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A few questions on paragraph below

English translation: see below

03:58 Aug 30, 2000
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
French term or phrase: A few questions on paragraph below
Plusieurs fois couronné par des prix littéraires, un temps vice-président de l’Union nationale des Ecrivains, il échappe au carcan de la littérature officielle en acrobate confirmé. Il parviendra de la sorte à prendre la clé des champs sans avoir à quitter vraiment son pays : on le voit ainsi enseigner à Milan, à Sienne, en Allemagne, en Autriche, au Portugal, à Mexico, en Argentine. Il a publié aux éditions Autrement : "L’Ombre de la Havane" (1997).
1)en arcobate confirmé
2)Il parviendra de la sorte à prendre la clé des champs
3) could you confirm that the name of the publiching house is Autrement??
Many thanks again.
Agius Language & Translation
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:39
English translation:see below
Explanation:
Taking your third point first Editions Autrement is a publishing house. I cannot fiund there website, but if I remember correctly they are part of teh gallimard Group and so there may be a link that way. In any event, they publish in an alternative way, as there name suggests. They also bring out a diary every year. I have their 2000 edition : address : 17 rue du Louvre 75001 PARIS


Now for the first one. You have to read the whole of teh sentence here to make sense of the bit which is causing you trouble.
Echapper au carcan = to shake oneself free, set o/s free, rid o/s of the shackles (just like an acrobat teherfore), unfetter...
Thus : "He rid himself of the shackles of traditional litterature with the agility of an experienced acrobat".


Now for the third one.
Il parviendra de la sorte à prendre la clé des champs :

parvenir à + infinitive = to manage to do something, to succeed in doing something
de la sotre = in the same way, likewise
prendre la clé des champs = an expression which means run away with, come away with (a prize), clear out

Thus, "Likewise he succeeded in getting out / running away without ever leaving his (native) land".

Hope this helps.

Nikki
Selected response from:

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 06:39
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Summary of answers provided
naSee below
rnoel (X)
nasee below
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
nawebref for editions Autrement
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
naSee Below
Debora Blake
nasee suggestions below
Louise Atfield
nasee below
Nikki Scott-Despaigne


  

Answers


9 mins
See below


Explanation:
Figurative phrases:

He successfully and repeatedly escaped from the iron collar (carcan) of official literature, which made him a "confirmed acrobat," or "escape artist." You can refer to "the shackles," or whatever.

Prendre la clé des champs originally means that a criminal runs off. Here, he took off.

Autrement - no confi,mation but it looks OK.

rnoel (X)
PRO pts in pair: 31

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
Heathcliff

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
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1 hr
see below


Explanation:
Taking your third point first Editions Autrement is a publishing house. I cannot fiund there website, but if I remember correctly they are part of teh gallimard Group and so there may be a link that way. In any event, they publish in an alternative way, as there name suggests. They also bring out a diary every year. I have their 2000 edition : address : 17 rue du Louvre 75001 PARIS


Now for the first one. You have to read the whole of teh sentence here to make sense of the bit which is causing you trouble.
Echapper au carcan = to shake oneself free, set o/s free, rid o/s of the shackles (just like an acrobat teherfore), unfetter...
Thus : "He rid himself of the shackles of traditional litterature with the agility of an experienced acrobat".


Now for the third one.
Il parviendra de la sorte à prendre la clé des champs :

parvenir à + infinitive = to manage to do something, to succeed in doing something
de la sotre = in the same way, likewise
prendre la clé des champs = an expression which means run away with, come away with (a prize), clear out

Thus, "Likewise he succeeded in getting out / running away without ever leaving his (native) land".

Hope this helps.

Nikki


    Robert & Collins
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 06:39
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 4638

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
Heathcliff
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1 hr
webref for editions Autrement


Explanation:
www.france3.fr/fr3/livre/livre457.html

This is actually the URL for a short cultural programme "A book a day" (Un livre un jour) on the channel called FR3.

Just by way of evidence!

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 06:39
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 4638
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1 hr
See Below


Explanation:
My suggestions:

1. He avoids the shackles of official (or accepted or traditional) literature with all the agility of an experienced acrobat.

2. In so doing, he succeeds in orchestrating his breakout without ever really having to leave his own territory (or country, depends on whether you want literal or figurative).

3. "Editions Autrement" is a publishing house in Paris.
Their site (in French):
http://www.mcm.asso.fr/le_guide/structures/editions/autremen...

Debora Blake
France
Local time: 06:39
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 127

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
Heathcliff

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
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4 hrs
see suggestions below


Explanation:
Others have already given you the meanings of the expressions, so I don't need to go through this again. I just want to propose the translations I would use for those expressions:

Acrobate confirmé: "established stunt artist" or "confirmed escape artist"

Il parviendra a prendre la cle des champs: "He will manage to prance around the world in all freedom" or "He will manage to flee"

Autrement: See website below


    Reference: http://www.france.diplomatie.fr/label_france/FRANCE/LETTRES/...
Louise Atfield
PRO pts in pair: 300

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
Heathcliff
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23 hrs
see below


Explanation:
To anyone reading this, please accept my most sincere apologies for the number of typing mistkes, not to mention the dreadful misatke 'there'. If my mother were to see that, she would go mad!!!

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 06:39
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 4638
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