https://www.proz.com/kudoz/english-to-french/history/4429690-checkered-history.html
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Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

checkered history

French translation:

histoire mouvementée

Added to glossary by FX Fraipont (X)
Jul 6, 2011 13:40
12 yrs ago
English term

checkered history

English to French Social Sciences History Culture
This small community, 45 km northwest of Freeport, has a checkered history of piracy, smuggling and bootlegging.
Proposed translations (French)
4 +3 histoire mouvementée
4 +1 l'histoire de.... est entachée/marquée par la piraterie, ...
4 +1 passé entaché de hauts et de bas en matière...
3 +2 passé houleux
3 +1 histoire en dents de scie
4 histoire contrastée
4 histoire haute en couleurs
Change log

Jul 6, 2011 13:54: Stéphanie Soudais changed "Term asked" from "checkered hitory" to "checkered history"

Jul 17, 2011 12:33: FX Fraipont (X) Created KOG entry

Discussion

kashew Jul 6, 2011:
@ Tony et al Yes, "... checkered history that included... " would be the thing to translate.
Tony M Jul 6, 2011:
checkered is fine here These were obviously the 'downs', the rest were the 'ups', though they don't list them. My only real quibble would be that it might have read better as "...checkered history that included..."
emiledgar Jul 6, 2011:
with Kashew I think this is an incorrect use of the expression "checkered history"; piracy, bootlegging and smuggling are all illegal and also are all related activities; there's no contrast there. When someone is accused of having a "checkered history" what is usually understood is that part of their life was on the up and up,rt wasn't. In terms of those three activities, none of them are on the up and up.
kashew Jul 6, 2011:
Like this? http://a2.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/14/68585ba4d4950...
GILLES MEUNIER Jul 6, 2011:
Checkered Comme le jeu d'échec (noir et blanc). Si vous ne voyez pas le contraste....
kashew Jul 6, 2011:
Where's the contrast? Is that well-written? Presumably the three activities were successful?!
Checkered usually infers varied fortunes - ups and downs.
Does it really mean; A checkered history of piracy, smuggling and bootlegging. i.e. sometimes successful, sometimes not.?

Proposed translations

+3
7 mins
English term (edited): checkered hitory
Selected

histoire mouvementée

..
Peer comment(s):
agree Mehdi Caps
19 mins
thanks!
agree kashew : Good too.
1 hr
thanks
agree Philippe Morgan de Rivery
5 days
thanks
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
22 mins

histoire en dents de scie

Peer comment(s):
agree Alain Mouchel
2 hrs
Merci!
Something went wrong...
+1
24 mins

l'histoire de.... est entachée/marquée par la piraterie, ...

selon le ton du reste du texte

checkered = having discritable episodes (Oxford dictionary)
Peer comment(s):
agree kashew : "marquée par la piraterie, ..." seems good as there's hardly any contrast - those 3 illegal activities are in the same bag.
1 hr
merci
Something went wrong...
3 mins
English term (edited): checkered hitory

histoire contrastée

-

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Note added at 4 mins (2011-07-06 13:44:38 GMT)
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http://poj.peeters-leuven.be/content.php?id=436&url=article

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Note added at 18 mins (2011-07-06 13:58:29 GMT)
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La métaphore de contraste est évidente dans ce lien...

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_meaning_of_checkered_h...

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Note added at 32 mins (2011-07-06 14:13:18 GMT)
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The EMS had a chequered history.
Anglais : europa.eu/abc/12lessons/lesson_7/index_en.htm Le système monétaire européen a connu une histoire contrastée
Something went wrong...
+1
35 mins

passé entaché de hauts et de bas en matière...

"
Peer comment(s):
agree kashew : Yes, that's what is written. But is it what's meant?
59 mins
oui je pense. Merci!
Something went wrong...
+2
2 hrs

passé houleux

la ville a connu un passé houleux, marqué essentiellement par
Peer comment(s):
agree Tony M : This is the very expression I've encountered before in my FR > EN work, and which I've translated by 'chequered history'
3 hrs
agree Raymonde Gagnier
1 day 11 hrs
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

histoire haute en couleurs

...

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Note added at 17 hrs (2011-07-07 07:10:21 GMT)
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ou bien, si on veut à tout prix respecter l'image de l'original, "à teintes contrastées".
Something went wrong...