the visible pistoning of the train

14:59 Oct 23, 2014
English to French translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
English term or phrase: the visible pistoning of the train
Les personnages sont dans une automobile des années 30-40:

"He moved some levers and then, without any effort, not even the visible pistoning of the train, they moved along the road."
Les "levers" ne sont pas très clairs pour moi non plus.

Voici où j'en suis : "Il passa quelques vitesses/ il actionna quelques leviers puis, sans aucun effort, sans même l’aide du ??, ils s'engagèrent le long de la route"
lamarinette
France
Local time: 23:11


Summary of answers provided
4 +1les mouvements visibles des bielles de locomotives
Daryo
3le halètement caractéristique d'un train
Didier Fourcot
4 -1sans les à-coups visibles du train de roues
FX Fraipont (X)


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
le halètement caractéristique d'un train


Explanation:
Vu l'époque je pense qu'on évoque un train à vapeur, qui s'il démarre en douceur et progressivement (contrairement aux voitures de l'époque peu douces de l'embrayage comme du changement de vitesses), se fait remarquer par son souffle régulier

Le "visible pistoning"est très exagéré: les pistons des locomotives sont comme ceux des voitures dans des cylindres, seules les bielles sont apparentes avec le fascinant mécanisme de commande des tiroirs, qui crée le halètement

Donc je verrais "il actionna quelques leviers et sans effort, sans même le halètement caractéristique d'un train, ils prirent de la vitesse sur la route"

Didier Fourcot
Local time: 23:11
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Mireille BOULANGER: il s'agit d'une automobile
4 mins
  -> Terme à traduire "the visible pistoning of the train"

agree  kashew: Can't understand why they speak of a (steam) train?
17 mins

neutral  Tony M: I think it's a shame to go from the 'visible' piston movement to the 'audible' halètement. / The pumping, thrusting pistons, conveying an image of virile power.
20 mins
  -> My train memories are audible rather than visible, but perhaps theyn talk of the intricate and external moving parts of a train that a car hides under its body?

disagree  Daryo: the ST is about the "visible mechanism" that makes the steam locomotive move vs. the internal (= not visible) mechanism (i.e. the car engine) that moves the automobile
1 hr
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
les mouvements visibles des bielles de locomotives


Explanation:


il bougea quelques leviers et alors, sans avoir à faire aucun effort, sans même les mouvements visibles des bielles de locomotives, la voiture se mit à avancer le long de la route.

Le miracle d’une voiture qui avance toute seule, sans aucune source visible de force motrice!


Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:11
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SerbianSerbian, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  GILOU
9 hrs
  -> Merci!
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
sans les à-coups visibles du train de roues


Explanation:
on parle d'une automobile, pas d'un train

http://www.granddictionnaire.com/ficheOqlf.aspx?Id_Fiche=207...

"In the Wolf's Mouth — The Barnes & Noble Review
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/review/in-the-wolfs-mouth/
The Prince shut the door, walked briskly round the front of the car and fired its motor with a violent twist of a metal handl. Angilù was surprised to see a prince bend down and use inelegant physical force. The Prince then got up and sat in the driving position beside him. He moved some levers and then, without any effort of man or animal, not even the visible pistoning of the train, they moved along the road, bouncing over its rough surface on soft leather chairs.."

FX Fraipont (X)
Belgium
Local time: 23:11
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 106

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Tony M: In EN, we would never talk about a 'train' with refers to car wheels; I think it is simply an indication that this naïve passenger thinks of the car more like a train than a horseless carriage.
55 mins

neutral  Anne-Marie Laliberté (X): Tout à fait d'accord avec FX Fraipont. Il ne s'agit pas d'un train tiré par une locomotive mais bien du train avant d'une automobile.
1 day 21 hrs
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