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1 translation
translation [træns'leɪʃən]∎ to read sth in translation lire une traduction de qch;∎ the book is a translation from (the) Chinese le livre est traduit du chinois;∎ the text loses something in (the) translation le texte perd quelque chose à la traduction►► translation agency bureau m ou agence f de traduction;translation company cabinet m ou société f de traduction;Computing translation table table f de traductionUn panorama unique de l'anglais et du français > translation
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2 translation
1) (the act of translating: The translation of poetry is difficult.) traduction2) (a version of a book, something said etc, in another language: He gave me an Italian translation of the Bible.) traduction -
3 translation
translation n ( all contexts) traduction f (from de ; into en ; of de) ; in translation en traduction ; the play loses a lot in translation la pièce perd beaucoup à la traduction. -
4 translation
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5 Usage note : be
I am tired= je suis fatiguéCaroline is French= Caroline est françaisethe children are in the garden= les enfants sont dans le jardinIt functions in very much the same way as to be does in English and it is safe to assume it will work as a translation in the great majority of cases.Note, however, that when you are specifying a person’s profession or trade, a/an is not translated:she’s a doctor= elle est médecinClaudie is still a student= Claudie est toujours étudianteThis is true of any noun used in apposition when the subject is a person:he’s a widower= il est veufButLyons is a beautiful city= Lyon est une belle villeFor more information or expressions involving professions and trades consult the usage note Shops, Trades and Professions.For the conjugation of the verb être see the French verb tables.Grammatical functionsThe passiveêtre is used to form the passive in French just as to be is used in English. Note, however, that the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject:the rabbit was killed by a fox= le lapin a été tué par un renardthe window had been broken= la fenêtre avait été casséetheir books will be sold= leurs livres seront vendusour doors have been repainted red= nos portes ont été repeintes en rougeIn spoken language, French native speakers find the passive cumbersome and will avoid it where possible by using the impersonal on where a person or people are clearly involved : on a repeint nos portes en rouge.Progressive tensesIn French the idea of something happening over a period of time cannot be expressed using the verb être in the way that to be is used as an auxiliary verb in English.The presentFrench uses simply the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:I am working= je travailleBen is reading a book= Ben lit un livreIn order to accentuate duration être en train de is used: je suis en train de travailler ; Ben est en train de lire un livre.The futureFrench also uses the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:we are going to London tomorrow= nous allons à Londres demainI’m (just) coming!= j’arrive!I’m (just) going!= j’y vais!The pastTo express the distinction between she read a newspaper and she was reading a newspaper French uses the perfect and the imperfect tenses: elle a lu un journal/elle lisait un journal:he wrote to his mother= il a écrit à sa mèrehe was writing to his mother= il écrivait à sa mèreHowever, in order to accentuate the notion of describing an activity which went on over a period of time, the phrase être en train de (= to be in the process of) is often used:‘what was he doing when you arrived?’‘he was cooking the dinner’= ‘qu’est-ce qu’il faisait quand tu es arrivé?’ ‘il était en train de préparer le dîner’she was just finishing her essay when …= elle était juste en train de finir sa dissertation quand …The compound pastCompound past tenses in the progressive form in English are generally translated by the imperfect in French:I’ve been looking for you= je te cherchaisFor progressive forms + for and since (I’ve been waiting for an hour, I had been waiting for an hour, I’ve been waiting since Monday etc.) see the entries for and since.ObligationWhen to be is used as an auxiliary verb with another verb in the infinitive ( to be to do) expressing obligation, a fixed arrangement or destiny, devoir is used:she’s to do it at once= elle doit le faire tout de suitewhat am I to do?= qu’est-ce que je dois faire?he was to arrive last Monday= il devait arriver lundi derniershe was never to see him again= elle ne devait plus le revoir.In tag questionsFrench has no direct equivalent of tag questions like isn’t he? or wasn’t it? There is a general tag question n’est-ce pas? (literally isn’t it so?) which will work in many cases:their house is lovely, isn’t it?= leur maison est très belle, n’est-ce pas?he’s a doctor, isn’t he?= il est médecin, n’est-ce pas?it was a very good meal, wasn’t it?= c’était un très bon repas, n’est-ce pas?However, n’est-ce pas can very rarely be used for positive tag questions and some other way will be found to express the extra meaning contained in the tag: par hasard ( by any chance) can be very useful as a translation:‘I can’t find my glasses’ ‘they’re not in the kitchen, are they?’= ‘je ne trouve pas mes lunettes’ ‘elles ne sont pas dans la cuisine, par hasard?’you haven’t seen Gaby, have you?= tu n’as pas vu Gaby, par hasard?In cases where an opinion is being sought, si? meaning more or less or is it? or was it? etc. can be useful:it’s not broken, is it?= ce n’est pas cassé, si?he wasn’t serious, was he?