Elle ne va jamais forcément toujours là où on l’attend.

English translation: She never ceases to amaze me; - not scared to go out of her comfort zone.

07:50 Jan 18, 2018
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Music
French term or phrase: Elle ne va jamais forcément toujours là où on l’attend.
Good morning all,

I am struggling to unpick the first sentence below:

Elle ne va jamais forcement toujours là où on l’attend. C’est ça aussi, je pense, ce que font les très grands artistes.

It is a comment made about a great singer but has no other context. I can't get my head round "jamais forcement toujours" all together although I'm thinking perhaps something along the lines of "she inevitably never goes where you expect/she never does what you expect".

I would be very grateful for a hand!
Thanks.
Victoria Miller
Italy
Local time: 21:06
English translation:She never ceases to amaze me; - not scared to go out of her comfort zone.
Explanation:
A number of solution exist for this phrase, depending on how literal an interpretation is appropriate. In this case, I think it means that the singer comes up with surprisng songs, choices, styles, etc., that she is not afraid to explore new areas.

Otherwise:

1) She doesn't always turn up where you might expect (her to).

2) It might be useful to consider solutions starting with "You never see her...".

3) She usually/often/always turns up where (she is) least expected.



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Note added at 41 mins (2018-01-18 08:32:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It all depends on whether the intention is literal or figurative.
Selected response from:

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 21:06
Grading comment
We went with "she never ceases to amaze" in the end. Thanks for helping me get my head round it!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +5She doesn't necessarily [always] go where you would expect.
Terry Richards
3 +4she's predictably unpredictable
ormiston
4 +1She never ceases to amaze me; - not scared to go out of her comfort zone.
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
4She doesn't necessarily always act the way you would expect her to.
Evelyne Sibau
2she sometimes takes it (her singing) to an entirely different level
Barbara Cochran, MFA


Discussion entries: 14





  

Answers


30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Elle ne va jamais forcement toujours là où on l’attend.
She doesn't necessarily [always] go where you would expect.


Explanation:
That's how I read it.

However, note that "go" may not indicate physical movement but may indicate an artistic or a behavioral direction.

Terry Richards
France
Local time: 21:06
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you so much for your help!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M
26 mins

agree  ph-b (X): My understanding too.
2 hrs

agree  Chakib Roula: My understanding.
6 hrs

agree  philgoddard
8 hrs

agree  AllegroTrans: do what you would expect
3 days 12 hrs
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40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Elle ne va jamais forcement toujours là où on l’attend.
She never ceases to amaze me; - not scared to go out of her comfort zone.


Explanation:
A number of solution exist for this phrase, depending on how literal an interpretation is appropriate. In this case, I think it means that the singer comes up with surprisng songs, choices, styles, etc., that she is not afraid to explore new areas.

Otherwise:

1) She doesn't always turn up where you might expect (her to).

2) It might be useful to consider solutions starting with "You never see her...".

3) She usually/often/always turns up where (she is) least expected.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 41 mins (2018-01-18 08:32:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It all depends on whether the intention is literal or figurative.

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 21:06
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7
Grading comment
We went with "she never ceases to amaze" in the end. Thanks for helping me get my head round it!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Chakib Roula: I like this figurative parsing.
6 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Elle ne va jamais forcement toujours là où on l’attend.
she sometimes takes it (her singing) to an entirely different level


Explanation:
Perhaps.

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 16:06
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: Quite possibly, but that's not what the ST says
3 days 7 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Elle ne va jamais forcement toujours là où on l’attend.
She doesn't necessarily always act the way you would expect her to.


Explanation:
She can sometimes be very surprizing and do things in a way you would never have expected.

Evelyne Sibau
France
Local time: 21:06
Native speaker of: French
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you!

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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Elle ne va jamais forcement toujours là où on l’attend.
she's predictably unpredictable


Explanation:
The discussion reflects a translator's frequent quandry, and this expression is perhaps too 'rounded' but I think it conveys the sense while avoiding saying whether it is a question of 'going' 'performing', etc

ormiston
Local time: 21:06
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Really liked this solution! Thanks for your help!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  polyglot45: love it !
9 mins

agree  Chakib Roula: Very creative parsing.
1 hr

agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne
1 hr

agree  ph-b (X): Nice.
17 hrs
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