Translators - Translator Resources
ProZ.com global directory of translation services
The translation workplace
Looking for translators or interpreters?   Post translation job | Search translator directory    Premium service
8 Oct 4:47 GMT
New to ProZ.com?  Register (free)
 Login
Search
Translation Home | Language Translation Services | Translation Jobs | Professional Language Translators

French: Changer le pansement et penser le changement

English translation: changing the dressing, addressing the changes to be made



Alchemy ad




KudoZ
The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators... More
« Ingénierie des comp...Return to KudoZ list
beton préfléchi »


GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Changer le pansement et penser le changement
English translation:changing the dressing, addressing the changes to be made
Entered by:J S
Options:
- Contribute to this entry

4:39pm Oct 19, 2005Login or register (free) for more options.
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
French term or phrase: Changer le pansement et penser le changement
Any suggestions on how to translate this play on words into English? For the time being I've got "thinking about change/changing how we think", but maybe there's something better out there...

In a book on radical environmentalism:
Il ne s’agit plus de « changer le pansement, mais de penser le changement » !

Thanks in advance,
Jocelyne.
J S
France
Clarification request(s) and response
Charlie Bavington: 5:45pm Oct 19, 2005: is it just me, or is anyone else getting 2 mystery Answerers here, with no name or anything? -
J S: 5:48pm Oct 19, 2005: Hi Charlie. Yes, I've got the mystery comments on my screen too. Proz seems to be a bit slow tonight, but it should come round at some point (I hope).
Helen Godfrey: 6:00am Oct 24, 2005: Thank you, JS! -

changing the dressing, addressing the changes to be made
Explanation:
Hard because you do not mention what 'il' refers back to but I am working on the assumption that the notion of 'a wound' will work as in:
"The wound can no longer be treated by changing the dressing, but by addressing the changes to be made" or something along those lines, depending on the context.
I cannot think of anything better to fit the exact meaning and the context although 'prevention is better than a cure' could also fit depending on what the last and next paragraphs contain.
Best of luck.
Selected response from:

Helen Godfrey
United Kingdom
Note from asker to answerer
Thank you to all of you for your great suggestions! A lot of food for thought...
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +7changing the dressing, addressing the changes to be made
Helen Godfrey
5While promoting healing, think about changing behavior.
3 +1not cuteRita Heller
4Leave the bandages, think for the ages.
Franck
4Think "real change", not "stopgap measures"Bourth
4Change the bandage vs changing ...
3Think more about curing the illness than patching the sores.
Michael Barnett
2we don't need a plaster, we need a transplantCharlie Bavington
2Think outside the box
NancyLynn


  

Answers

19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Think outside the box

Explanation:
Well, now, it's not a direct translation. It's the same idea, in an English expression.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2005-10-19 16:59:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

changer le pansement : change the bandage
penser le changement : think change

you can't translate it word for word; the pun is lost and besides who will know what you mean?

NancyLynn
Canada
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)


26 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Change the bandage vs changing ...

Explanation:
Ça ne se traduit tout simplement pas. Cette phrase veut dire qu'il ne s'agit plus de panser nos plaies mais plutôt de les guérir ou même de les éviter. En français le slogan passe bien mais je pense que pour traduire ça il faut tout d'abord penser au sens et sacrifier le côté "marketting" du slogan.


Native speaker of:
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)


26 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
While promoting healing, think about changing behavior.

Explanation:
Literally, while you change the dressing of a wound, think about changing everything else.


Native speaker of:
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)


39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +7
changing the dressing, addressing the changes to be made

Explanation:
Hard because you do not mention what 'il' refers back to but I am working on the assumption that the notion of 'a wound' will work as in:
"The wound can no longer be treated by changing the dressing, but by addressing the changes to be made" or something along those lines, depending on the context.
I cannot think of anything better to fit the exact meaning and the context although 'prevention is better than a cure' could also fit depending on what the last and next paragraphs contain.
Best of luck.

Helen Godfrey
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Note from asker to answerer
Thank you to all of you for your great suggestions! A lot of food for thought...

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree Lesley Clayton: Hi Helen, I think 'prevention is better than cure' probably does it.
10 mins
  -> Thanks, Lesley
agree Charlie Bavington: "il" is prob'ly the whole issue (of radical env.), an impersonal "il s'agit de...", but anyway, I think your headline suggestion is superb, especially if the asker *can* fix it to give it a "medical" angle (maybe a sore is another option besides wound?)
24 mins
  -> Thank you, Charlie
agree Rita Heller: not bad :-)
1 hr
  -> :-) Thanks!
agree Sylvia Smith: clever!
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Sylvia
agree sktrans
7 hrs
  -> Thanks
agree bluebird5: nice!
7 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree Glen McCulley: just stumbled on this one: very nice indeed!
1074 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
we don't need a plaster, we need a transplant

Explanation:
Obviously, the idea is that there's no point tinkering about, radical change is required.
I guess this suggestion is still stuck in the medical area - you could change plaster (UK; band aid for the US) for bandage or any other minor medical procedure (stitches?).

Depends how free you wanna be, and what comes after.

Another possibility, say, completely unrelated to the French but starting off using an English idiom - "there's no point papering over the cracks, we need to design a new house"

Charlie Bavington
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
not cute

Explanation:
I know this is probably too serious but it gets the point across

stop fixing/patching the system, affect real/true change

no more bandaids, we need real change

quick fixes don't work, let's think long-term

Rita Heller
United States
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree NancyLynn: no more band-aids, we need real change
3 hrs
  -> have your megaphone ready? :-)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)


5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Think more about curing the illness than patching the sores.

Explanation:
The illness is the destruction of the environment.

Michael Barnett
Canada
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)


6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Think "real change", not "stopgap measures"

Explanation:
While contrepéterie is regarded by many as an art form, Spoonerisms are little more than amusing peculiarities, so even if you had the time and imagination, there would be little point in looking for a cutesey equivalent.

Think "real change", not "stopgap measures".
Don't fix it, change it (dear Lizah, dear Lizah)

Bourth
France
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 40
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)


14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Leave the bandages, think for the ages.

Explanation:
A simple rhyme instead of a spoonerism & pun but —the challenge was difficult to meet!

Franck
France
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)





Return to KudoZ list

Copyright © 1999-2008 ProZ.com - All rights reserved. Privacy policy