Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
pipe dream
French translation:
projet chimérique
Added to glossary by
Robert Frankling
May 18, 2005 23:22
19 yrs ago
2 viewers *
English term
pipe dream
English to French
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
"His plan is no more than a pipe dream."
Proposed translations
(French)
| 5 +5 | projet chimérique |
Miguel Falquez-Certain
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| 4 +3 | [beau] rêve |
Graham macLachlan
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| 4 +2 | Chimère (une) |
Anna Maria Augustine (X)
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| 4 +1 | des plans sur la comète |
sarahl (X)
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| 4 | rêve illusoire |
TesCor -
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| 3 | songe irréel |
Peter Freckleton
|
Change log
May 18, 2005 23:25: sarahl (X) changed "Language pair" from "French to English" to "English to French"
Proposed translations
+5
31 mins
Miguel Falquez-Certain
United States
United States
Works in field
United States
Accurate, Fast, Reliable
Native in: Spanish 
Works in: English to Spanish, French to Spanish, Portuguese to Spanish, and 15 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
projet chimérique
Originally, from smoking opium.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Tout le monde a contribué des suggestions utiles pour un certain contexte. J'ai trouvé le suivant : "Une utopie est un projet chimérique". Cela correspond au sens de l'anglais, à mon avis. Merci."
3 mins
rêve illusoire
n'est qu'un rêve illusoire
+1
4 mins
des plans sur la comète
il faut toujours qu'il tire des plans sur la comète.
+2
6 mins
6 hrs
Peter Freckleton
Australia
Australia
Native in English
Specializes in field
Australia
I am a litigation attorney and linguist
Native in: English
Works in: French to English
songe irréel
Or perhaps you could use 'château en espagne', il se construit...
+3
8 hrs
[beau] rêve
I think "pipe" is misleading because it is just an intensifier and doesn't radically change the notion "dream". It serves to explain that what is being considered is not a "dream" in the passive sleeping sense, but an active reverie, a musing or daydream.
As can be seen from this definition, "beau" clearly serves this same purpose:
n. masc.
2. Construction de l’esprit par laquelle on s’évade du réel par l’imagination. Il est toujours perdu dans ses rêves. / De rêve: qui semble sorti d’un rêve (1), irréel. Paysage de rêve. / Idée chimérique. Son projet n’a été qu’un beau rêve.
That's enough of my nonsense this morning, cheers Bob.
As can be seen from this definition, "beau" clearly serves this same purpose:
n. masc.
2. Construction de l’esprit par laquelle on s’évade du réel par l’imagination. Il est toujours perdu dans ses rêves. / De rêve: qui semble sorti d’un rêve (1), irréel. Paysage de rêve. / Idée chimérique. Son projet n’a été qu’un beau rêve.
That's enough of my nonsense this morning, cheers Bob.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Sabine Seguin
1 hr
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thanks Sabine
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| agree |
Corinne
: It would be better to know the style of the text and the context to answer, but this solution is fair enough
3 hrs
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that's fair of you, thanks Corinne
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| agree |
Christelle OLIVIER
: On dit aussi un "doux rêve"
6 hrs
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thanks colivier
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