This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English
  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

Plus personne ne s'y retrouve

English translation: No one knows if they're coming or going.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Plus personne ne s'y retrouve
English translation:No one knows if they're coming or going.
Entered by: Jeanne Zang

17:29 Oct 27, 2005
French to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
French term or phrase: Plus personne ne s'y retrouve
These are an employee's comments about company communications.

Tant de changements, en si peu de temps doivent être expliqués .
On nous dit bien se qui se passe dans les hautes sphères
mais pense - t- on au modification que cela fait au niveau
des gratteurs de papiers qui ne savent plus à quel saint se vouer.
Il faut penser que les changements de fonctions actuels, les méthodes de travail actuelles doivent être expliquées et
commentées.
Plus personne ne s'y retrouve.
Jeanne Zang
United States
Local time: 18:58
Everybody's/everyone's completely lost!
Explanation:
one possibility

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2005-10-27 17:34:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

No one knows if they're coming or going!
Selected response from:

suezen
Local time: 00:58
Grading comment
Thanks. I like the "coming or going" option.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +8Everybody's/everyone's completely lost!
suezen
4 +2Everyone is in a state of total confusion
lenkl
5 +1No one knows what's going on.
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
5Nobody know what to do anymore
Genevieve Tournebize
4No one knows which way is up anymore.
emiledgar
4No one knows what they're doing here any more.
Tamara Salvio
4No-one quite understands what's going on.
Suzy G
3 +1we're all at sea
Paul Hirsh
3We've all lost the plot
CMJ_Trans (X)
3Nobody knows where they are any more
Chris Pott
3Nobody knows where they stand any more.
Rachel Fell
2nobody knows their way around here any more
Jonathan MacKerron


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +8
Everybody's/everyone's completely lost!


Explanation:
one possibility

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2005-10-27 17:34:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

No one knows if they're coming or going!

suezen
Local time: 00:58
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 63
Grading comment
Thanks. I like the "coming or going" option.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  michael10705 (X)
2 mins
agree  Georges Tocco
10 mins
agree  Aisha Maniar
25 mins
agree  Karen Tkaczyk
26 mins
agree  Ritu Bhanot
41 mins
agree  Anne McKee
1 hr
agree  NancyLynn
3 hrs
agree  Maria Constant (X): Though I do prefer "No one knows if they're coming or going
11 hrs
neutral  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): that would be: on est completement perdu...
2 days 21 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
nobody knows their way around here any more


Explanation:
another option

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 32
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
We've all lost the plot


Explanation:
histoire de proposer autre chose...

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 00:58
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 231
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
No one knows which way is up anymore.


Explanation:
This is an equivalent idiomatic expression in English for
"Plus personne ne s'y retrouve".

emiledgar
Belgium
Local time: 00:58
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 125
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Nobody knows where they are any more


Explanation:
.

Chris Pott
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:58
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 7
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Everyone is in a state of total confusion


Explanation:
Think idiomatic

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 13 mins (2005-10-27 18:43:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

There have been plenty of changes and the company has failed to adequately inform its personnel. Are the employees lost? Why would they be lost? They don't know where they are? They're right here, reading this stuff. They've lost the plot? What plot? Metro, boulot, dodo.
What they are, however, is CONFUSED!

lenkl
Local time: 00:58

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  frenchloki (X): all the answers are good, but like this one best - maybe it's your photo influencing me, lenkl!
1 hr
  -> Thank you, it's not really me.
agree  df49f (X): my favorite too - more idiomatic AND much closer to source than just "completely lost" despite the majority vote :)) (or: everyone's totally confused)/// :))
22 hrs
  -> Yeah, totally confused!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
No one knows what's going on.


Explanation:
literally: no one knows what he is doing anymore

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 58

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tamara Salvio: of course I have to agree since I was writing almost exactly the same thing as you were posting this! ;-)
8 mins
  -> Thanx....:)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
No one knows what they're doing here any more.


Explanation:
I think this projects the demoralized tone evident in the rest of the text... and as one who lived through several of these restructurings, and has translated text for others, I recognize it well.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 24 mins (2005-10-27 19:54:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"No one + they're" is idiomatic to US English of course...

Tamara Salvio
United States
Local time: 15:58
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
No-one quite understands what's going on.


Explanation:
An alternative to Jane's suggestion.

Suzy G
Local time: 00:58
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
we're all at sea


Explanation:
what a collection of ideas this has turned out to be! J'espere que vous vous y retrouverez!

Paul Hirsh
France
Local time: 00:58
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 32

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Charlie Bavington: nice one :-)
6 hrs
  -> thanks Charlie
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Nobody know what to do anymore


Explanation:
I believe this is a good match

Genevieve Tournebize
Local time: 17:58
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 days 59 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Nobody knows where they stand any more.


Explanation:
just another sugg.

Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:58
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search