Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
mène sa barque
English translation:
successfully navigated his career
Added to glossary by
Miranda Joubioux (X)
Dec 21, 2010 14:57
13 yrs ago
French term
Miranda Joubioux (X)
mène sa barque
French to English
Other
Ships, Sailing, Maritime
Article for a in-house magazine concerning a sailor being sponsored for the Barcelona World Race.
Target audience : international - preference US.
There is word play here with "mène sa barque". I'm trying to find a sailing equivalent.
Any ideas?
Avec persévérance, XXXX mène sa barque dans sa nouvelle peau de régatier.
Target audience : international - preference US.
There is word play here with "mène sa barque". I'm trying to find a sailing equivalent.
Any ideas?
Avec persévérance, XXXX mène sa barque dans sa nouvelle peau de régatier.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
17 mins
Selected
plain sailing
XXX has had to negotiate some stormy waters in the past (***if that's true of course***) but all is now plain sailing...
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Note added at 19 mins (2010-12-21 15:17:09 GMT)
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Another alternative:
XXX has successfully navigated his career
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Note added at 19 mins (2010-12-21 15:17:09 GMT)
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Another alternative:
XXX has successfully navigated his career
Note from asker:
| Hi Emma, thanks. That's really helpful. |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Since this was quite urgent and Emma came up with the best solution first, she gets the points.
I liked her second solution which helped me round the "skin" problem.
'XXX has successfully navigated his racing career' did the trick. Thanks Emma."
+3
6 mins
takes the helm
"He takes the helm at Birmingham Law Society following a governance review, which will see the creation ... “I am looking forward to the new role immensely. ..."
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk/.../new-president-takes-the-... -
"Role-swap Rachel takes the helm at Huntington Primary School (From ... The new role for ten-year-old Rachel Gladwin came about due to one of ..."
www.yorkpress.co.uk/.../8742290.Role_swap_Rachel_takes_the_...
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk/.../new-president-takes-the-... -
"Role-swap Rachel takes the helm at Huntington Primary School (From ... The new role for ten-year-old Rachel Gladwin came about due to one of ..."
www.yorkpress.co.uk/.../8742290.Role_swap_Rachel_takes_the_...
Note from asker:
| Thanks for the suggestion. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
kashew
: Sounds perfect to me.
16 mins
|
|
Thanks kashew.
|
|
| agree |
Jean-Claude Gouin
57 mins
|
|
Thanks 1045
|
|
| agree |
Elizabeth Slaney
: Definitely the best answer here!
1 hr
|
|
Thanks Liz
|
10 mins
pooja_chic
Native in English
Translation is depth of the passion
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, English to French, Portuguese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
bien se comporter
Example sentence:
.........
+2
11 mins
run a tight ship
Awful source sentence! Don't envy you at all ;-)
mener la barque : to be in charge; bien/mal mener sa barque : to manage things well/badly.
Hachette/Oxford
tight ship, taut ship (a) a ship in which ropes etc. are tight; a strictly run ship; (b) transf. & fig. a disciplined or well-run organization, state of affairs, etc. (freq. in "run a tight ship")
OED
mener la barque : to be in charge; bien/mal mener sa barque : to manage things well/badly.
Hachette/Oxford
tight ship, taut ship (a) a ship in which ropes etc. are tight; a strictly run ship; (b) transf. & fig. a disciplined or well-run organization, state of affairs, etc. (freq. in "run a tight ship")
OED
Note from asker:
| This was a good suggestion, but didn't quit fit the context, IMO. I felt this was talking about his career. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Carol Gullidge
: Or "is running a tight ship". I think it needs to be the continuous present tense, which is the only reason I think BD's answer might not work (you only take the helm once, at a specific point in time, which doesn't fit with "avec persévérence)
2 hrs
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|
Thanks Carol, no "take the helm" is not quite the same thing
|
|
| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
: agree with Carol's points
7 hrs
|
|
thanks
|
14 mins
Marco Solinas
Native in English
Accurate, professional translations
Native in: English , Italian
Works in: Italian to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
20
steers his ship
very commom metaphor
Note from asker:
| Yes, common, but not really quite right for the context. |
23 mins
sailing through
*
7 hrs
helms his boat
… in his new guise of regatta skipper.
Preference US? Do you go in for lingo in the style of Variety, the show-biz mag? Yes? Then you want 'helm' as a verb! (Variety calls *film directors* 'helmers'.)
Preference US? Do you go in for lingo in the style of Variety, the show-biz mag? Yes? Then you want 'helm' as a verb! (Variety calls *film directors* 'helmers'.)
7 hrs
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
Works in field
Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: US, Canadian, Irish, UK) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
navigating/charting a new course
another option
...with perseverence/persistence, he is now /charting/navigating a new course (or role) as...
tillerman/helmsman/sailor/skipper/yachtsman... whatever role he has on board. Is he the skipper or helmsman?
I don't think you can say "his new skin" so new role/course would substitute
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Charting a new Course: navigating through troubled Waters ... we have done our best to chart a new course. The conversations we've been asked to ...
www.cjc.net/publications/documents/CJC2009AnnualReport.pdf
Navigating a New Course sermon, Navigating a New Course sermon by ...Navigating a New Course sermon, Navigating a New Course sermon by Rick Stacy, Rick Stacy takes you through - 1 Peter 1:17-1:21 - Call of the Disciples ...
www.sermoncentral.com/.../navigating-a-new-course-rick-stac... - Cached
...with perseverence/persistence, he is now /charting/navigating a new course (or role) as...
tillerman/helmsman/sailor/skipper/yachtsman... whatever role he has on board. Is he the skipper or helmsman?
I don't think you can say "his new skin" so new role/course would substitute
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Charting a new Course: navigating through troubled Waters ... we have done our best to chart a new course. The conversations we've been asked to ...
www.cjc.net/publications/documents/CJC2009AnnualReport.pdf
Navigating a New Course sermon, Navigating a New Course sermon by ...Navigating a New Course sermon, Navigating a New Course sermon by Rick Stacy, Rick Stacy takes you through - 1 Peter 1:17-1:21 - Call of the Disciples ...
www.sermoncentral.com/.../navigating-a-new-course-rick-stac... - Cached
Note from asker:
| Your answer was also an excellent suggestion, but came a little too late! Thank you. I'm sure it will come in useful to someone else. |
Discussion
As "mener sa barque" means to cope, get on with things, plain sailing is a big step away from the original meaning. One can "mène sa barque" through rough or smooth waters. Emma's explanation and suggestion got round that in some other way but I reckon it was important to make clear for future reference that "plain sailing" is not a faithful one-worder for "mener sa barque" as it ignores half the story! No offence meant Emma;I have made clear that your suggested rendering in the body of your answer does the trick!!!