Jacques Dutronc

English translation: Jumping Jack (Flash)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Jacques Dutronc
English translation:Jumping Jack (Flash)
Entered by: Catharine Cellier-Smart

09:16 Jun 6, 2018
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Names (personal, company) / Tree description wordplay
French term or phrase: Jacques Dutronc
Does anyone have any bright ideas about translating this wordplay?

My text refers to a jackfruit tree and says "Leurs fruits, qui poussent sur le tronc faisant ainsi hommage au chanteur Jacques Dutronc, n’y restent pas longtemps car ils sont très appréciés".

I can't find a well-known Jack or Jacky with a tree-related surname (the closest I've come is Jack Straw!) and can't think of any other wordplay here. If not I'll just leave it out.

(Target: UK English)
Catharine Cellier-Smart
Reunion
Local time: 22:12
Jumping Jack (Flash)
Explanation:
Something to do with them being so popular they virtually jump off the tree in a flash (Jumping Jack...Fruit)? Could maintain some kind of musical theme with a Rolling Stones hommage - Jumping Jack Flash etc
(So long as no one remembers the next line is - "It's a gas gas gas"!)
Selected response from:

Margaret Morrison
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:12
Grading comment
Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1Jumping Jack (Flash)
Margaret Morrison
3 +2reword it
AllegroTrans
4 -1Jacques Dutronc
Francois Boye


Discussion entries: 16





  

Answers


3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Jacques Dutronc


Explanation:
Do not translate! This gentleman was a famous, provocative French singer of the 1970s

Francois Boye
United States
Local time: 14:12
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  AllegroTrans: a) No En speaker will associate the name Dutronc with tree trunks b) the vast majority of En speakers will not even know who he was
22 mins
  -> Ignorance is no bliss//Just add a footmote//https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Dutronc
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Jumping Jack (Flash)


Explanation:
Something to do with them being so popular they virtually jump off the tree in a flash (Jumping Jack...Fruit)? Could maintain some kind of musical theme with a Rolling Stones hommage - Jumping Jack Flash etc
(So long as no one remembers the next line is - "It's a gas gas gas"!)

Margaret Morrison
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:12
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  katsy
2 hrs

agree  Yolanda Broad
3 hrs

disagree  Francois Boye: can you prove that Jumping Jack connotes the personality of Jacques Dutronc?
3 hrs

neutral  AllegroTrans: Although I don't really find this a great rendering, I don't think for one moment that you have to "prove that Jumping Jack connotes the personality of Jacques Dutronc"; what absolute nonsense!
4 hrs

neutral  philgoddard: This sounds way too complicated and contrived to me.
16 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
reword it


Explanation:
Their fruit doesn’t stay on the tree for very long as it's so good to eat

See my discussion box comment

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:12
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: If you want to retain a little touch of humour, this would do nicely.
19 mins
  -> thanks

disagree  Francois Boye: no deletion, please!
1 hr
  -> In the interest of a phrase that an English speaker will fail to understand, or at best find rather stupid?

agree  Yolanda Broad
3 hrs
  -> thanks

agree  Yvonne Gallagher
19 hrs
  -> thanks
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