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Bêtise et sottise
Bonjour,
Je vous propose de traduire ce mot de Diane de Beausacq : « La bêtise ne comprend pas ; la sottise comprend de travers. » API → /labetiznəkɔ̃pʁɑ̃pa lasotizkɔ̃pʁɑ̃dətʁavɛʁ/ X-Sampa → /labetizn@kÕpRÃpa lasotizkÕpRÃd@tRavER/
Dear greg,
why do all the bonmots you propose to us come from the French nobility? Don´t you have intelligent people in the "Gallic" plebs that rules since 200 years?
'stupidity' vs 'silliness/foolishness/nonsense; nonsensical remark/folly/silly remark'
<<I'm not sure how to bring out the distinction between 'bêtise' and 'sottise' in English. Anyone have a suggestion? >>
Is this perhaps one of those ideas we keep reading about here that can't be expressed in English? Presumably, there should be no problems translating this into other (ultra-sophisticated) Romance languages, though.
How about (amplified translation):
"Lack of understanding fails to grasp full comprehension; but being an idiot outright get's everything all f*cking mixed up and wrong."
<<"Lack of understanding fails to grasp full comprehension; but being an idiot outright get's everything all f*cking mixed up and wrong." >>
maybe that should be: "Lack of understanding fails to grasp full comprehension; but being a f*cking stupid @ss-idiot outright get's everything all mixed up and wrong." yeah. better.
<<Maybe "Stupidity does not understand; foolishness misunderstands." >>
but more literally: "Ignorance will not comprehend; but stupidity makes/causes a mistake"
Greg is just being a cod and searching around to find words which don't translate into English in a futile bid to show French of as superior!
<<Greg is just being a cod and searching around to find words which don't translate into English in a futile bid to show French of as superior!>>
What is great about reading into people's acts is that you can give them any meaning you want. Apparently, some people don't seem to mind Greg "being a cod" and are enjoying trying to solve this tricky translation. Beside, I see no mention in Greg's post that the translation should be in English only, which is surprising if he has a point to make about this language specifically. Furthermore "bêtise" and "sottise" aren't considered big words in French so his "searching around" musn't have been too painful either.
Greg, please translate this into French:
"What are you going to do this weekend?"
Tu vas faire quoi ç'uiquaine ?
Uiquaine est également prononcé : - uiquènde - ouiquaine - ouiquènde |