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laisser passer les kayaks

English translation: let the kayaks through or give kayaks their place

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:laisser passer les kayaks
English translation:let the kayaks through or give kayaks their place
Entered by: Angie Taylor

18:44 Oct 22, 2005
French to English translations [PRO]
Environment & Ecology / sustainable development
French term or phrase: laisser passer les kayaks
Bullet point in a presentation about sustainable development.

Verbatim
- cet autre verset du societal local...
- laisser passer les kayaks...
Angie Taylor
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:33
let the kayaks through or give kayaks their place
Explanation:
laisser passer: allow something through


could be metaphorical..also



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Note added at 2 days 16 hrs 50 mins (2005-10-25 11:34:52 GMT)
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This is a "political" idea...

When there are people in a crowded area and everyone is getting excited, Laisser passer is the idea of letting the person through who is the reason for the crowd being there in the first place or one that will make a difference to that crowd if let through..

Selected response from:

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Grading comment
Thanks Jane. I like the idea of letting through the one that will make a difference.
Thanks Marian and Josephine as well.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +3let the kayaks through or give kayaks their place
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
4 +3let the kayaks float buy
Marian Greenfield
5 +1make way for the kayaks
Josephine79


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
let the kayaks float buy


Explanation:
whatever that means... I'm a kayaker... couldn't resist... but I don't think there's any hidden meaning... Must mean something in context....

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Note added at 2 mins (2005-10-22 18:47:34 GMT)
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oopss.. float BY... of course

Marian Greenfield
Local time: 02:33
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Julie Roy: of course :-)
2 mins
  -> thanks... kayaking is something I know lots about... have been a whitewater kayaker since the 80s.....
agree  Georges Tocco
3 hrs
  -> thanks
agree  Bourth (X): Prob. something to do with dams ... But "float by"? Have the kayakers fallen out? "Let kayaks through"?
6 hrs
  -> vbg... not necessarily... we often float... better than the alternative....
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1 day 25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
make way for the kayaks


Explanation:
Not that it makes any difference to the translation, but I was wondering if this was a snide remark....

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Note added at 1 day 11 hrs 41 mins (2005-10-24 06:26:30 GMT)
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OK Tortola, if you don't think the literal translations fit with your context I'm going to stick my neck out and amke a suggestion. It was you asking about the "tout ça pour ça", wasn't it?
The context there seemed to be pretty critical of what was going on - "much ado about nothing", in fact.
I'm wondering if this business with the kayaks is not in a similar vein - to show that the speaker does not really have a very high opinion of the matter being discussed. Kayaks (leisure apart) are rudimentary transport used in third world countries - and as Writeaway pointed out, are pretty unsafe and unreliable (particularly as a transport for merchandise).
The subject is sustainable development - I think the speaker means that (s)he is not convinced - perhaps
"so we should all go back to the horse and cart" illustrates this point of view with a similar image.

Hope this helps - you have the best overview of the context.

Josephine79
Local time: 08:33
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): this makes sense...don't think it is snide..snide or not, it still works both ways
1 day 16 hrs
  -> Thanks Jane: do you say this in the States, as it is the most natural (albeit slightly old fashionned) way to say it in British English.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
let the kayaks through or give kayaks their place


Explanation:
laisser passer: allow something through


could be metaphorical..also



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 16 hrs 50 mins (2005-10-25 11:34:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

This is a "political" idea...

When there are people in a crowded area and everyone is getting excited, Laisser passer is the idea of letting the person through who is the reason for the crowd being there in the first place or one that will make a difference to that crowd if let through..



Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 32
Grading comment
Thanks Jane. I like the idea of letting through the one that will make a difference.
Thanks Marian and Josephine as well.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bourth (X): With "through", but not with "THE kayaks", in principle.
4 hrs
agree  Sue Pasco (X): yes, let kayaks through
13 hrs
agree  writeaway: or canoes. maybe it means let them go by and wait for something more solid and reliable (less likely to capsize with a sneeze). something like a steady ship?
13 hrs
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