= il n’était pas sérieux, si?In many other cases the tag question is simply not translated at all and the speaker’s intonation will convey the implied question.In short answersAgain, there is no direct equivalent for short answers like yes I am, no he’s not etc. Where the answer yes is given to contradict a negative question or statement, the most useful translation is si:‘you’re not going out tonight’ ‘yes I am’= ‘tu ne sors pas ce soir’ ‘si’In reply to a standard enquiry the tag will not be translated:‘are you a doctor?’ ‘yes I am’= ‘êtes-vous médecin?’ ‘oui’‘was it raining?’ ‘yes it was’= ‘est-ce qu’il pleuvait?’ ‘oui’ProbabilityFor expressions of probability and supposition ( if I were you etc.) see the entry be.Other functionsExpressing sensations and feelingsIn expressing physical and mental sensations, the verb used in French is avoir:to be cold= avoir froidto be hot= avoir chaudI’m cold= j’ai froidto be thirsty= avoir soifto be hungry= avoir faimto be ashamed= avoir hontemy hands are cold= j’ai froid aux mainsIf, however, you are in doubt as to which verb to use in such expressions, you should consult the entry for the appropriate adjective.Discussing health and how people areIn expressions of health and polite enquiries about how people are, aller is used:how are you?= comment allez-vous?( more informally) comment vas-tu?( very informally as a greeting) ça va?are you well?= vous allez bien?how is your daughter?= comment va votre fille?my father is better today= mon père va mieux aujourd’huiDiscussing weather and temperatureIn expressions of weather and temperature faire is generally used:it’s cold= il fait froidit’s windy= il fait du ventIf in doubt, consult the appropriate adjective entry.Visiting somewhereWhen to be is used in the present perfect tense to mean go, visit etc., French will generally use the verbs venir, aller etc. rather than être:I’ve never been to Sweden= je ne suis jamais allé en Suèdehave you been to the Louvre?= est-ce que tu es déjà allé au Louvre?or est-ce que tu as déjà visité le Louvre?Paul has been to see us three times= Paul est venu nous voir trois foisNote too:has the postman been?= est-ce que le facteur est passé?The translation for an expression or idiom containing the verb to be will be found in the dictionary at the entry for another word in the expression: for to be in danger see danger, for it would be best to … see best etc.This dictionary contains usage notes on topics such as the clock, time units, age, weight measurement, days of the week, and shops, trades and professions, many of which include translations of particular uses of to be. -
6 Usage note : which
In questionsWhen which is used as a pronoun in questions it is translated by lequel, laquelle, lesquels or lesquelles according to the gender and number of the noun it is referring to:there are three peaches, which do you want?= il y a trois pêches, laquelle veux-tu?‘Lucy’s borrowed three of your books’ ‘which did she take?’= ‘Lucy t’a emprunté trois livres’ ‘lesquels a-t-elle pris?’The exception to this is when which is followed by a superlative adjective, when the translation is quel, quelle, quels or quelles:which is the biggest (apple)?= quelle est la plus grande?which are the least expensive (books)?= quels sont les moins chers?In relative clauses as subject or objectthe book which is on the table= le livre qui est sur la tablethe books which are on the table= les livres qui sont sur la tablethe book which Tina is reading= le livre que lit TinaNote the inversion of subject and verb ; this is the case where the subject is a noun but not where the subject is a pronoun:the book which I am reading= le livre que je lisIn compound tenses such as the present perfect and past perfect, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the noun que is referring to:the books which I gave you= les livres que je t’ai donnésthe dresses which she bought yesterday= les robes qu’elle a achetées hierIn relative clauses after a prepositionHere the translation is lequel, laquelle, lesquels or lesquelles according to the gender and number of the noun referred to:the road by which we came or the road which we came by= la route par laquelle nous sommes venusthe expressions for which we have translations= les expressions pour lesquelles nous avons une traductionRemember that if the preposition would normally be translated by à in French (to, at etc.), the preposition + which is translated by auquel, à laquelle, auxquels or auxquelles:the addresses to which we sent letters= les adresses auxquelles nous avons envoyé des lettresWith prepositions normally translated by de (of, from etc.) the translation of the preposition which becomes dont:a blue book, the title of which I’ve forgotten= un livre bleu dont j’ai oublié le titreHowever, if de is part of a prepositional group, as for example in the case of près de meaning near, the translation becomes duquel, de laquelle, desquels or desquelles:the village near which they live= le village près duquel ils habitentthe houses near which she was waiting= les maisons près desquelles elle attendaita hill at the top of which there is a house= une colline au sommet de laquelle il y a une maisonAs a determinerIn questionsWhen which is used as a determiner in questions it is translated by quel, quelle, quels or quelles according to the gender and number of the noun that follows:which car is yours?= quelle voiture est la vôtre?which books did he borrow?= quels livres a-t-il empruntés?Note that in the second example the object precedes the verb so that the past participle agrees in gender and number with the object. -
7 Usage note : that
