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This question was closed without grading. Reason: No acceptable answer
Sep 16, 2018 16:18
5 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term

vous menez votre petite vie

French to English Social Sciences General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters Extrait d\'une conversation entre une thérapeute et sa patiente
Extracts from conversations between therapists and their patients. This is the therapist speaking. I'm really looking for possible meanings in this context of 'votre petite vie.'
Merci pour tous vos suggestions!
Proposed translations (English)
4 +8 Get on with your day to day life
4 +2 You go about your little life
4 +1 so you lead your life as it goes
4 -2 You live/lead/go about your little life
3 -2 self-absorbed
5 -5 you undertake your lives
Change log

Sep 16, 2018 16:43: writeaway changed "Field" from "Other" to "Social Sciences"

Sep 17, 2018 02:45: Yolanda Broad changed "Term asked" from "\\\'vous menez votre petite vie\\\'" to "vous menez votre petite vie "

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (1): Yvonne Gallagher

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Discussion

Mohamed Hosni Sep 26, 2018:
Question just close, also just yes for "yes" and just no for "no"!!..There's only yes or no.
Gabrielle Paci (asker) Sep 21, 2018:
I apologize for the delay in responding to all your suggestions and insights! I had not checked the email notification box and so I was completely unaware that this interesting discussion was taking place. Unfortunately, no further context is available to throw light on the intended meaning of 'petite vie.' Your feedback confirms my thoughts of possible derision from the therapist which may be a reflection of possible differences in therapy practices in each of the cultures. Thank you to everyone for your valuable feedback.
writeaway Sep 20, 2018:
Speculation Since Asker has refused to provide actual context, what is meant by 'petite vie' is anyone's guess. Of course this can be interpreted in a number of ways but without context, who knows.
Tony M Sep 20, 2018:
« petite vie » I have to disagree with the claim that « petite vie » is per se negative or pejorative — of course, it is often used in a judgemental way, crticizing someone for having a boring, uneventful life; but it can also be used in a kindly way, as I think it could well be here, to suggest that a person may be satsified and fully-functional in the life that they have sewn up and isn't too challenging for yhrm — I've had it said to me in this exact sort of context, and it certainly didn't come across as judgemental in that case (where it was I myself who was regretting the uneventfulness of my own life!)
"You just go about getting on with your own little life, minding your own business and not interfering with other people, and if that works for you, than that's just fine!"
B D Finch Sep 17, 2018:
Context? I fail to understand why so many people are spending time on this when the Asker can't be bothered to respond to the request for context! No context = no reliable answer.
Barbara Cochran, MFA Sep 17, 2018:
I think that therapists would say that this kind of patient catastrophizes/blows things all out of proportion, that they sweat the small stuff.
Verginia Ophof Sep 17, 2018:
you live in your own little world
Samantha Moore Sep 17, 2018:
You carry on in your little world Difficult to say without context but something like "wandering around in your little world"
Barbara Cochran, MFA Sep 17, 2018:
La petite vie literally translates as “The small life”, but it’s actually an expression in French with a bit deeper meaning. It basically means “a small life” in English (or “a petty life”), in the sense that your whole world revolves around a very small circle, small area, and your views, outlook, and goals are equally small. You just live life in a tiny comfort zone with little care (and perhaps even little knowledge) of anything outside that comfort zone. It’s not bad – it’s just small. Problems which happen to people living “a small life” may not be very big problems in the grand scheme of life — But because these mundane problems constitute “everything” that is happening to these people (owing to their life being so small), the smallest things become overblown and huge issues (ie: it could be the end of the world that the garden hose sprung a leak, that the neighbour gossiped about your daughter, that a little milk got spilled…).

Excerpt from: https://quebeccultureblog.com/2014/11/23/la-petite-vie-98/
Barbara Cochran, MFA Sep 16, 2018:
We don't know if the therapist is being condescending or not, since the asker never offered the surrounding context.

