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est-ce qu’il y a un pilote dans l’avion?

English translation: Is anyone running the show? / Who is running this insane asylum? / Is anybody flying this thing? / Is there anyone at the wheel?


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Est-ce qu’il y a un pilote dans l’avion?
English translation:Is anyone running the show? / Who is running this insane asylum? / Is anybody flying this thing? / Is there anyone at the wheel?
Entered by: Anna Maria Augustine at proZ.com
Options:
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22:17 Feb 21, 2005
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Quebec French
French term or phrase: est-ce qu’il y a un pilote dans l’avion?
This is all the context I have. Is there an English equivalent that reflects the same meaning? I'm not sure what this means in French.

La folie de la téléphonie IP résidentielle…

Malgré la venue en force des câblodistributeurs dans ce marché en 2005 (lire en page 2), il semble que plusieurs voient encore la téléphonie IP résidentielle comme une façon de s’enrichir rapidement:

• AAA veut offrir un tel service à travers le Canada en 2005 en commençant par Toronto ;
• la compagnie BBB de Winnipeg vient de lancer un service téléphonique local à travers le Canada pour 14,95$ par mois ;
• CCC vient de lancer un service à Toronto et prévoit ajouter d’autres villes canadiennes ainsi que des villes américaines ;
• DDD, une ESLC de Toronto, prévoit lancer son service en juin 2005 ;
• EEE de Vancouver offre le service local IP de Vancouver ou de… Taiwan !

Est-ce qu’il y a un pilote dans l’avion ?
PB Trans
Who is running the show/Is anyone co-ordinating these programs?
Explanation:
Two possibilities: one less formal, one more serious.
There's a French film with almost the same title meaning - Is there a pilot flying this plane? It's hilarious.
Hope this makes it a little clearer for you.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 48 mins (2005-02-22 01:05:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Come to think of it.if there isn\'t a pilot onboard to fly the plane, then everything could get out of hand - or will get out of hand - and become chaotic.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 55 mins (2005-02-22 01:12:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here\'s the French film
http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm.html?cfilm=36184
It has the original English title in it

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 hrs 32 mins (2005-02-22 13:49:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, definitely go for someone needed to be in charge. On careful thought it just makes more sense to me.
We are getting lots of news articles on same problem with the EU - no-one\'s really co-ordinating it.
Selected response from:

Anna Maria Augustine at proZ.com
France
Local time: 11:39
Grading comment
I wish I could split points because all the input I received was excellent. I gave points to Anna because the client chose "Is anyone running the show?" I added as many answers I could to the glossary.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +5Who is running this insane asylum?
Marian Greenfield
3 +3Who is running the show/Is anyone co-ordinating these programs?Anna Maria Augustine at proZ.com
5Help! / this is a madhouse, get me out of here / Is this a spoof comedy?Bono
3 +1So, who's the boss?
Michael Bastin
3 +1Is there anyone at the wheel ?
Peter Freckleton
4Is there a pilot on board?
Francis MARC
1 +2Is anybody flying this thing?
writeaway


Discussion entries: 14





  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +2
est-ce qu’il y a un pilote dans l’avion?
Is anybody flying this thing?


Explanation:
is the first thing that comes to mind.

writeaway
Local time: 11:39
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  roneill: Brilliant! Just the right register!
6 hrs

agree  NancyLynn
15 hrs
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2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
est-ce qu’il y a un pilote dans l’avion?
Is there a pilot on board?


Explanation:
Is there a pilot on board? - [ Traduire cette page ]
IS THERE A PILOT ON BOARD? © 2001, Hal Stoen. ... Is there a pilot on board? If
so, would you please press the call button over your seat? ...
stoenworks.com/Is%20there%20a%20pilot%20on%20board.html - 11k -

Francis MARC
Local time: 12:39
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
est-ce qu’il y a un pilote dans l’avion?
Who is running this insane asylum?


Explanation:
Sport Taekwondo News by LadyTKD
... I would have told them to go to Hades. Who is running this insane asylum? I have
heard all the sides and frankly all the ego on every corner is getting old. ...
news.ladytkd.com/print.php?sid=3669 - 11k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages

Publish America - Author Message Board
... A WEED, for godsakes! It cost the client millions over the delay. Talk about
who is running this insane asylum... "toss out the bikes. ...
www.publishamerica.com/cgi-bin/ pamessageboard/data/lounge/1991.htm - 42k - Supplemental Result -


Marian Greenfield
Local time: 05:39
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  RHELLER: is anybody in charge here?
4 mins
  -> Hi Rita. Yes, exactly.... depeding on how informal you want to be...

agree  Ian Burley: Or even "Have the lunatics taken over the asylum" if the situation has reached a totally absurd point
48 mins
  -> yes indeed. I like it... shades of A Clockwork Orange, wasn't it??? Good ole Jack Nicholson...

agree  xxxsarahl: I think it was a movie, a comedy.
2 hrs

agree  Assimina Vavoula: Definitely...
8 hrs

agree  ZIL: I like Rita's best
2 days13 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Is there anyone at the wheel ?