In French, determiners agree in gender and number with the noun they precede ; that is translated by ce + masculine singular noun ( ce monsieur), cet + masculine singular noun beginning with a vowel or mute ‘h’ ( cet homme) and cette + feminine singular noun ( cette femme) ; those is translated by ces.Note, however, that the above translations are also used for the English this (plural these). So when it is necessary to insist on that as opposed to another or others of the same sort, the adverbial tag -là is added to the noun:I prefer THAT version= je préfère cette version-làFor particular usages, see the entry that.As a pronoun meaning that one, those onesIn French, pronouns reflect the gender and number of the noun they are referring to. So that is translated by celui-là for a masculine noun, celle-là for a feminine noun and those is translated by ceux-là for a masculine noun and celles-là for a feminine noun:I think I like that one (dress) best= je crois que je préfère celle-làFor other uses of that, those as pronouns (e.g. who’s that?) and for adverbial use (e.g. that much, that many) there is no straightforward translation, so see the entry that for examples of usage.When used as a relative pronoun, that is translated by qui when it is the subject of the verb and by que when it is the object:the man that stole the car= l’homme qui a volé la voiturethe film that I saw= le film que j’ai vuRemember that in the present perfect and past perfect tenses, the past participle will agreewith the noun to which que as object refers:the apples that I bought= les pommes que j’ai achetéesWhen that is used as a relative pronoun with a preposition, it is translated by lequel when standing for a masculine singular noun, by laquelle when standing for a feminine singular noun, by lesquels when standing for a masculine plural noun and by lesquelles when standing for a feminine plural noun:the chair that I was sitting on= la chaise sur laquelle j’étais assisethe children that I bought the books for= les enfants pour lesquels j’ai acheté les livresRemember that in cases where the English preposition used would normally be translated by à in French (e.g. to, at), the translation of the whole (prep + rel pron) will be auquel, à laquelle, auxquels, auxquelles:the girls that I was talking to= les filles auxquelles je parlaisSimilarly, where the English preposition used would normally be translated by de in French (e.g. of, from), the translation of the whole (prep + rel pron) will be dont in all cases:the Frenchman that I received a letter from= le Français dont j’ai reçu une lettreWhen used as a conjunction, that can almost always be translated by que (qu’ before a vowel or mute ‘h’):she said that she would do it= elle a dit qu’elle le ferait -
8 you
you [ju:]a.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━► When you is the subject of a sentence, the translation is tu or vous in the singular and vous in the plural. vous is used as the polite form in the singular. When you is the object of a sentence te replaces tu in the singular, but vous remains unchanged. toi is used instead of tu after a preposition and in comparisons. toi is also used when you is stressed.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• I'll see you soon je te or je vous verrai bientôt• this book is for you ce livre est pour toi or vous• you two wait here! attendez ici, vous deux !• now you say something maintenant à toi or à vous de parler• you and I will go together toi or vous et moi, nous irons ensemble• if I were you à ta or votre place• you fool (you)! espèce d'imbécile !• I like the uniform, it's very you (inf) j'aime bien ton uniforme, c'est vraiment ton styleb. ( = one, anyone)━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━► When you is the subject of a sentence the translation is either on or the passive form. When you is the object of a sentence or is used after a preposition, the direct translation of you is te or vous.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• how do you switch this on? comment est-ce que ça s'allume ?* * *[juː, jʊ]1) ( addressing somebody)I saw you on Saturday — ( one person) ( polite) je vous ai vu samedi; ( informal) je t'ai vu samedi; ( more than one person) je vous ai vus samedi
you would never do that — ( polite) vous, vous ne feriez jamais cela; ( informal) toi, tu ne ferais jamais ça
there's a manager for you! — (colloq) iron ça c'est un patron!
you idiot! — (colloq) espèce d'imbécile! (colloq)
2) ( as indefinite pronoun) ( subject) on; (object, indirect object) vous, te -
9 Usage note : to
This dictionary contains usage notes on such topics as the clock, weight measurement, games and sports etc. Many of these use the preposition to.When to is used as a preposition with movement verbs (go, travel etc.) it is often translated by à but remember to use en with feminine countries ( en France) and au with masculine countries ( au Portugal) ; ⇒ Countries and continents.Remember when using à in French that à + le always becomes au and à + les always becomes aux.When to forms the infinitive of a verb taken alone (by a teacher, for example) it needs no translation:to go= allerto find= trouver etc.However, when to is used as part of an infinitive giving the meaning in order to, it is translated by pour:he’s gone into town to buy a shirt= il est parti en ville pour acheter une chemiseto is also used as part of an infinitive after certain adjectives: difficult to understand, easy to read etc. Here to is usually translated by à: difficile à comprendre, facile à lire:it’s easy to read= c’est facile à lireHowever, when the infinitive has an object, to is usually translated by de:it’s easy to lose one’s way= il est facile de perdre son cheminTo check translations, consult the appropriate adjective entry: difficult, easy etc.to is also used as part of an infinitive after certain verbs: she told me to wash my hands, I’ll help him to tidy the room etc. Here the translation, usually either à or de, depends on the verb used in French. To find the correct translation, consult the appropriate verb entry: tell, help etc. For all other uses see the entry to. -
10 yourself