I have read hundreds of books on the theories and practice of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, as well as multiple case histories, and translated several of them from Spanish and French, and there seems to be a great deal of recent evidence that people who call themselves "psychotherapists" end up being anything but soothing and therapeutic and seem to be more psychologically compromised than some of their patients. I suppose that's why so many people have made fun of psychotherapists and would never deign to step inside of their offices.
Philippe Etienne Sep 16, 2018:
petite = quiet vs. wild In the (spoken?) context, it likely means you live your daily, predictable, métro-boulot-dodo life. Not really boring, but settled.
writeaway Sep 16, 2018:
There are several ways to express this in English Without context, there is no way to know the actual gist.
Barbara Cochran, MFA Sep 16, 2018:
Can you share more of the dialogue that went on between these two people?

But my overall impression is that the therapist might be referring to the patient's life as "limited" or "very limited", because of a lack of money, friends, and/or certain opportunities, or self-defeating behaviors.

Proposed translations

-2
1 hr
French term (edited): \'vous menez votre petite vie\'

self-absorbed

Possible meanings of "petite vie" are 1) a self-absorbed or egotistical life, overly focused on or him/herself etc 2) a mediocre life
Peer comment(s):
neutral writeaway : yes, it's in dictionaries too but Asker needs to provide context if an accurate translation is what she wants
13 mins
neutral Philippe Etienne : I doubt it. I don't think a therapist would be so judgmental.
49 mins
neutral Tony M : Agree with Philippe: too judgemental / projective for a therapist, and without context, could in any case amount to wild over interpretation.
1 hr
disagree Eliza Hall : Gareth, I agree that the this phrase could be said in a judgmental tone suggesting the patient is self-absorbed, but not necessarily, so "self-absorbed" is not an accurate translation. The phrase could be said sympathetically too.
20 hrs
disagree Mohamed Hosni : No, it does not fits
1 day 12 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
2 hrs
French term (edited): \'vous menez votre petite vie\'

so you lead your life as it goes

I would suggest

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2018-09-16 18:50:47 GMT)
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I don't think the "petit" has to be seen in a judgmental context, it just means "so you just go on living your (normal) life"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2018-09-16 18:53:46 GMT)
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a therapist would never say anything to hurt the client, so we need to be soothing here

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2018-09-16 19:15:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I think "normal" would be ok in this context... non-judgmental and soothing

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2018-09-16 19:17:52 GMT)
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although I think the therapist went a bridge too far with "petit"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2018-09-16 19:32:45 GMT)
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so you just go on with your normal life/day-to-day life
Peer comment(s):
agree Wendy Streitparth : I was going to suggest "you lead your ordinary, everyday life", but I think you just about covered that!
1 hr
thanks Wendy
agree rokotas : this is one way to put it in English
13 hrs
neutral Tony M : There is nothing wrong with "petite vie", it is a standard expression in FR, and not as pejorative as it seems in EN.
16 hrs
disagree Eliza Hall : "Petite vie" is judgmental, either of the person for choosing to focus on trivial things, or of the "petite vie" itself (you could sympathize with someone: "You're leading your little life, you're looking for more meaning..."
19 hrs
Something went wrong...
+8
3 hrs
French term (edited): \'vous menez votre petite vie\'

Get on with your day to day life

Although "petite" can make it seem a bit condescending I don't think it is in this context. This formulation is used quite frequently in the south of france. Eg : vous menez votre petite vie tranquille, which is not at all condescending.
Peer comment(s):
agree writeaway : Guarded agree because context is definitely needed. This avoids the issue of 'little life', which can be negative/sarcastic
16 mins
agree Daryo : that's how I would understand it also BUT as we don't know anything about the context, it's quite possible that the intended meaning is s.t. completely else!
2 hrs
agree Nikki Scott-Despaigne
2 hrs
agree Yolanda Broad
6 hrs
agree rokotas : this is one way to put it in English
12 hrs
agree Chakib Roula
12 hrs
agree AllegroTrans
12 hrs
agree Tony M : Depending on context, 'go about' might be a better verb to use — unless there is some opposition with 'things that might prevent them from so doing'.
14 hrs
agree Yvonne Gallagher
14 hrs
agree Jennifer White
14 hrs
disagree Eliza Hall : If the therapist wanted to say everyday life, "quotidien" or "vie de tous les jours" do the trick. "Petite vie" is derogatory (either judging the person for focusing on that, or judging the "petite vie" itself while perhaps sympathizing with the person).
17 hrs
disagree Barbara Cochran, MFA : Re: your "eg": Patients go into therapy because their lives are NOT tranquil.
19 hrs
neutral philgoddard : "Votre petite vie tranquille" sounds negative to me. If you think this is a positive construction, you should provide references.
20 hrs
Something went wrong...
+2
8 hrs
French term (edited): \'vous menez votre petite vie\'

