Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
prendre dans son geste
English translation:
engages us with his gesture/expression
Added to glossary by
Clare Hogg
Apr 24, 2011 13:27
13 yrs ago
3 viewers *
French term
Spain
My passion is your project
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English
prendre dans son geste
French to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
sculpture
I am (still!!) translating a high-brow, poetic/dreamlike and very fanciful (i.e. incomprehensible!) text about a sculptor (XXXX) from the preface of a catalogue containing pictures of his work.
I´m not sue how to interpret the sentence, "le conteur soudain nous prend dans son geste". I´m providing the entire paragragh in the hope the extra context will help. The use of "De meme" at the beginning of the sentence indicates a parellel with the description in the previous sentence, "la forme surprise se love et soudain perce" (which I think is referring to the sculptures themselves).
In my mind, I see the storyteller wrapping his arms around the listeners like a snake (mirroring "se lover"), but quickly (soudain)..., but maybe that's just me! Maybe something like "whips us away"?
Thanks in advance for any ideas you can give. MUCH APPRECIATED!!!
"Maintenant, la pause du conteur. Le fremissement des branches dans la parole, quand a la nuit I'odeur patiente du campeche remonte des fonds brulés. L'homme qui chante a dompté de la main une fumée de mots. II devient sculpture fluide, qui nous mene. II ne nous lache plus. Sa cadence emplit I'espace où nous tremblons d'ecouter monter les ages premiers. La poetique de XXXX trame cette duree, ou l'unicité de la chose sculptée est forcée. Elle rejoint la tradition des fetes orales, le rythme du corps, le continu des fresques, le don de melopée. D'une oeuvre à I'autre, c'est le meme texte qui se dit. Qu'un art de l'unique à ce point s'organise en discours, voila par où XXXX nous saisit. II assemble ainsi une rhetorique de la durée: l'instant elu cede a la voix qui cadence. La memoire est requise d'epuiser ses detours, où la forme surprise se love et soudain perce. De meme, le conteur soudain **nous prend dans son geste**; mais c'est parce qu'il nous a ramenés de si loin. Et il nous frappe d'une incantation dont nous avons perdu le sens, mais dont la force est parmi nous."
(ps if you are game for a further challenge, please also see my other postings on this text!).
I´m not sue how to interpret the sentence, "le conteur soudain nous prend dans son geste". I´m providing the entire paragragh in the hope the extra context will help. The use of "De meme" at the beginning of the sentence indicates a parellel with the description in the previous sentence, "la forme surprise se love et soudain perce" (which I think is referring to the sculptures themselves).
In my mind, I see the storyteller wrapping his arms around the listeners like a snake (mirroring "se lover"), but quickly (soudain)..., but maybe that's just me! Maybe something like "whips us away"?
Thanks in advance for any ideas you can give. MUCH APPRECIATED!!!
"Maintenant, la pause du conteur. Le fremissement des branches dans la parole, quand a la nuit I'odeur patiente du campeche remonte des fonds brulés. L'homme qui chante a dompté de la main une fumée de mots. II devient sculpture fluide, qui nous mene. II ne nous lache plus. Sa cadence emplit I'espace où nous tremblons d'ecouter monter les ages premiers. La poetique de XXXX trame cette duree, ou l'unicité de la chose sculptée est forcée. Elle rejoint la tradition des fetes orales, le rythme du corps, le continu des fresques, le don de melopée. D'une oeuvre à I'autre, c'est le meme texte qui se dit. Qu'un art de l'unique à ce point s'organise en discours, voila par où XXXX nous saisit. II assemble ainsi une rhetorique de la durée: l'instant elu cede a la voix qui cadence. La memoire est requise d'epuiser ses detours, où la forme surprise se love et soudain perce. De meme, le conteur soudain **nous prend dans son geste**; mais c'est parce qu'il nous a ramenés de si loin. Et il nous frappe d'une incantation dont nous avons perdu le sens, mais dont la force est parmi nous."
(ps if you are game for a further challenge, please also see my other postings on this text!).
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+1
8 hrs
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
Laudable Lady Linguist
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, French to English, English to Spanish, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
Selected
engages us with his gesture/expression
HTH
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
2 hrs
Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Works in field
United Kingdom
www.lingocraft.co.uk
Native in: English (Variants: British, Scottish, Irish, Singaporean, UK, South African) 
Works in: French to English, Italian to English, Romanian to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
With a sudden arm/hand gesture the story teller brings us back to the present
I think the translation of this is structure-dependent. I think "de meme" might be referring to a phrase a couple of sentences earlier describing how "...voila par où XXXX nous saisit.".
I have used the word "present" to link with the following phrase explaining the reason for the "geste", as though he has lead them far away "si loin", (as in being faraway and coming back to the present). I think this idea is evident in the French, but needs to be reinforced for translation purposes.
The text seems to be describing how the XXX(the storyteller) is really (figuratively) taking the listener(s) to places by his poetic type plot weaving and his rhythmic, almost song-like storytelling. Therefore, he has a sort of control over his audience/listeners ("saisit"). It sounds almost hypnotic, as though they are being lead, not only by his voice, but by his hand expressions.
The "geste" of this phrase is now bringing audience/listeners back to the present after he has (verbally) taken them far away (nous a ramenés de si loin)
I have used the word "present" to link with the following phrase explaining the reason for the "geste", as though he has lead them far away "si loin", (as in being faraway and coming back to the present). I think this idea is evident in the French, but needs to be reinforced for translation purposes.
The text seems to be describing how the XXX(the storyteller) is really (figuratively) taking the listener(s) to places by his poetic type plot weaving and his rhythmic, almost song-like storytelling. Therefore, he has a sort of control over his audience/listeners ("saisit"). It sounds almost hypnotic, as though they are being lead, not only by his voice, but by his hand expressions.
The "geste" of this phrase is now bringing audience/listeners back to the present after he has (verbally) taken them far away (nous a ramenés de si loin)
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Dieezah
: You caught the meaning about the rythm but the thing about the present is totally unrelated... it's more an expression like the english "drinking words from the lips we need here, except here it's the hand gesture instead of the lips...
20 mins
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Thank you for your comment. In English "present" is also just an expression. I used it here because to put "geste" along with "soudain" and "si loin" does not give a very smooth flow and needs to be qualified.
|
5 hrs
captures us in his/her gesture
i like it , hope you do too
+1
1 day 1 hr
French term (edited):
nous prend dans son geste
sweeps us along
To reflect the storyteller's narrative momentum... as well as the force of his gestures (as mentioned by Dieezah).
Discussion