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  3. Poetry & Literature

avec ses relents de

English translation: so redolent of

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:avec ses relents de
English translation:so redolent of
Entered by: Sarita Mardon

15:42 Oct 30, 2011
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
French term or phrase: avec ses relents de
This is for a documentary film about a photographer. This sentence talks about his childhood. I have translated 'relents' as 'that reeked of' but would appreciate other suggestions that might work better:

"Toi, tu as fui l'Allemagne, l'école des Beaux Arts trop rigide et le service militaire **avec ses relents de** tragédie et de bêtises."
Sarita Mardon
Local time: 03:16
so redolent of
Explanation:
...
Selected response from:

SJLD
Local time: 03:16
Grading comment
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I like stench, but think it is a little strong in the context. I've looked at redolent in various dictionaries and most of them say that it means 'odorous' but don't mention it necessarily being a specifically pleasant fragance, so I'm going to go with this one.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4stench
Lara Barnett
4 +2With its lingering odour of ...
Andrew Bramhall
4with its assortment of tragedy and stupidity
jmleger
4so redolent of
SJLD
3 +1with it's connotations of
Verginia Ophof
3undertone
Sandra Petch


  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
with its assortment of tragedy and stupidity


Explanation:
reeking does not work here, primarily because the French writing is sloppy IMHO.

jmleger
Local time: 20:16
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
so redolent of


Explanation:
...

SJLD
Local time: 03:16
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I like stench, but think it is a little strong in the context. I've looked at redolent in various dictionaries and most of them say that it means 'odorous' but don't mention it necessarily being a specifically pleasant fragance, so I'm going to go with this one.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  polyglot45: definitely
33 mins
  -> thanks :-)
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): best yet
57 mins
  -> thanks :-)
disagree  Andrew Bramhall: Except that redolent is a synonym for evocative, and that isn't exactly what the French text says.
1 hr
  -> http://www.thefreedictionary.com/redolent lol that hurts soooooo much
disagree  Just Opera: can mean fragrant or sweet-smelling
1 hr
  -> so what - it's qualified by tragedies et bêtises - obviously not sweet-smelling...
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
with it's connotations of


Explanation:
suggestion

Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 19:16
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Aline Mercuri
2 days 23 hrs
  -> Thank you Aline !!
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
With its lingering odour of ...


Explanation:
... a whiff you can't quite clear from your nostrils,a trace of something you can't quite eradicate or eliminate, something which, consciously or unconsciously, continues to play a part.

Andrew Bramhall
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Helen Shiner: I like 'whiff' though less so 'lingering odour' only as a matter of brevity.
1 hr
  -> Thanks.
agree  Yvonne Gallagher
8 hrs
  -> Thanks
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
stench


Explanation:
I find this term used often when it comes down to talking about memories and being reminded of the not so memorable aspects of life:

This is one example, albeit from the lyrics of a song:
"I see a shape in the crowd
I turn to know where you are
But all around me's the stench of high density housing"
http://www.metrolyrics.com/just-bcoz-lyrics-machine-gun-fell...

Example sentence(s):
  • "The stench of politics"
  • "The stench of hypocrisy emanates from the S.C. House leadership's rationale for refusing to raise our state's lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax."

    Reference: http://witteringwitney.blogspot.com/2011/03/stench-of-politi...
    Reference: http://palmettotaxblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/cig-tax-politics...
Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:16
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Andrew Bramhall: Quite a strong word though, implying displeasure, disgust, bad memories.//Fair point.//I got your drift all along- was just making a general comment that's all.
5 mins
  -> Well tragedies in the military (presumably suggesting deaths at war) is hardly a pleasurable, good memory is it!
agree  Just Opera: Reek or stench is OK IMO. French = Mauvaise odeur qui persiste.
17 mins
  -> Thank you. Nice to know somebody gets my drift.
neutral  Joshua Pepper: If I could choose half-way between agree and neutral, I would. I do think "stench" is slightly too strong, but perhaps this is a "best-fit" situation rather than "perfect fit"?
35 mins
agree  Helen Shiner: or Oliver's 'whiff'
49 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: possibly too strong, but asker has more context
8 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  mimi 254
15 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
undertone


Explanation:
I think your own suggestion "reeked of" is exactly right.

Otherwise and just to get away from the theme of smell, how about undertone?

Again, though, I think you need look no further than your own translation!

Sandra Petch
Local time: 03:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
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