yourself [jʊəˈself](plural yourselves) [jʊəˈselvz](reflexive direct and indirect) te, vous, vous pl ; (after preposition) toi, vous, vous pl ; (emphatic) toi-même, vous-même, vous-mêmes pl• have you hurt yourself? tu t'es fait mal ? vous vous êtes fait mal ?• are you enjoying yourself? tu t'amuses bien ? vous vous amusez bien ?• how are you? -- fine, and yourself? (inf) comment vas-tu ? -- très bien, et toi ?• did you do it by yourself? tu l'as or vous l'avez fait tout seul ?* * *[jɔː'self], US [jʊər'self]When used as a reflexive pronoun, direct and indirect, yourself is translated by vous or familiarly te or t' before a vowel: you've hurt yourself = vous vous êtes fait mal or tu t'es fait malIn imperatives, the translation is vous or toi: help yourself = servez-vous or sers-toiWhen used in emphasis the translation is vous-même or toi-même: you yourself don't know = vous ne savez pas vous-même or tu ne sais pas toi-mêmeAfter a preposition the translation is vous or vous-même or toi or toi-même: you can be proud of yourself = vous pouvez être fier de vous or vous-même, tu peux être fier de toi or toi-même1) ( reflexive) vous, te, (before vowel) t'2) ( in imperatives) vous, toi3) ( emphatic) vous-même, toi-même4) ( after prep) vous, vous-même, toi, toi-même5) ( expressions)(all) by yourself — tout seul/toute seule
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11 yourself
yourself, US [transcription][jU\@r"self"]❢ For a full note on the use of the vous and tu forms in French, see the entry you. When used as a reflexive pronoun, direct and indirect, yourself is translated by vous or familiarly te or t' before a vowel: you've hurt yourself = vous vous êtes fait mal or tu t'es fait mal. In imperatives, the translation is vous or toi: help yourself = servez-vous or sers-toi. When used in emphasis the translation is vous-même or toi-même: you yourself don't know = vous ne savez pas vous-même or tu ne sais pas toi-même.After a preposition the translation is vous or vous-même or toi or toi-même: you can be proud of yourself = vous pouvez être fier de vous or vous-même, tu peux être fier de toi or toi-même. pron2 ( in imperatives) vous, toi ;3 ( emphatic) vous-même, toi-même ; you yourself said that… vous avez dit vous-même que…, tu as dit toi-même que… ;4 ( after prep) vous, vous-même, toi, toi-même ;5 ( expressions) (all) by yourself tout seul/toute seule ; you're not yourself today tu n'as pas l'air dans ton assiette aujourd'hui. -
12 work
work [wɜ:k]travail ⇒ 1 (a)-(e), 1 (g) œuvre ⇒ 1 (a), 1 (f) besogne ⇒ 1 (b) emploi ⇒ 1 (c) ouvrage ⇒ 1 (f) recherches ⇒ 1 (g) travailler ⇒ 2A (a)-(e), 3A (b), 3A (c), 3A (e), 3C (a) fonctionner ⇒ 2B (a) marcher ⇒ 2B (a), 2B (b) réussir ⇒ 2B (b) agir ⇒ 2B (c), 2B (d) faire travailler ⇒ 3A (a) faire marcher ⇒ 3B (a) façonner ⇒ 3C (a) mécanisme ⇒ 4 1 (a) travaux ⇒ 4 1 (b) usine ⇒ 4 2 (a)1 noun(a) (effort, activity) travail m, œuvre f;∎ computers take some of the work out of filing les ordinateurs facilitent le classement;∎ this report needs more work il y a encore du travail à faire sur ce rapport, ce rapport demande plus de travail;∎ she's done a lot of work for charity elle a beaucoup travaillé pour des associations caritatives;∎ it will take a lot of work to make a team out of them ça va être un drôle de travail de faire d'eux une équipe;∎ keep up the good work! continuez comme ça!;∎ nice or good work! c'est du bon travail!, bravo!;∎ that's fine work or a fine piece of work c'est du beau travail;∎ your work has been useful vous avez fait du travail utile;∎ work on the tunnel is to start in March (existing tunnel) les travaux sur le tunnel doivent commencer en mars; (new tunnel) la construction du tunnel doit commencer en mars;∎ work in progress Administration travail en cours; Accountancy travaux mpl en cours, inventaire m de production; (sign) travaux en cours;∎ she put a lot of work into that book elle a beaucoup travaillé sur ce livre;∎ to make work for sb compliquer la vie à qn;∎ to start work, to set to work se mettre au travail;∎ she set or she went to work on the contract elle a commencé à travailler sur le contrat;∎ he set to work undermining their confidence il a entrepris de saper leur confiance;∎ I set him to work (on) painting the kitchen je lui ai donné la cuisine à peindre;∎ they put him to work in the kitchen ils l'ont mis au travail dans la cuisine;∎ let's get (down) to work! (mettons-nous) au travail!;∎ proverb all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy beaucoup de travail et peu de loisirs ne réussissent à personne(b) (duty, task) travail m, besogne f;∎ I've got loads of work to do j'ai énormément de travail à faire;∎ she gave us too much work elle nous a donné trop de travail;∎ he's trying to get some work done il essaie de travailler un peu;∎ they do their work well ils travaillent bien, ils font du bon travail;∎ it's hard work c'est du travail, ce n'est pas facile;∎ it's thirsty work ça donne soif;∎ to make short or light work of sth expédier qch;∎ figurative to make short work of sb ne faire qu'une bouchée de qn;∎ familiar it's nice work if you can get it! c'est une bonne planque, encore faut-il la trouver!