Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
compliments
French translation:
gracieusement offert par
Added to glossary by
Sylvie LE BRAS
Jun 4, 2012 09:26
11 yrs ago
English term
France
Native in: French 
Works in: English to French, Spanish to French, French, and 1 more.
compliments
English to French
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Contexte : promotion qui permet de gagner une voiture
Distributors are off to the races in their newly leased cars compliments of the promotion.
Les distributeurs sont dans la course... ???
Je ne vois pas comment traiter ce terme, merci pour vos suggestions.
Distributors are off to the races in their newly leased cars compliments of the promotion.
Les distributeurs sont dans la course... ???
Je ne vois pas comment traiter ce terme, merci pour vos suggestions.
Proposed translations
(French)
| 4 +6 | gracieusement offert par |
Isabelle F. BRUCHER (X)
|
| 3 +2 | mises à disposition |
Sarah Bessioud
|
| 4 | qui leur ont été livrées dans le cadre de l'opération de promotion |
FX Fraipont (X)
|
| 4 | [voitures] mises à leur disposition gracieusement [par les organisateurs de la promotion] |
Isabelle F. BRUCHER (X)
|
| 3 -1 | offert(e)(s) par |
Tony M
|
Proposed translations
+6
11 mins
English term (edited):
compliments of
Selected
gracieusement offert par
Grand Robert & Collins EN-FR (www.lerobert.com):
■ ceci ***vous est gracieusement offert par*** la société Leblanc : Messrs Leblanc offer you this with their compliments | please ***accept this with the compliments of*** Messrs Leblanc
■ ceci ***vous est gracieusement offert par*** la société Leblanc : Messrs Leblanc offer you this with their compliments | please ***accept this with the compliments of*** Messrs Leblanc
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
GILLES MEUNIER
: bonne journée
17 mins
|
|
Merci, Gilles, et bonne journée !
|
|
| neutral |
Jonathan MacKerron
: but would you say "gracieusement offert par la promotion"??
25 mins
|
|
"(voitures) offertes gracieusement par les organisateurs de la promotion", oui... + voir Discussion.
|
|
| agree |
C. Tougas
1 hr
|
|
Merci, Chantal !
|
|
| agree |
NancyLynn
2 hrs
|
|
Merci, Nancy !
|
|
| agree |
Daryo
: that's the gist of it
4 hrs
|
|
Merci, Daryo !
|
|
| agree |
Jean-Claude Gouin
13 hrs
|
|
Merci, JC !
|
|
| agree |
enrico paoletti
1 day 7 hrs
|
|
Merci, Enrico !
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Merci !"
3 mins
qui leur ont été livrées dans le cadre de l'opération de promotion
..
+2
13 mins
Sarah Bessioud
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Works in field
Germany
A way with words
Native in: English (Variants: British, UK, US)
Works in: German to English, French to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
28
mises à disposition
The source text is a little misleading, because "compliments" means that the cars are provided by the promotors FREE OF CHARGE (for the duration of the promotion) whilst "newly leased" would usually imply that the distributors are paying to use the cars. (To lease: to grant the temporary possession or use of (lands, tenements, etc.) to another, usually for compensation at a fixed rate; let: She plans to lease her apartment to a friend (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lease))
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Tony M
: I think the people who have leased the cars are getting a free trip to the races ;-) (literaly or figuratively)
4 mins
|
| agree |
Daryo
: the company is leasing the car, the distributor is getting free use of the car
4 hrs
|
| agree |
Françoise Vogel
1 day 6 hrs
|
-1
6 mins
English term (edited):
compliments of
offert(e)(s) par
You could replace 'compliments of' with 'courtesy of' — usually this means it is given free, but as Jonathan says, sometimes it just means 'grâce à', with no specific connotation that it is free.
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Note added at 17 mins (2012-06-04 09:43:36 GMT)
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Ah, I see, that would have been 'complimentary cars', then ;-)
'compliments of / courtesy of...' does usually mean 'free', at least in this sort of general public context; though do note that in other contexts, it doesn't; for example, if you said 'photographs courtesy of the National Gallery', it would just mean they had given their permission. Note that in this latter context, 'compliments of...' is less common.
Can also be used humorously, as in for example "Look at me with this fine black eye, compliments of the front door!"
Sometimes, a restaurant waiter may bring you a little appetizer etc. 'with the compliments of the chef' — in that case, it is clearly being given to you free.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2012-06-04 09:43:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Ah, I see, that would have been 'complimentary cars', then ;-)
'compliments of / courtesy of...' does usually mean 'free', at least in this sort of general public context; though do note that in other contexts, it doesn't; for example, if you said 'photographs courtesy of the National Gallery', it would just mean they had given their permission. Note that in this latter context, 'compliments of...' is less common.
Can also be used humorously, as in for example "Look at me with this fine black eye, compliments of the front door!"
Sometimes, a restaurant waiter may bring you a little appetizer etc. 'with the compliments of the chef' — in that case, it is clearly being given to you free.
Note from asker:
| Thanks a lot Tony, I thought compliments was attached to cars and never to the words that follow! It is crystal clear now, thank you. |
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
GILLES MEUNIER
: trop vague
5 days
|
|
i was only seeking to clarify the meaning for Asker, and apparently Sylvie found that 'crystal clear', so clearly not "too vague" for her, at least.
|
2 days 2 hrs
[voitures] mises à leur disposition gracieusement [par les organisateurs de la promotion]
Voir toutes les discussions et suggestions faites jusqu'ici.
Discussion
It's a MOTIVATIONAL material for distributors of the product XYZ.
It's dangling a carrot in front of them:
"sell better than others, the promotion will give you a shiny new leased car (leased by the company, free for you), so you can use the car to go to the place to be seen i.e. "the races".
Been there, didn't bother to collect the T-shirt.
ÉTYM. 1302; de gracieux.
❖
1 D'une manière gracieuse, avec courtoisie. Accueillir gracieusement qqn. ➙ Affablement, aimablement (→ Excuser, cit. 22).
2 (V. 1330). Avec grâce. Elle sourit gracieusement. ➙ Aimablement. Se balancer gracieusement. ➙ Mollement. Figures gracieusement sculptées (→ Armoire, cit. 4).
*** 3 (1922). À titre gracieux.
Un cadeau sera remis gracieusement à tout acheteur. ➙ Gratuitement (→ À titre gracieux*).***
---
"Offrir gracieusement/à titre gratuit" pourrait paraître redondant, mais en commerce il y a des cadeaux qu'il faut acheter en partie. Voyez par exemple dans les supermarchés, ces services de table "offerts contre remise de bons de fidélité" contre paiement modique de... euros.... Parfois il faut insister: oui, oui, c'est 100% gratuit.
These distributors are in the field of nutrition and to boost the sales, the company has launched a promotion which will finish next year, in March. It is a list of distributors from a specific country in Europe (the promotion has been launched all over Europe). So, there is no direct relation with any kind of races.
It's a little difficult to see why they would have used this expression other than literally, since AFAIK 'off to the races' doesn't really have any standard figurative meaning in EN, and it would sound odd if it meant they were just driving fast — in which case, we might have said 'they are racing off / away in...'
Does it make sense for you?