwelcome rivals."

jonno
France
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

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French: "ils ne s’encombrent jamais d’une rivale embarrassante"

English translation: they don't take kindly to unwelcome rivals