fidèle quoique volage

English translation: faithful altough flighty

23:23 Jan 12, 2008

French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Philosophy / Psychology, Psycho-analysis

French term or phrase: fidèle quoique volage

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

I hope 2008 brings good health, happiness and greater prosperity for each one of us.

I am currently translating a catalogue of books titles, including several on philosophy and psychology. Here is another sentence I’m finding troublesome. After all, wouldn’t ‘fidèle’ (faithful) and ‘volage’ (fickle) be mutually exclusive?

Thanks in advance for suggestions.

«Peut-on être aujourd'hui fidèle quoique volage, alors que d'autres s'enfermaient hier dans une fidélité toute formelle ? »

Joy Lewis KudoZ activity Questions: 472 (8 open) (15 without valid answers) (7 closed without grading) Answers: 2 Barbados
Local time: 10:57

English translation:faithful altough flighty

Explanation:
flighty or fickle

Selected response from:

Papillonbleu9
United States
Local time: 10:57

Grading comment

Thanks
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

faithful altough flighty

Papillonbleu9

From the French standpoint

Bourth (X)

reconcile fidelity and philandering/fickleness

Euqinimod (X)

be faithful but yet have inconsistent thoughts and feelings

MatthewLaSon

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

faithful altough flighty

Explanation:
flighty or fickle

Papillonbleu9
United States
Local time: 10:57
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in category: 3

Grading comment

Thanks

1 hr confidence:

From the French standpoint

Explanation:
they are not necessarily contradictory. Firstly, it depends what exactly is meant by "volage". It might mean he is a womanizer, a woman's man, without actually taking things to their logical conclusion. And even if he does, he can remain "faithful" to his wife by not dropping her, by dropping each "other woman" successively.

French TV chat shows are (or were, in the days of Thierry Ardisson) full of banter and light discussion of this sort of thing (notably the famous question put to guests "Est-ce que (se faire) sucer est tromper?").

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Note added at 11 hrs (2008-01-13 10:38:33 GMT)
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Yes, Rufinus. Mittérand of course was famous for his extra-marital flings, most famously his live-in mistress and their teenage daughter, all revealed in the last years of his life. And I have read that one of the reasons Chirac loves Japan so much is that he has a mistress there. As for Czar Cosy, it has taken him no time at all to find replacements every time Cecilia has done a runner ...

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Note added at 11 hrs (2008-01-13 10:40:33 GMT)
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The old bugger hasn't been gone that awfully long and already I can't spell his name: Mitterrand.

Bourth (X)
Local time: 16:57
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

18 hrs confidence:

reconcile fidelity and philandering/fickleness

Explanation:
I suggest : Is it possible today to reconcile fidelity and philandering. I know philander is used only of a man, but in old times only men could be flirtatious.

Euqinimod (X)
Local time: 16:57
Works in field
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in category: 4

1 day 6 hrs confidence:

be faithful but yet have inconsistent thoughts and feelings

Explanation:
Hello,

I think that "volage" means to have inconsistent thoughts and feelings about your monogamous state without hiding everything as you would in a "fidélité formelle" type of situation (very rigid and repressive). If you are "fidèle quoique volage", you are fickle about it all. Sometimes you want it and other times you don't, but you don't keep it all in...maybe that's it?

Also, "quoique" = but yet (although having...)

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 10:57
Native speaker of:

English

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