(c) (paid employment) travail m, emploi m;∎ what (kind of) work do you do? qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie?, quel travail faites-vous?;∎ I do translation work je suis traducteur, je fais des traductions;∎ to find work trouver du travail;∎ to look for work chercher du travail ou un emploi;∎ to be in work travailler, avoir un emploi;∎ to be out of work être au chômage ou sans travail ou sans emploi;∎ he had a week off work (holiday) il a pris une semaine de vacances; (illness) il n'est pas allé au travail pendant une semaine;∎ to take time off work prendre des congés;∎ she's off work today elle ne travaille pas aujourd'hui;∎ to do a full day's work faire une journée entière de travail;∎ I go to work by bus je vais au travail en bus;∎ I'm late for work je suis en retard pour le travail;∎ he's a friend from work c'est un collègue;∎ where is your (place of) work? où travaillez-vous?, quel est votre lieu de travail?;∎ on her way home from work en rentrant du travail(e) (papers, material etc being worked on) travail m;∎ to take work home prendre du travail à la maison;∎ her work was all over the table son travail était étalé sur la table∎ it's all my own work j'ai tout fait moi-même;∎ it's an interesting piece of work (gen) c'est un travail intéressant; Art, Literature & Music c'est une œuvre intéressante;∎ very detailed/delicate work (embroidery, carving etc) ouvrage très détaillé/délicat;∎ these formations are the work of the wind ces formations sont l'œuvre du vent;∎ the silversmith sells much of his work to hotels l'orfèvre vend une grande partie de ce qu'il fait ou de son travail à des hôtels;∎ the complete works of Shakespeare les œuvres complètes ou l'œuvre de Shakespeare;∎ a new work on Portugal un nouvel ouvrage sur le Portugal;∎ a work of art une œuvre d'art;∎ works of fiction des ouvrages de fiction(g) (research) travail m, recherches fpl;∎ there hasn't been a lot of work done on the subject peu de travail a été fait ou peu de recherches ont été faites sur le sujet∎ good works bonnes œuvres fpl;∎ each man will be judged by his works chaque homme sera jugé selon ses œuvres;∎ charitable works actes mpl de charité, actes mpl charitables;∎ the murder is the work of a madman le meurtre est l'œuvre d'un fou∎ wait until the medicine has done its work attendez que le médicament ait agi ou ait produit son effetA.(a) (exert effort on a specific task, activity etc) travailler;∎ we worked for hours cleaning the house nous avons passé des heures à faire le ménage;∎ they worked in the garden ils ont fait du jardinage;∎ we work hard nous travaillons dur;∎ she's working on a novel just now elle travaille à un roman en ce moment;∎ a detective is working on this case un détective est sur cette affaire;∎ he works at or on keeping himself fit il fait de l'exercice pour garder la forme;∎ we have to work to a deadline nous devons respecter des délais dans notre travail;∎ we have to work to a budget nous devons travailler avec un certain budget;∎ I've worked with the handicapped before j'ai déjà travaillé avec les handicapés;∎ I work with the Spanish on that project je travaille (en collaboration) avec les Espagnols sur ce projet(b) (be employed) travailler;∎ he works as a teacher il a un poste d'enseignant;∎ I work in advertising je travaille dans la publicité;∎ who do you work for? chez qui est-ce que vous travaillez?;∎ she works in or for a bank elle travaille dans ou pour une banque;∎ I work a forty-hour week je travaille quarante heures par semaine, je fais une semaine de quarante heures;∎ to work for a living travailler pour gagner sa vie;∎ Industry to work to rule faire la grève du zèle∎ to work for a good cause travailler pour une bonne cause;∎ they're working for better international relations ils s'efforcent d'améliorer les relations internationales∎ you're going to have to work if you want to pass the exam il va falloir que tu travailles ou que tu étudies si tu veux avoir ton examen(e) (use a specified substance) travailler;∎ this sculptor works in or with copper ce sculpteur travaille avec le cuivre;∎ she has always worked in or with watercolours elle a toujours travaillé avec de la peinture à l'eauB.(a) (function, operate → machine, brain, system) fonctionner, marcher;∎ the lift doesn't work at night l'ascenseur ne marche pas la nuit;∎ the lift never works l'ascenseur est toujours en panne;∎ the radio works off batteries la radio fonctionne avec des piles;∎ a pump worked by hand une pompe actionnée à la main ou manuellement;∎ they soon got or had it working ils sont vite parvenus à le faire fonctionner;∎ she sat still, her brain or her mind working furiously elle était assise immobile, le cerveau en ébullition;∎ figurative everything worked smoothly tout s'est déroulé comme prévu;∎ your idea just won't work ton idée ne peut pas marcher;∎ this relationship isn't working cette relation ne marche pas;∎ that argument works both ways ce raisonnement est à double tranchant;∎ how does the law work exactly? comment la loi fonctionne-t-elle exactement?(b) (produce results, succeed) marcher, réussir;∎ it worked brilliantly ça a très bien marché;∎ their scheme didn't work leur complot a échoué;∎ that/flattery won't work with me ça/la flatterie ne prend pas avec moi(c) (drug, medicine) agir, produire ou faire son effet∎ the acid works as a catalyst l'acide agit comme ou sert de catalyseur;∎ events have worked against us/in our favour les événements ont agi contre nous/en notre faveur;∎ I'm working on the assumption that they'll sign the contract je pars du principe qu'ils signeront le contratC.∎ to work loose se desserrer;∎ to work free se libérer;∎ the nail worked through the sole of my shoe le clou est passé à travers la semelle de ma chaussure(b) (face, mouth) se contracter, se crisperA.(a) (worker, employee, horse) faire travailler;∎ the boss works his staff hard le patron exige beaucoup de travail de ses employés;∎ you work yourself too hard tu te surmènes;∎ to work oneself to death se tuer à la tâche;∎ to work one's fingers to the bone s'user au travail∎ they worked their passage to India ils ont payé leur passage en Inde en travaillant;∎ I worked my way through college j'ai travaillé pour payer mes études à l'université∎ he works the southern sales area il travaille pour le service commercial de la région sud;∎ the pollster worked both sides of the street le sondeur a enquêté des deux côtés de la rue;∎ figurative the candidate worked the crowd le candidat s'efforçait de soulever l'enthousiasme de la foule;∎ a real-estate agent who works the phones un agent immobilier qui fait de la prospection par téléphone;∎ she works the bars (prostitute) elle travaille dans les bars(d) (achieve, accomplish)∎ the new policy will work major changes la nouvelle politique opérera ou entraînera des changements importants;∎ the story worked its magic or its charm on the public l'histoire a enchanté le public;∎ to work a spell on sb jeter un sort à qn;∎ to work miracles faire ou accomplir des miracles;∎ to work wonders faire merveille;∎ she has worked wonders with the children elle a fait des merveilles avec les enfantsB.