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assistant moniteur
Pâte Brisée
Jun 6, 2005 11:02
18 yrs ago
French term

les 8 et 9 mai derniers

Non-PRO French to English Bus/Financial Business/Commerce (general)
les 8 et 9 mai derniers a été organisée une conférence sur . . .
How would you say this in English? Obviously we don't say 'last 8 and 9 May'. Would it be 'on 8 and 9 May last year', or would it just be 'on 8 and 9 May', i.e. pertaining to 8 and 9 May of THIS year just gone?
Many thanks!
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 on 8-9 May; on 8 and 9 May
4 +10 On May 8 and 9, 2005
4 +2 on May 8th and 9th 2005
4 +1 this past 8 and 9 May
4 On 8 and 9 May last
4 -1 May 8th and 9th last
3 last 8 and 9 May. last May 8 and 9
4 -2 On the 8th and 9th last May
Change log

Jun 6, 2005 11:19: writeaway changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"

Discussion

Non-ProZ.com Jun 6, 2005:
Thanks to all for your input and clarifications - it's bedtime in Oz now so I'll come back to this fresh in the morning and make a final decision!
Sandra C. Jun 6, 2005:
I'm with Charlie on this one.
Charlie Bavington Jun 6, 2005:
... (such as we now have) in the future. Unlike Kate (above), I think your solution depends more on when the doc was *written*, not on when it will be used. You're gonna have to ask, I think, or find out elsewhere when the events actually took place.
Charlie Bavington Jun 6, 2005:
..like that, I wonder whether the doc wasn't written maybe in the last half of 2004 and so both dates actually refer to 2004. As I said when agreeing with Teresa's answer, I would always try to put the year in to avoid any possible confusion...
Charlie Bavington Jun 6, 2005:
As I'm sure you know, "dernier" just means "the last one we had". So as of today, your May one is May 2005; your 12th of June, today (the 6th) means 2004. However, it all depends when your doc was written, and given the usage of "dernier" twice...
Non-ProZ.com Jun 6, 2005:
It was an event that took place on "le 12 juin dernier". So it must be on 12 June last year. Last 12 June sounds funny to me, but maybe it's just me . . .
Kate Hudson (X) Jun 6, 2005:
Depending on when this document will be used - possibly after 12 June you can use last June 12th - last 8th and 9th June - it might be worth clarifying this. If the document will first be used after 12th June then this changes the time perspective
Non-ProZ.com Jun 6, 2005:
What about 'le 12 juin dernier'? Sorry to be a pain but I've noticed a similar thing later in the document only this refers to 'le 12 juin dernier'. Obviously this date has not yet occurred this year so I presume it refers to 12 June 2004 whereas the other is 8 and 9 May 2005?

Proposed translations

+2
2 mins
Selected

on 8-9 May; on 8 and 9 May

Pertains to this year, not last year IMHO
Peer comment(s):
agree Tony M : Yes, and in English we don't say 'last' for THIS year
40 mins
agree writeaway : good guess ;-)
2 days 14 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I checked with client and all dates pertain to this year (document will not be published until August). I prefer to omit the year as it is not specified in source text."
+1
1 min

this past 8 and 9 May

maybe?
Peer comment(s):
agree Can Altinbay : Sounds good, and avoids the year problem.//Of course, since the original doesn't use a concrete year, maybe the translation ought to follow suit...
3 hrs
exactly - although the asker may indeed know which is the year in question
Something went wrong...
+10
3 mins

On May 8 and 9, 2005

This is how I would say it.
Or on May 8 and 9 of this year.
Peer comment(s):
agree Charlie Bavington : I'd put the year. It doesn't change the meaning one iota, but it does make the document "future proof".//I'd still put the year, but with the proviso that it may NOT be 2005 after all... up to Asker to find out.
4 mins
agree Claire Cox
6 mins
agree Audrey Fermon-Terraza (X)
10 mins
agree chaplin : of this year, or the current year
15 mins
agree Peter Freckleton : Particularly in formal correspondence. Otherwise rather old-fashioned 'ult.' or 'ultimo'
15 mins
agree Nico Staes
18 mins
agree AbdulHameed Al Hadidi : Nothing in the question refers to 2005, this would rather be tapmering .
20 mins
agree Catherine Christaki
25 mins
agree Carolyn Brice
29 mins
agree Tony M : Yes, this way it is completely unambiguous!
40 mins
Something went wrong...
+2
18 mins

on May 8th and 9th 2005

I'd add the "th"
Peer comment(s):
agree Tony M : Yes, in my own writing I prefer it with 'th'
25 mins
thanks. Being English I would always put "th"!!
agree Elizabeth Lyons : I like this as well and I am not British :)
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
-2
20 mins

On the 8th and 9th last May

On the 8th and 9th last May, a conference was organized on .....
Peer comment(s):
disagree Jennifer White : we would not use this expression
6 mins
disagree Tony M : Agree with JW
22 mins
neutral Sandra C. : may with 'of' last May...
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
-1
24 mins

May 8th and 9th last

or May 8 and 9 last / June 12 last. In the case of May it means 2005 and of June (if the date hadn't come up yet this year), 2004.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2005-06-06 11:29:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

peceded by the prep. \'on\'
Peer comment(s):
disagree Tony M : It really is inviting trouble to use 'last' in the same text meaning both this year and last year. // As CB said, 'dernier' = 'last one past', so (as long as Asker knows when the doc was written), it ought to be clear.
21 mins
I see your point, Dusty, but are we sure the May dates refer to this year and the June one(s) to last year? I think it's risky to introduce the year unless it's absolutely clear.// Still see your point but also agree with df49f's agree to writeaway.
Something went wrong...
49 mins

On 8 and 9 May last

surely?

I have stopped using the "th" because it seems to have fallen out of fashion, especially in interantional circles..

As to 12 June - you could simply say "On 12 June last"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2005-06-06 11:53:50 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

On the June question, I would need to see the text before I woulds stick my neck out 100%
Something went wrong...
23 mins

last 8 and 9 May. last May 8 and 9

avoids specifying in relation to when.......

[PDF] Trade Intelligence
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
... (which took effect last 8 June 2004),. importers must submit the certificate of ... Chain:“WCO Regional Conference for the North of ...
www.pwccustoms.com/home/ eng/trade_int_julaug2004_pdf.html
PDF] New Voices on Rough Cuts Radio Awards and Adventures
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML

... Conference Board of Canada and Catalyst,. a New York-based agency with a record ... Sudbury, last May 8-10, took special care. to be inclusive. ...
cbc.radio-canada.ca/docs/equity/pdf/ee-news01e.pdf


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 11 mins (2005-06-06 12:14:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

last June 12th in spoken English anyway
Peer comment(s):
disagree Tony M : No, because this leads to the same confusion: does it mean 'last' (just gone) or 'last' (last year) // It seems to me that Asker understands exactly what is MEANT, but is asking how best to express this in English, no?
21 mins
why make a definite statement about the date when one doesn't know the facts?/no not at all -if it was abundantly clear, I'd imagine the question never would have been asked/no-the June 12th issue has further complicated the exact 'when'
agree df49f (X) : and agree that no year should be mentioned - why try to put in the translation more than what's in the souce text?
1 hr
Something went wrong...
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