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Extrait du registre des actes de l'état civil pour l'année 1985
INSTITUTIONS NON DEPOSITAIRES (NDI)
Jul 3, 2020 15:10
4 yrs ago
65 viewers *
French term

gentleman traveller

Non-PRO French to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature novel
This term has been used in a novel that I am proofreading in English (source text was written in French). It is used to describe a fictional character in the book: a man with extensive wealth who amassed a great fortune in the 1930s through leading archeological excavations across the world.

I'm not sure 'gentleman traveller' in the right term to describe him in English - does anyone have any better alternatives to suggest please?
Proposed translations (English)
3 +1 gentleman archaeologist/gentleman adventurer
Change log

Jul 3, 2020 17:23: Yolanda Broad changed "Language pair" from "French to English" to "English to French"

Jul 3, 2020 20:43: Beatriz Ramírez de Haro changed "Language pair" from "English to French" to "French to English"

Jul 4, 2020 12:12: Rob Grayson changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (3): Yvonne Gallagher, Rachel Fell, Rob Grayson

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Discussion

Karen Hallez (asker) Jul 7, 2020:
A big thank you to you all for your informative and useful answers! I think the consensus is to leave as is as the term accurately portrays the character and places him in that particular era. Thank you again
Wolf Draeger Jul 6, 2020:
A little more context @Asker, can you tell us a bit more about the main character, how he makes his money, what other pursuits he has? Is he an actual archaeologist? Is the gentleman voyageur label one he earns or claims during or after his expeditions? Does he have adventures?

What is the book/story about?
Wolf Draeger Jul 6, 2020:
Metacontext Just a mild hunch, but the ST author may be paying tribute to Arsène Lupin gentleman cambrioleur or more generally to the idea of the gentleman thief/detective, seeing as the 1930s would be not that long after most of the Lupin stories take place.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentleman_thief
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentleman_detective

Gotta love Lupin!
https://www.ebooksgratuits.com/ebooks.php
Sheila Wilson Jul 4, 2020:
I wonder if that's a site error? I can understand letting askers state a preference, but it does seem harsh -- and daft, frankly -- to exclude you.
writeaway Jul 4, 2020:
@Sheila There is no option visible for non-payers to post an answer or even a peer comment. It's not the same as when a question is restricted to those who work in the field and/or language pair. Then everyone can participate. Not when it's restricted to payers.
The asker has directed this question specifically to ProZ.com users who:
... are ProZ.com members (You do not appear to be) Join ProZ.com >
Sheila Wilson Jul 4, 2020:
@ writeaway Have you tried? The verb used is "prefers". An answer from a non-paying user could well be accepted.
writeaway Jul 3, 2020:
So only paying members can post an answer or a reply. I hadn't noticed. Nice.
Sheila Wilson Jul 3, 2020:
Also gentleman driver in motor racing In addition to Emma's gentleman farmer. I'd leave it as it is, TBH. It might not be relevant today but it defines clearly a type of lifestyle in the past.
philgoddard Jul 3, 2020:
In that case... it has been translated correctly. If you do post any more questions, please make sure you put the French source term as the header.
Karen Hallez (asker) Jul 3, 2020:
The source term was ‘gentleman voyageur’. Thank you for all your help and suggestions
Chris Pr Jul 3, 2020:
monsieur voyageur.... ....??
writeaway Jul 3, 2020:
agree with Carol Since this as posted as a Fr-En question, it's apparently safe to assume that this English is a translation of the French. What is the French term please?
Emma Page Jul 3, 2020:
Agreed I have heard the term "gentleman farmer" used to similarly indicate someone who was independently wealthy and (in this case) spent that money on the upkeep of a farm (as opposed to farming for a living). It would be helpful to know the source term, but it certainly reads as correct and comprehensible to me.
Chris Pr Jul 3, 2020:
You could optionally embellish this further by prefixing something like "learned', "distinguished', 'renowned', 'filthy rich' (sic)....? :)
Or 'wealthy', of course...
Carol Gullidge Jul 3, 2020:
well, the term is not totally new: www.amazon.co.uk › Lakeland-1830s-Journal-Gentlem...
Buy Lakeland in the 1830s: The Journal of a Gentleman Traveller: Isaac Simpson by Stuart, Wendy M. (ISBN: 9781904524625) from Amazon's Book Store.

Let's just hope he behaved like a gentleman :O)
Tony M Jul 3, 2020:
@ Asker In the absence of more context, I'd say the term is quite likely to be suitable for the period. Cf. 'gentleman of private means' and 'gentleman of leisure' as other examples of comparable terms, which of course nowadays have a quaintly dated feel about them.
Carol Gullidge Jul 3, 2020:
Hi Karen It might be helpful to know what the source term is...

Proposed translations

+1
32 mins
Selected

gentleman archaeologist/gentleman adventurer

Gentleman-scholar/gentleman-traveller etc was used to describe 19th-Century men of means who travelled and studied abroad.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Gentleman-Adventurer-Coming-Ar...
Reference:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IK8YDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT60&lpg=PT60&dq=Gentlemen+archaeologists,+such+as+C.+B.+Moore&source=bl&ots=k6hnXf9gMX&

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323263911_Gentlemen-Scholars_in_British_Travel_Writing

Peer comment(s):
agree marie leconte : Although the term does seem to be the correct one (see page 9 https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?ar... I would need more context. Perhaps qualifying it with “wealthy”. What was the original FR term?
1 day 10 hrs
Thanks, Marie.
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2 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
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