chronique sociale

English translation: social chronicle

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:chronique sociale
English translation:social chronicle
Entered by: Patricia Phillips-Batoma

14:16 May 7, 2020
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
French term or phrase: chronique sociale
A student of mine as an exercise is translating a short story about a book reviewer/critic who murders 31 authors (Sévère, mais juste, by Bernard Quiriny).

One of these author victims is described as follows.

Restons sur le plagiat avec cette femme sympathique, connue elle aussi pour sa propensité à loucher sur les romans d’autrui. ...L’an dernier, un confrère ayant fait un tabac avec une chronique social sur les milieux ouvriers, elle a écrit une chronique sociale sur les milieux paysans.

We are uncertain about the meaning of chronique sociale. Note that the first sentence of the paragraph indicates this author steals material from the novels of other authors. We assume this "chronique sociale" to be some genre of fiction writing.

Could it be historical fiction? Another option is social chronicle, but we don't know what that is.

Thanks for any help.
Patricia Phillips-Batoma
United States
Local time: 06:57
social chronicle
Explanation:
I think that social chronicle refers to chronicle (Literary genre consisting of a personal appreciation of the facts of everyday life. [Literature] Collection of historical facts, narrations in chronological order) about social themes which are socially important from a pragmatic point of view like the causes of the workers
Selected response from:

Bruno Dutra
Brazil
Local time: 08:57
Grading comment
Thank you. I appreciate the insight.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +6social chronicle
Bruno Dutra
4 +3social commentary
Yvonne Gallagher
4 +2social chronicle
Helen Shiner
4account of the (everyday) lives of [...] OR account of [...] life
Wolf Draeger
4commentary
Saro Nova
3social observations
Ken Fisher


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
social commentary


Explanation:
sounds lke this?

The plagiarism is a separate thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_commentary

https://www.yourdictionary.com/social-commentary

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 11:57
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 32
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, I agree that social commentary is another option for translating chronique sociale. Thanks!

Asker: I agree that this is also an option when translating chronique sociale. I am sorry I cannot give you more credit because only one answer is allowed. You are correct, however.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  EirTranslations
4 mins
  -> Many thanks:-)

agree  liz askew
1 hr
  -> Many thanks:-)

agree  Saro Nova: yes, but don't use it twice in the same sentence. See my suggestion below.
1 day 19 hrs
  -> thanks but that's the term. It's a particular type of commentary so either needs repetition or be replaced in 2nd instance with "wrote one on..."
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
social chronicle


Explanation:
I think that social chronicle refers to chronicle (Literary genre consisting of a personal appreciation of the facts of everyday life. [Literature] Collection of historical facts, narrations in chronological order) about social themes which are socially important from a pragmatic point of view like the causes of the workers

Bruno Dutra
Brazil
Local time: 08:57
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you. I appreciate the insight.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you. I appreciate your thoughts and I agree with your assessment.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard
53 mins
  -> Thank you, Phil.

agree  Barbara Cochran, MFA
56 mins
  -> Thank you, Barbara.

agree  Katarina Peters
59 mins
  -> Thank you.

agree  writeaway
1 hr
  -> Thank you.

agree  EirTranslations
2 hrs
  -> Thank you.

agree  SafeTex: you got it by one minute !
19 hrs

disagree  Saro Nova: Google "social chronicle" and see how few examples there are, and not the same context.
20 hrs
  -> Thank you, Saro.

neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: I think this is a false friend here and does not fit the context
21 hrs
  -> False friend ? what you mean ?

agree  erwan-l
3 days 11 hrs
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32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
social observations


Explanation:
I offer social observations as an alternative to social commentary. Wiki has this to say -
Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace about a given problem and appealing to people's sense of justice. Social commentary can be practiced through all forms of communication, from printed form, to conversations to computerized communication.

Two examples of strong and bitter social commentary are the writings of Jonathan Swift and Martin Luther. Swift exposed and decried the appalling poverty in Ireland at the time, which was viewed as the fault of the British government. Martin Luther decried corruption in the Catholic Church, including what today would be termed pedophilia.[1] Examples of social commentators from the lower social strata[clarification needed] are Charles Dickens and Will Rogers.

So if this tallies with the purpose of the book, social commentary it is.

Ken Fisher
France
Local time: 12:57
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Very interesting examples of works that can be described in similar ways. Thank you.

Asker: Thank you for your insight and the references to contexts where the term is used.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  SafeTex: it's very risky not to go for a literal translation when the exact same expression (social chronicle) is also well-established in English
18 hrs

neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: so you basically agree with me?( And I already gave the Wiki link from which you quote here)
21 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
account of the (everyday) lives of [...] OR account of [...] life


Explanation:
The way I understand it here and elsewhere, chronique sociale is an account of the everyday lives of a certain group or class or category of people.

Often the purpose of such accounts is to reveal the joys & sorrows, successes & hardships, quirks and all the little things that make such people different and similar to everyone else. They can take the form of a book, essay, article, whatever—fiction or nonfiction.

In this instance there seems to be a note of sarcasm implying the literary genre is used and abused to further one's own ends and reputation. The protagonist is jumping on the bandwagon by doing a write-up of country life, but probably cares little for smallholders or their lives.

Example sentence(s):
  • Last year a book on the lives of workers was a bestseller, so she [promptly] wrote up an account of country life.
  • Last year a book on workers' everyday lives was a bestseller, so [off] she [went and] wrote her own book about the lives of small farmers.
Wolf Draeger
South Africa
Local time: 13:57
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 32
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, this is a very sarcastic text. In fact, it is poking fun at the abuses of writing in general. Thank you for your thoughts. They are very much appreciated.

Asker: Yes, I agree that this could also be used in some translations of the term. Thank you for this thoughtful response.

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20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
commentary


Explanation:
We don't need to say "social" commentary; it's already implicit in the fact that it is about a social group. Seems redundant in the second part of the sentence, especially as repetition - not concise writing. However, you might use it for the first instance and part of the sentence. No need to repeat it in the second half - just commentary is fine.


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_commentary
Saro Nova
Canada
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you for your insight. Given the narrator of this story is quite snarky, I would leave in the repetition. Later there is the use of an idiomatic expression, "défrayer la chronique" as a kind of word play. I do see your point however.

Asker: Yes, definitely in some contexts commentary would suffice. I appreciate the idea.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: so you basically agree with me?//"just commentary" is NOT fine. as it's a term to describe a particular type of commentary, so either needs repetition or be replaced in 2nd instance with "wrote one on..."
1 hr
  -> YES
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
social chronicle


Explanation:
Frequently used in literary history.

https://canongate.co.uk/books/440-the-book-of-secrets/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286120817_Margaret_...

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=32vKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA31&lpg...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 days (2020-05-12 17:32:24 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Don’t worry. We posted just about at the same time. It often happens. Glad the links helped.

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:57
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 72
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you Helen for sharing documentation on where the term occurs. So helpful when you need to justify your translation of something.

Asker: Thank you. I appreciate the insight and the information. I was only able to select one answer, and both of you had the same one. I am sorry I can't give you more credit.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Barbara Cochran, MFA
56 mins
  -> Thanks, Barbara

agree  Katarina Peters
58 mins
  -> Thanks, tradart

neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: I think this is a false friend here and does not fit the context
21 hrs
  -> I don’t think we have enough context to say, to be honest. The Asker must interrogate this issue carefully.
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