∎ this switch works the furnace ce bouton actionne ou commande la chaudière;∎ he knows how to work the drill il sait se servir de la perceuse∎ I worked the handle up and down j'ai remué la poignée de haut en bas;∎ to work one's hands free parvenir à dégager ses mains;∎ she worked the ropes loose elle a réussi à desserrer les cordes petit à petit∎ I worked my way along the ledge j'ai longé la saillie avec précaution;∎ he worked his way down/up the cliff il a descendu/monté la falaise lentement;∎ the beggar worked his way towards us le mendiant s'est approché de nous;∎ they worked their way through the list ils ont traité chaque élément de la liste tour à tour;∎ he's worked his way through the whole grant il a épuisé toute la subvention;∎ a band of rain working its way across the country un front de pluie qui traverse le pays;∎ they have worked themselves into a corner ils se sont mis dans une impasse∎ she managed to work a few days off elle s'est arrangée ou s'est débrouillée pour avoir quelques jours de congé;∎ I worked it or worked things so that she's never alone j'ai fait en sorte qu'elle ou je me suis arrangé pour qu'elle ne soit jamais seuleC.(a) (shape → leather, metal, stone) travailler, façonner; (→ clay, dough) travailler, pétrir; (→ object, sculpture) façonner; Sewing (design, initials) broder;∎ she worked the silver into earrings elle a travaillé l'argent pour en faire des boucles d'oreilles;∎ she worked a figure out of the wood elle a sculpté une silhouette dans le bois;∎ the flowers are worked in silk les fleurs sont brodées en soie;∎ work the putty into the right consistency travaillez le mastic pour lui donner la consistance voulue∎ gently work the cream into your hands massez-vous les mains pour faire pénétrer la crème;∎ work the dye into the surface of the leather faites pénétrer la teinture dans le cuir(c) (excite, provoke)∎ the orator worked the audience into a frenzy l'orateur a enflammé ou a galvanisé le public;∎ she worked herself into a rage elle s'est mise dans une colère noire4 works∎ familiar to foul up or to gum up the works tout foutre en l'air∎ road works travaux mpl; (sign) travaux;∎ Minister/Ministry of Works ministre m/ministère m des Travaux publics2 noun∎ a printing works une imprimerie;∎ a gas works une usine à gaz;∎ price ex works prix m sortie usine∎ the (whole) works tout le bataclan ou le tralala;∎ they had eggs, bacon, toast, the works ils mangeaient des œufs, du bacon, du pain grillé, tout, quoi!;∎ American to shoot the works jouer le grand jeu;∎ American we shot the works on the project nous avons mis le paquet sur le projet;∎ to give sb the works (special treatment) dérouler le tapis rouge pour qn; (beating) passer qn à tabac5 at work∎ to be at work on sth/(on) doing sth travailler (à) qch/à faire qch;∎ he's at work on a new book il travaille à un nouveau livre;∎ they're hard at work painting the house ils sont en plein travail, ils repeignent la maison∎ there are several factors at work here il y a plusieurs facteurs qui entrent en jeu ou qui jouent ici;∎ there are evil forces at work des forces mauvaises sont en action2 adverb∎ she's at work (gen) elle est au travail; (office) elle est au bureau; (factory) elle est à l'usine;∎ I'll phone you at work je t'appellerai au travail;∎ we met at work on s'est connus au travailworks band fanfare m (d'une entreprise);American work coat blouse f;works committee, works council comité m d'entreprise;work ethic = exaltation des valeurs liées au travail;work experience stage m (en entreprise);∎ the course includes two months' work experience le programme comprend un stage en entreprise de deux mois;American work farm = camp de travail forcé où les détenus travaillent la terre;Computing work file fichier m de travail;work flow déroulement m des opérations;work group groupe m de travail;works manager directeur(trice) m,f d'usine;work permit permis m de travail;Computing work sheet feuille f de travail;∎ I need more work space j'ai besoin de plus d'espace pour travailler;work surface surface f de travail;American work week semaine f de travailtravailler;∎ while he worked away at fixing the furnace tandis qu'il travaillait à réparer la chaudière;∎ we worked away all evening nous avons passé la soirée à travaillerglisser;∎ her socks had worked down around her ankles ses chaussettes étaient tombées sur ses chevilles(a) (incorporate) incorporer;∎ work the ointment in thoroughly faites bien pénétrer la pommade;∎ Cookery work the butter into the flour incorporez le beurre à la farine∎ he worked in a few sly remarks about the boss il a réussi à glisser quelques réflexions sournoises sur le patron;∎ I'll try and work the translation in some time this week (into schedule) j'essayerai de (trouver le temps de) faire la traduction dans le courant de la semaine(a) (dispose of → fat, weight) se débarrasser de, éliminer; (→ anxiety, frustration) passer, assouvir;∎ I worked off my excess energy chopping wood j'ai dépensé mon trop-plein d'énergie en cassant du bois;∎ he worked off his tensions by running il s'est défoulé en faisant du jogging;∎ to work off one's anger on sb passer sa colère sur qn(b) (debt, obligation)∎ it took him three months to work off his debt il a dû travailler trois mois pour rembourser son emprunt➲ work on∎ we've been working on him but he still won't go nous avons essayé de le persuader mais il ne veut toujours pas y aller;∎ I'll work on her je vais m'occuper d'elle(b) (task, problem)∎ the police are working on who stole the jewels la police s'efforce de retrouver celui qui a volé les bijoux;∎ he's been working on his breaststroke/emotional problems il a travaillé sa brasse/essayé de résoudre ses problèmes sentimentaux;∎ have you got any ideas? - I'm working on it as-tu des idées? - je cherche∎ have you any data to work on? avez-vous des données sur lesquelles vous fonder?