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English translation: Not a soul to be seen, not a cat's chance in hell of anyone appearing ... although it's not cats ...
08:53 Jun 3, 2020
French to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
French term or phrase:Pas un chat
Help! Here there is a play on words with the French expression "pas un chat" (not a soul?). This is the story of someone lost in the mountains, who fears dogs, and therefore the writer plays with this expression, implying that what he fears is dogs, not cats. If someone finds me a pun that can transcribe this into English, it would be great! It's a real challenge...
Extrait :
"Je n’ai aucune idée de ma position. Ces collines sans horizons ne livrent aucun secret, et leur haleine se fait glacée à mesure que le soleil dégringole. PAS UN CHAT... même si CE NE SONT PAS LES CHATS que je crains. Comme jailli de ma peur, un chien de berger grec apparait soudain, surplombant le talus, à vingt mètres à peine de moi"
Explanation: A suggestion to get the ball rolling. I also though of using 'scaredy-cat' but I don't think the register is correct, looking at the extract you've posted.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2020-06-03 11:04:39 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
I think you would lose the subtle humour of the author's text if you lost the cat entirely. I like the author's set-up: We have [literally] not a cat - although it's not cats I'm afraid of, followed by the inevitable appearance of a frightening dog. If we lost the cat and went straight to a dog metaphor, we would lose this opposition, which I think would be a shame.
You say "it seems the author only used the cat phrase because there's no equivalent dog phrase". I don't agree. I think the author is simply using language in a playful way for humorous effect.
I like Ormiston's suggestion: you can actually totally lose the cat, in my opinion, as it seems the author only used the cat phrase because there's no equivalent dog phrase.
Hardly a dog day afternoon, thankfully, as dogs are my pet hate. But then suddenly, as if sensing my fear...
A challenge indeed.
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Answers
55 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): -2
I was as nervous as a cat on hot bricks
Explanation: Or: I was as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. Or (for either): I was like a cat.... Not the same idea but I took my cue from the fact he's afraid.
MoiraB France Local time: 11:55 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4