j'étais, plus que leur foie, la plus précieuse de leurs entrailles
English translation: I was not just the apple of their eye, but the core of their existence
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| 23:38 Jan 20, 2016 |
| French to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / In An Autobiography | |||||||
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|  Selected response from: Charles Davis Spain Local time: 19:06 | ||||||
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| Discussion entries: 10 | |
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Answers
7 hrs confidence: 
peer agreement (net): +6
peer agreement (net): +6I was the apple not just of their eye, but of their ear and heart as well Explanation: A literal translation is out of the question here. As I read it, this expression is a half-joking hyperbole based on the expression "tu es/elle est mon foie", meaning someone very dear to them: "On sait les multiples tâches réservées au foie ; partageant avec le coeur la charge d'être le siège des sentiments ("tu es mon foie et mon coeur" disent les déclarations d'amour)" https://books.google.es/books?id=PMLKzqoRnncC&pg=PA157&lpg=P... "Dans l’étude de Bouabdallah, la réponse donnée par les mères est le plus souvent « mon cœur, ne me laisse pas » ou « il est mon foie, je ne peux le laisser pleurer »." http://www.jle.com/fr/revues/mtp/e-docs/processus_daccultura... This second example refers to Algerian mothers; I don't now whether the expression is particularly typical of North African French. Be that as it may, I think it's pretty clear that this is a colloquial set phrase which can't be done literally and for which an equivalent will have to be used. The obvious ones are "the apple of their eye" or perhaps (a little more old-fashioned) "their heart's delight". The bit about "entrailles" is playing on the literal meaning of être son foie, being their liver. That's why I think it's intended semi-humorously. What I think we have to do to reproduce the effect is to play similarly with one of the equivalent English set phrases, as in my suggestion. There are a number of possibilities, depending on the tone you want to go for. I wondered about something like "not just their heart's delight, but that of their other vital organs too", but that's very laboured. The phrase I've suggested is actually used in a blog about sign language and tattoos (I admit I came across it while looking for ideas), and refers to tattooing oneself with the sign for apple: "So maybe I’ll get the sign for apple, and she’s not only the apple of my eye, but also my ear and my heart. Eternal." http://www.whatsravinmaven.com/index.php/the-art-of-sign-lan... Anyway, this is the sort of thing I think you have to do here. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 9 hrs (2016-01-21 09:07:53 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Jessica's point is a fair one, and I take the point about ears being a bit out of place. This needs a little more work. The trouble is that "apple of their eye" does restrict things a bit. But maybe something like this would do it, adding a pun in the spirit of the source: not just the apple of the eye but the core of their existence -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 9 hrs (2016-01-21 09:08:35 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Sorry, not just the apple of THEIR eye, of course. |
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