English translation: Presenter; Compere; Announcer; "Barker"
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.
French to English translations [PRO] Textiles / Clothing / Fashion / job title at a fashion show
French term or phrase:L’aboyeuse
>>>>> L’aboyeuse <<<<< annonce le premier modèle porté par le mannequin vedette Marie-Thérèse.
Quatre-vingt neuf autres créations vont suivre et virevolter au milieu des mondaines et journalistes ébahis par tant de luxe et de raffinement.
_________
The start of a fashion show in 1947. My best effort so far is "usherette", but the French proofreader prefers "barker". To my unfamiliar (UK) ears, this sounds hilarious, but there's just a chance that it is the correct term. Trouble is, I can find no corroboration of this, and if it is wrong, then it would be a real howler. Chambers gives "barker" as a person shouting loudly to tout their wares - which sounds rather uncouth for the refined world of haute couture (ie, wrong register).
"Aboyeur" appears in the Culinary Glossary as an "expeditor", but I don't think that would work here...I could of course play safe by avoiding the term altogether, but wonder if anyone does know the correct term for this context - in UK English.
aboyeur masculin
1. (Chasse) Chien qui aboie à la vue du sanglier, sans en approcher.
2. (Figuré) Celui qui fatigue par des criailleries importunes, par des injures.
o Eux, les aboyeurs, vont commencer à l'approuver lorsque précisément nous cesserons de le faire. — (André Gide, avant-propos de Retour de l'U.R.S.S., 1936)
3. Celui qui, à la porte des théâtres, hôtels, cafés, restaurants, etc., appelle les voitures ou attire les clients.
o Il faut bien commencer, susurra la commère qui se nommait Mme Badin et qui, du moment qu'on buvait, négligeait son emploi d'aboyeuse. — (Francis Carco, Images cachées, 1929)
4. Nomenclateur, huissier qui annonce à voix haute le nom des visiteurs.
o l'huissier (qu'on appelait dans ce temps-là « l'aboyeur ») de Mme de Guermantes. — (Marcel Proust, À la recherche du temps perdu, Sodome et Gomorrhe, 1922) http://www.google.com/search?q=person who introduces models ...
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2011-11-13 19:23:45 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Presenter needed tommmorow for Fashion Show! - StarNow.com.au www.starnow.com.au/.../Presenters/presenter_needed_tommmoro...
5 Feb 2011 – Presenter needed tommmorow for Fashion Show! - Auditions & Jobs for Models, Actors, Musicians and Dancers. Reality TV Casting Calls.
Presenter needed for 2011 end of summer fashion show - Leeds ... www.starnow.ca/Link.aspx?l=4815&return_url...aspx?l...
- Block all www.starnow.ca results
31 Jul 2011 – Presenter needed for 2011 end of summer fashion show - Leeds - Auditions & Jobs for Models, Actors, Musicians and Dancers.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2011-11-13 19:24:37 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
p.s.
I think you are right to suspect "barker"..I think it would be a howler too!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2011-11-13 19:25:50 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Search Results
barker noun
Ronnie Barker
Get the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary app Find out more about Oxford American Dictionaries for learners of English Get an Oxford Advanced American Dictionary searchbox for your website Ask Text Checker
Definition of barker noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
barker
noun
/ˈbɑrkər/ barker pronunciation American
a person who stands outside a place where there is entertainment and shouts to people to go in
He acted like a carnival barker, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.
thanks so much everybody! I wish the points could be shared, as, in the end, this was really difficult to decide. Jmleger's "barker" is not wrong, albeit not for the reasons he gave, but I believe his more plausible (to my ears!) "announcer" preceded Sheila's by a minute or two - although it's hard to be certain... It turns out that "barker" could have been the correct term at the time (1947), but it sounds so odd now, that I instinctively shied away from it - rightly or wrongly. I wonder at what point one should ignore one's instinct... I would have felt it required surrounding quotes, but as this is a presentation, these would be "lost". Finally, Liz's clear explanation (especially Point 4) proved extremely helpful in making my final choice 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
sorry! I thought I'd made it clear - albeit indirectly - that the register is high. This is for a presentation given by the (haute couture) fashion house, so the style is simple (in the form of presentation notes). I should have mentioned this. It would contain nothing intentionally disrespectful - hence my dilemma.
It has just occurred to me that the writer may have deliberately chosen this disrespectful word from an other register. I don't know the general tone of the piece, of course.
"MASTER" of Ceremonies but is this more probably "Mistress"?!
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
17 mins confidence:
Voice / Narrator
Explanation: This is what I immediately thought of on reading your context to this term. The "barker" obviously refers in a French way to somebody constantly making a comment on what is being displayed. Obviously this is not a reference that would be understood or appreciated in English, so this could be a neutral way of explaining what is happening here.
Example sentence(s):
"Man stands behind a microphone presumably describing her outfit. NARRATOR states: "There was a time when women were content to wear the trousers, but now they're wearing another conventional part of male dress - the waistcoat."
Explanation: they are carnies who tout attractions at fairs.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 17 mins (2011-11-13 18:40:09 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
ok, you can go with "announcer" if you want to stay neutral
jmleger Local time: 19:40 Native speaker of: French PRO pts in category: 12
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks jmleger! Rightly or wrongly, I'm trying to avoid any connotations of "touting" for the sake of the register. I had heard of the Chief Barker of the Variety Club, but am not sure that it fits the context or register of an haute-couture fashion show. But I'll check into this...
The translation workplace 