You go about your little life

Like some others who answered, I also think it would help to have the context in which this comment was made. The way it stands now, the therapist may be trying to contrast the patient's current life with the way it might be if the patient were more ….. (whatever it is that the therapist thinks is missing).
Peer comment(s):
agree Eliza Hall : Go about or lead, either is fine. We can't tell without context whether the therapist is chastising the patient for focusing on trivial things, or sympathizing ("You lead your little life, you wish it had more meaning, so here you are in therapy..."
12 hrs
agree philgoddard : I hesitate to agree when the asker has failed to provide context, but all the examples here are derogatory: http://context.reverso.net/traduction/francais-anglais/votre...
15 hrs
agree Tony M : I think the use of 'go about' is probably helpful here, as it conveys a nuance of meaning ('getting on with your own life, minding your own business, etc.) that is lacking in other options; but still reservations about 'little' without more context.
1 day 4 hrs
disagree Mohamed Hosni : No, c'est pas du tout ça.
1 day 17 hrs
Something went wrong...
-2
21 hrs

You live/lead/go about your little life

This is a simple one, except that "petite vie" is commonly said in France while "little life" isn't so common in English. We can't tell from context what the tone is. French therapists being French therapists, they could well be chastising the patient for focusing on trivial things. But it seems more likely to me that the therapist is saying it in a sympathetic way, as in any of the following:

You're living your little life, and then all of a sudden a crisis hits, everything changes...

You're living your little life, but you wish it had more meaning...

Etc.
Peer comment(s):
disagree Mohamed Hosni : There's no little or big or littles or biggest there's only what can we call "lives".In French culture this expression can means " your own life" or personal life. Never mind the pairs check my suggestion in the context!!!.
44 mins
Not sure I understand your answer. Why are you answering when your language pairs don't include FR>EN or even EN>FR?
neutral Jennifer White : Merely a repeat of the above answer.
1 hr
neutral philgoddard : I don't see why you've agreed with Nicole's answer and posted it again.
2 hrs
Because I think "live" or "lead" are better than "go about" as translations for mener. "Go about" works but it's a bit UK (hardly used in the US), while the others aren't location-specific...
disagree writeaway : "Petite vie" is judgmental,
2 days 17 hrs
Something went wrong...
-5
17 hrs

you undertake your lives

Suggestion

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Note added at 23 hrs (2018-09-17 15:19:18 GMT)
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Or also, Conducting your own personal life.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 53 mins (2018-09-17 17:12:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or, also "assume or perform you personal life".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 54 mins (2018-09-17 17:13:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------


Or, also "assume or perform (your) personal life".
Peer comment(s):
disagree Tony M : 1) In EN, we could never use the verb 'undertake' with 'life'; 2) Leaving aside the possibility of reincarnation, each person is normally considered to have only one life; nothing in the context suggests tha therapist is addressing more than one person.
7 mins
As usual, you see only my suggestions!!.
disagree Jennifer White : Makes no sense in any case.
1 hr
Your disagree it makes no sense as well!!
disagree Eliza Hall : The main suggestion doesn't make sense, and Mr. Hosni's bio doesn't list EN>FR or FR>EN as a language pair he works in.
9 hrs
No, comments for nonsense response!!!.
disagree writeaway : 100% confidence for this incorrect English?
21 hrs
100% wrong observation and comment.
disagree B D Finch : The verbs "undertake", "assume" and "perform" are all inappropriate. "Conducting" is the only verb suggested that could work, but is a bit of a cloth-eared choice here. Still, a scatter-gun approach must occasionally get close to the target.
8 days
Something went wrong...
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