This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English
  3. Management

tour de table

English translation: round table discussion

13:24 Jan 12, 2006
French to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Management
French term or phrase: tour de table
Quelle est la meilleur façon de traduire "tour de table"?
Contexte:
Réunion de travail hebdomadaire en entreprise - Département Ressources Humaines (15 participants) avec en autre à l'ordre du jour:
"Compte rendu de la réunion de direction puis tour de table. (i.e. temps laissé à chacun pour s'exprimer)"

Rien à voir avec de domaine bancaire. Je cherche un terme général.
D'avance merci.
DIANE ROUX
Local time: 08:08
English translation:round table discussion
Explanation:
this is what I always use
Selected response from:

mwatchorn
Local time: 07:08
Grading comment
Thanks for your help.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +6round table discussion
mwatchorn
3 +6round table
Sandra Petch
4 +3floor time
French Foodie
5 +1brainstorming
Miranda Joubioux (X)
4frank discussion
Maya Jurt
3free speaking time for each participant in turn
iol
3quick exchange of views
Mpoma


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +6
round table discussion


Explanation:
this is what I always use

mwatchorn
Local time: 07:08
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks for your help.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Karen Stokes
2 mins
agree  Alison Jenner: me too
3 mins
agree  Calou: moi aussi ;o)
5 mins
agree  Mikaele (X)
6 mins
agree  Jocelyne S: Yes, so long as the braqueted part is maintained to specify that each participant at the table has a chance to speak.
7 mins
neutral  Charlie Bavington: I'm not fully convinced that "discussion" is necessarily the intention. Could just be a chance for participants to give brief report on activity in their depts. Altho, of course, discussion may result :-)
18 mins
  -> point taken, perhaps 'session' would eliminate this potential problem. I just don't like 'round table' on its own
agree  PB Trans
47 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
floor time


Explanation:
While I think round table could work here, another way of handling the translation would be to remove the part in brackets and say something along the lines of "and then all participants will be given some floor time"

Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce Events
Plus, all who attend are given floor time to introduce themselves and tell everyone
a little about their business. New employees or representatives of ...
www.stocktonchamber.org/events/events.htm - 28k - 11 Jan 2006 - Cached - Similar pages

French Foodie
Local time: 08:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Charlie Bavington: That's the phrase I was actually groping for without success. I could only think of "taking the floor". Well done :-)
6 mins
  -> thanks Charlie!
agree  Jocelyne S: Good suggestion!
21 mins
  -> thanks J S
neutral  Miranda Joubioux (X): better than "round table"
33 mins
  -> thanks miranda56
agree  suezen: yes, this is more apt than round table discussion. Maybe 'individual floor time'
2 hrs
  -> thanks suezen, that sounds good
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
brainstorming


Explanation:
this is commonly used for meetings!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2006-01-12 13:44:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

given that the word is explained by what's in brackets, this term can be used here. Personally, I don't like "round table", which implies something terribly formal. It would be better to say something like each person takes it in turns to make comments, to keep it less formal.

Miranda Joubioux (X)
Local time: 08:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Linda Young (X)
3 mins
  -> Thanks!
neutral  Sylvia Smith: brainstorming is a bit of an unstructured process where any/everyone speaks, not a systematic go round the table giving everyone a chance to speak - different meaning
5 mins
  -> See my note
neutral  French Foodie: agree with Sylvia
7 mins
  -> See my note
neutral  Sandra Petch: I agree with Sylvia and Mara
13 mins
  -> See my note
neutral  Charlie Bavington: I agree with Sylvia, Mara and Sandra, and think that Mara's suggestion best fits with your added note.
18 mins
neutral  suezen: definitely not brainstorming in this context
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
frank discussion


Explanation:
one possibility

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2006-01-12 13:36:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In fact "tout de table is use in English, and quite a lot.
Check with Google.
Here is an example:
Tour de table of the panellists followed by panel discussions. Summary conclusions
and recommendations drawn by the moderator. See also the video ...
www.coe.int/T/E/human_rights/media/Links/Events/ForumStbgSe... - 58k
Maybe: "tour de table presentation"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 31 mins (2006-01-12 13:55:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"round table" (table ronde) refers to King Arthurs and his knights. Today, it means a conference for discussion or deliberation by several participants (Webster). It is not a time allotted at a reunion or conference to allow a frank discussion.

Maya Jurt
Switzerland
Local time: 08:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in FrenchFrench
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
round table


Explanation:
One suggestion

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 mins (2006-01-12 13:56:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A completely different take:
"Minutes from/Summary of the management meeting followed by comments from the floor/from participants

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 38 mins (2006-01-12 14:02:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or maybe not, having read Charlie's insightful comment "Could just be a chance for participants to give brief report on activity in their depts."
Amazing how these little things can get the brain buzzing...!!

Sandra Petch
Local time: 08:08
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Angie Taylor
3 mins
  -> Thanks!
neutral  Maya Jurt: Not really. See: http://forum.wordreference.com/archive/index.php?t-55686.htm...
10 mins
  -> Your link says "It isn't unusual to hear a discussion called a round table."
agree  Charlie Bavington: given that the precise meaning is described in brackets. Usually, a round table is "table ronde" where all participants are deemed equal, can speak as & when, etc. But I think it's OK here.
14 mins
  -> Thanks Charlie!
agree  Ghina: I think it's better than round table discussion in THIS context because it's mentioned that (i.e. temps laissé à chacun pour s'exprimer). Not discussion, but just round table. This is my opinion.
1 hr
  -> Thanks Tanya, discussion does imply interaction whereas I think the idea here is just a few words from each person.
agree  zaphod: Having a round table. Common term. Good trans.
1 day 1 hr
  -> Thanks a lot Zaphod!
agree  PB Trans
1 day 23 hrs
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
21 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
free speaking time for each participant in turn


Explanation:
I don't see any other way to translate the idea. ONe (rare) example of an expression being shorter in French than in English. Yet, I may be wrong...

iol
France
Local time: 08:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: French
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3959 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
quick exchange of views


Explanation:
I think one of the characteristics of a tour de table is its brevity.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3959 days (2016-11-15 10:41:17 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

... or possibly just "exchange of views" contains an idea of brevity already...

Mpoma
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search