May 5, 2004 19:11
20 yrs ago
français term

Elle est américaine et elle a fait début dans les années ’20.

Non-PRO français vers anglais Technique / Génie Général / conversation / salutations / correspondance
just basic translation

Discussion

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X) May 5, 2004:
there is no such thing my friend..everything has a context

d�but ?? whast, writing? Acting? Singing? Piloting aircraft??
In English we would nearly always qualify it....and would probably translate it as "started x" unless she is an actress

Proposed translations

+9
2 minutes
français term (edited): Elle est am�ricaine et elle a fait d�but dans les ann�es ?20.
Selected

She is an American who made her debut in the 1920s.

or: and she made her debut ... Depends on the context and what you want to emphasize.
Peer comment(s):

agree Sandra OLIVER : better format
9 minutes
agree Will Matter : also acceptable, depends how asker wishes to word it.
21 minutes
agree Cabotine (X) : c'est plus élégant que le français, est-il permis d'améliorer ?
22 minutes
Well, there's a good theoretical question! I usually try to keep the translation like the original, but perhaps the French isn't as awkward as the literal English would be.
agree Hacene
51 minutes
agree Orla Ryan
54 minutes
agree chaplin
4 heures
agree verbis
7 heures
agree Karin Dyson
12 heures
agree ZIL (X)
13 heures
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Graded automatically based on peer agreement."
+8
2 minutes
français term (edited): Elle est am�ricaine et elle a fait d�but dans les ann�es �20.

She is American and she made her debut in the twenties.

a flapper, perhaps???? or silent movie star???
Peer comment(s):

agree Enza Longo
0 minute
agree NancyLynn
6 minutes
agree Vicky Papaprodromou
7 minutes
agree Will Matter
21 minutes
agree MARINS
30 minutes
agree lien : I would write : she is an American, when the french say :elle est americaine, they mean : she is an American. The sentence is closer to the French, less formal than the other answer.
1 heure
agree RHELLER : you got it Marian (in French one can also say "c'est une américaine")
3 heures
agree chaplin
4 heures
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+1
1 heure
français term (edited): Elle est am�ricaine et elle a fait d�but dans les ann�es �20.

She is an American woman who made her debut in the twenties

Young women being presented to society (debutantes) were said to be making their "debut." This was a ritual of the upper classes of society, especially before World War I, but the practice continues with some modification today.
Peer comment(s):

agree mportal : also, certainly in the UK (-I don't know about America) they might have been described as 'coming out' (ie in society), but this might have odd connotations today
10 minutes
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