Explanation:
To change the metaphor.
Eg
"Dish Network seems to think they are the only people that can do HD PVR – which they can’t even get to work!

Hello? **Is anyone at the wheel** Mr. Ergan?

Or Is anyone in the cockpit - less frequent
EG
"it behooves us to ask my second question -**is anyone in the cockpit**,is someone actually flying this thing,or are we on autopilot? I 've visited drilling rigs and power plant control rooms, so I know that engineers are monitoring the electricity grid, gathering the natural gas,and making sure that the Alaska oil pipeline doesn 't freeze and turn into the world 's largest Chapstick,in Amory Lovins ' memorable phrase."


    Reference: http://www.satelliteguys.us/archive/index.php/t-6757.html
    Reference: http://www.aboutyourtax.com/16499-Re-From-Cleopatra-to-Colum...
Peter Freckleton
Local time: 18:39
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Monica Sandor
12 hrs
  -> thanks
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
est-ce qu’il y a un pilote dans l’avion?
Help! / this is a madhouse, get me out of here / Is this a spoof comedy?


Explanation:
This is the French title of a film. American-English, I think Airplane flying high, in its English version.

The saying is used to mean 'help!' or 'this is nonsense, let me get out of here', 'this is a mad house', etc...

Hearing about the film may help in understanding this. Let's just say it's a spoof comedy, and the title says it all: you have a plane in the air, and ooops no pilot capable of running it all of a sudden. With maximum joking, playing on words and drama all rolled into one. What would you then say if you were in such a situation? HELP!!!!!!

Anything similar to this sense of a mad place and wanting to get out of there, would do. And it's more colloquial than literary, while I'm at it.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs 21 mins (2005-02-22 01:38:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I am not at all sure that the stress is, if there is one at all, on who would be at the wheel in your particular example. In everyday life, this saying is used just to mean \"this is mad\" and not to describe someone taking the wheel at such. It isn\'t standing for who is the lunatic running this show, but this is crazy.
Up to you to see in context if this saying popped up for the author already had in mind to write something about there being a need for someone to put an end to that. But such a line would need and appear very close to this one, if to be deemed influential enough. If to necessitate adding a leading-the-show element to the translation of this actual saying. As otherwise you\'d be rather close to misinterpreting the saying.

Either way, best of luck Pina!

Bono
Local time: 11:39
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  David Goward: Just to confirm that the English title of the film was "Airplane!" (including !).
4 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
est-ce qu’il y a un pilote dans l’avion?
So, who's the boss?


Explanation:
juste une idée comme cela, tant que nous sommes dans les titres de série ou de film.

Michael Bastin
Local time: 06:39
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  xxxsarahl: bonne idée
17 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
est-ce qu’il y a un pilote dans l’avion?
Who is running the show/Is anyone co-ordinating these programs?


Explanation:
Two possibilities: one less formal, one more serious.
There's a French film with almost the same title meaning - Is there a pilot flying this plane? It's hilarious.
Hope this makes it a little clearer for you.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 48 mins (2005-02-22 01:05:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Come to think of it.if there isn\'t a pilot onboard to fly the plane, then everything could get out of hand - or will get out of hand - and become chaotic.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 55 mins (2005-02-22 01:12:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here\'s the French film
http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm.html?cfilm=36184
It has the original English title in it

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 hrs 32 mins (2005-02-22 13:49:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, definitely go for someone needed to be in charge. On careful thought it just makes more sense to me.
We are getting lots of news articles on same problem with the EU - no-one\'s really co-ordinating it.

Anna Maria Augustine at proZ.com
France
Local time: 11:39
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 14
Grading comment
I wish I could split points because all the input I received was excellent. I gave points to Anna because the client chose "Is anyone running the show?" I added as many answers I could to the glossary.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  1045
17 mins
  -> Thanks

agree  David Goward: or " Is anyone running the show?". BTW, the orginal film title was "Airplane!".
5 hrs
  -> Thanks

agree  Assimina Vavoula: I like it too...
6 hrs
  -> Thanks
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