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13:00 Feb 2, 2017
English to French translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / novel
English term or phrase: rising loaves
Sentence: once a whole flock of sheep washed down (the river, the rapids) like rising loaves.

Litteral translation : Une fois, un troupeau tout entier de moutons ressemblant à de grosses miches de pain qui fermentaient, fut emporté.

Change of image : comme de grosses pelotes de laine

Other suggestions welcome. Thank you.
micheler
Local time: 02:03


Summary of answers provided
4 -1comme des ballons (boules) de laine
Mary Carroll Richer LaFlèche
3 -1comme des nuages de laine
Antoine Dequidt
3 -1éponges de laine
Philippe Lascourrèges
1comme des îles flottantes
Tony M


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
comme des ballons (boules) de laine


Explanation:
simple and concise

Mary Carroll Richer LaFlèche
Italy
Local time: 02:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  bertrand lapicorey: une traduction n'est pas une transformation
11 days
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36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
comme des nuages de laine


Explanation:
suggestion
"nuages" pour "rising", plus poétique à mon sens que lela pête qui lève...
et "laine" évidemment

Antoine Dequidt
France
Local time: 02:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: I think the idea of 'rising dough' is that their coats are a bit puffed up, so not really sure if 'nuage' conveys quite the right image? Yes, but generally when seen from below; here, seen from above, they must look quite comical floating in the water.
2 hrs
  -> Sheeps are often pictured as small nimbus cloudd. That's the reason of my proposal(
disagree  bertrand lapicorey: on ne vous demande pas de rendre la meetaphore plus poétique mais de la traduire, il y a une grande différence
11 days
  -> Merci d'expliquer la différence. Peut-être voulez-vous dire que la personne que vous appelez ON demande de traduire littéralement "loaf".
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
éponges de laine


Explanation:
C'est ce que le texte m'inspire....

Philippe Lascourrèges
France
Local time: 02:03
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  bertrand lapicorey: il ne s'agit pas de votre inspiration mais de celle de l'auteur du texte source, veillez à le respecter avant tout
11 days
  -> Un auteur littéraire joue avec les mots pour traduire des émotions et inspirer ses lecteurs. Respirons un grand coup avant d'eructer !
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3 days 5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
comme des îles flottantes


Explanation:
Given I'm such a foodie, this was the first thing that sprang to mind!
Not quite the same image as the puffed-up 'rising loaves', but I think it helps to convey the poor helpless sheep getting washed away...

Tony M
France
Local time: 02:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 48

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jocelyne Cuenin: ou comme des blancs d'œufs montés en neige
3 days 21 hrs
  -> Merci, Petitavoine !
disagree  bertrand lapicorey: pourquoi changez-vous la métaphore qui est on ne peut plus claire
8 days
  -> Because Asker was clearly looking for other ideas, and I don't feel 'literal' works here — not least, because loaves of bread are not the same shape in France, so the image doesn't really work in the same way.
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