(continue to work) continuer à travailler➲ work out(a) (discharge fully) acquitter en travaillant;∎ to work out one's notice faire son préavis∎ I work it out at £22 d'après mes calculs, ça fait 22 livres∎ have they worked out their differences? est-ce qu'ils ont réglé ou résolu leurs différends?;∎ I'm sure we can work this thing out (your problem) je suis sûr que nous pouvons arranger ça; (our argument) je suis sûr que nous finirons par nous mettre d'accord;∎ things will work themselves out les choses s'arrangeront toutes seules ou d'elles-mêmes∎ to work out a solution trouver une solution;∎ have you worked out yet when it's due to start? est-ce que tu sais quand ça doit commencer?;∎ she had it all worked out elle avait tout planifié;∎ we worked out an easier route nous avons trouvé un itinéraire plus facile(e) (figure out) arriver à comprendre;∎ I finally worked out why he was acting so strangely j'ai enfin découvert ou compris pourquoi il se comportait si bizarrement;∎ the dog had worked out how to open the door le chien avait compris comment ouvrir la porte;∎ I can't work her out je n'arrive pas à la comprendre;∎ I can't work their relationship out leurs rapports me dépassent(f) (mine, well) épuiser∎ it depends on how things work out ça dépend de la façon dont les choses se passent;∎ the trip worked out as planned le voyage s'est déroulé comme prévu;∎ I wonder how it will all work out je me demande comment tout cela va s'arranger;∎ it all worked out for the best tout a fini par s'arranger pour le mieux;∎ but it didn't work out that way mais il en a été tout autrement;∎ it worked out badly for them les choses ont mal tourné pour eux∎ she worked out fine as personnel director elle s'est bien débrouillée comme directeur du personnel;∎ are things working out for you OK? est-ce que ça se passe bien pour toi?;∎ did the new job work out? ça a marché pour le nouveau boulot?;∎ it didn't work out between them les choses ont plutôt mal tourné entre eux;∎ their project didn't work out leur projet est tombé à l'eau∎ how much does it all work out at? ça fait combien en tout?;∎ the average price for an apartment works out to or at $5,000 per square metre le prix moyen d'un appartement s'élève ou revient à 5000 dollars le mètre carré;∎ that works out at three hours a week ça fait trois heures par semaine;∎ electric heating works out expensive le chauffage électrique revient cher∎ the wind worked round to the north le vent a tourné au nord petit à petit∎ he finally worked round to the subject of housing il a fini par aborder le sujet du logement;∎ what's she working round to? où veut-elle en venir?∎ (bring round) I worked the conversation round to my salary j'ai amené la conversation sur la question de mon salaire∎ we worked our way through the crowd nous nous sommes frayé un chemin à travers la foule;∎ he worked his way through the book il a lu le livre du début à la fin;∎ figurative I worked the problem through j'ai étudié le problème sous tous ses aspects∎ she worked through lunch elle a travaillé pendant l'heure du déjeuner∎ he worked through his emotional problems il a réussi à assumer ses problèmes affectifs➲ work up(a) (stir up, rouse) exciter, provoquer;∎ he worked up the crowd il a excité la foule;∎ he worked the crowd up into a frenzy il a rendu la foule frénétique;∎ he works himself up or he gets himself worked up over nothing il s'énerve pour rien;∎ she had worked herself up into a dreadful rage elle s'était mise dans une rage terrible∎ I want to work these ideas up into an article je veux développer ces idées pour en faire un article;∎ to work up an appetite se mettre en appétit;∎ we worked up a sweat/a thirst playing tennis jouer au tennis nous a donné chaud/soif;∎ I can't work up any enthusiasm for this work je n'arrive pas à avoir le moindre enthousiasme pour ce travail;∎ he tried to work up an interest in the cause il a essayé de s'intéresser à la cause∎ to work one's way up faire son chemin;∎ she worked her way up from secretary to managing director elle a commencé comme secrétaire et elle a fait son chemin jusqu'au poste de P-DG;∎ I worked my way up from nothing je suis parti de rien(a) (clothing) remonter∎ the film was working up to a climax le film approchait de son point culminant;∎ things were working up to a crisis une crise se préparait, on était au bord d'une crise;∎ she's working up to what she wanted to ask elle en vient à ce qu'elle voulait demander;∎ what are you working up to? où veux-tu en venir? -
13 Usage note : all
When all is used to mean everything, it is translated by tout:is that all?= c’est tout?all is well= tout va bienWhen all is followed by a that clause, all that is translated by tout ce qui when it is the subject of the verb and tout ce que when it is the object:all that remains to be done= tout ce qui reste à fairethat was all (that) he said= c’est tout ce qu’il a ditafter all (that) we’ve done= après tout ce que nous avons faitwe’re doing all (that) we can= nous faisons tout ce que nous pouvonsall that you need= tout ce dont tu as besoinWhen all is used to refer to a specified group of people or objects, the translation reflects the number and gender of the people or objects referred to ; tous is used for a group of people or objects of masculine or mixed or unspecified gender and toutes for a group of feminine gender:we were all delighted= nous étions tous ravis‘where are the cups?’ ‘they’re all in the kitchen’= ‘où sont les tasses?’ ‘elles sont toutes dans la cuisine’For more examples and particular usages see the entry all.As a determinerIn French, determiners agree in gender and number with the noun they precede. So all is translated by tout + masculine singular noun:all the time= tout le tempsby toute + feminine singular noun:all the family= toute la familleby tous + masculine or mixed gender plural noun:all men= tous les hommesall the books= tous les livresand by toutes + feminine plural noun:all women= toutes les femmesall the chairs= toutes les chaisesFor more examples and particular usages see the entry all.As an adverbmy coat’s all dirty= mon manteau est tout salehe was all alone= il était tout seulthey were all alone= ils étaient tout seulsthe girls were all excited= les filles étaient tout excitéesHowever, when the adjective that follows is in the feminine and begins with a consonant the translation is toute/toutes:she was all alone= elle était toute seulethe bill is all wrong= la facture est toute faussethe girls were all alone= les filles étaient toutes seulesFor more examples and particular usages see the entry all. -
14 Usage note : it
When it is used as a subject pronoun to refer to a specific object (or animal) il or elle is used in French according to the gender of the object referred to:‘where is the book/chair?’ ‘it’s in the kitchen’= ‘où est le livre/la chaise?’ ‘il/elle est dans la cuisine’‘do you like my skirt?’ ‘it’s lovely’= ‘est-ce que tu aimes ma jupe?’ ‘elle est très jolie’However, if the object referred to is named in the same sentence, it is translated by ce (c’ before a vowel):it’s a good film= c’est un bon filmWhen it is used as an object pronoun it is translated by le or la (l’ before a vowel) according to the gender of the object referred to:it’s my book/my chair and I want it= c’est mon livre/ma chaise et je le/la veuxNote that the object pronoun normally comes before the verb in French and that in compound tenses like the perfect and the past perfect, the past participle agrees with it:I liked his shirt - did you notice it?= j’ai aimé sa chemise - est-ce que tu l’as remarquée? or l’as-tu remarquée?In imperatives only, the pronoun comes after the verb:it’s my book - give it to me= c’est mon livre - donne-le-moi (note the hyphens)When it is used vaguely or impersonally followed by an adjective the translation is ce (c’ before a vowel):it’s difficult= c’est difficileit’s sad= c’est tristeBut when it is used impersonally followed by an adjective + verb the translation is il:it’s difficult to understand how…= il est difficile de comprendre comment …If in doubt consult the entry for the adjective in question.For translations for impersonal verb uses (it’s raining, it’s snowing) consult the entry for the verb in question.it is used in expressions of days of the week (it’s Friday) and clock time (it’s 5 o’clock). This dictionary contains usage notes on these and many other topics. For other impersonal and idiomatic uses see the entry it.When it is used after a preposition in English the two words (prep + it) are often translated by one word in French. If the preposition would normally be translated by de in French (e.g. of, about, from etc.) the prep + it = en:I’ve heard about it= j’en ai entendu parlerIf the preposition would normally be translated by à in French (e.g. to, in, at etc.) the prep + it = y:they went to it= ils y sont allésFor translations of it following prepositions not normally translated by de or à (e.g. above, under, over etc.) consult the entry for the preposition. -
15 me
me [mi:]• you don't like jazz? Me, I love it (inf) tu n'aimes pas le jazz ? Moi, j'adore2. noun* * *Note: When used as a direct or indirect object pronoun me is translated by me (or m' before a vowel): she knows me = elle me connaît; he loves me = il m'aimeNote that the object pronoun normally comes before the verb in French and that in compound tenses like the present perfect and past perfect, the past participle of the verb agrees with the direct object pronoun: he's seen me (female speaker) = il m'a vueIn imperatives the translation for both the direct and the indirect object pronoun is moi and comes after the verb: kiss me! = embrasse-moi!; give it to me! = donne-le-moi! (note the hyphens)After prepositions and the verb to be the translation is moi: she did it for me = elle l'a fait pour moi; it's me = c'est moiI [miː, mɪ]pronoun me; (before vowel) m'II [miː]poor little me — (colloq) pauvre de moi
noun Music mi m -
16 me
I.II.me,❢ When used as a direct or indirect object pronoun me is translated by me (or m' before a vowel): she knows me = elle me connaît ; he loves me = il m'aime. Note that the object pronoun normally comes before the verb in French and that in compound tenses like the present perfect and past perfect, the past participle of the verb agrees with the direct object pronoun: he's seen me (female speaker) = il m'a vue. In imperatives the translation for both the direct and the indirect object pronoun is moi and comes after the verb: kiss me! = embrasse-moi! ; give it to me! = donne-le-moi! (note the hyphens). After prepositions and the verb to be the translation is moi: she did it for me = elle l'a fait pour moi ; it's me = c'est moi. For particular expressions see below. pron me, ( before vowel) m' ; it's for me c'est pour moi ; poor little me ○ pauvre de moi ; what would you do if you were me? qu'est-ce que tu ferais à ma place? ; dear me ○ !, deary me ○ ! ça alors! -
17 Usage note : your
In French, determiners agree in gender and number with the noun they qualify. So your, when addressing one person, is translated by votre, or more familiarly ton, + masculine singular noun ( votre chien or ton chien), by votre or ta + feminine singular noun ( votre maison or ta maison) and by vos or tes + plural noun ( vos enfants or tes enfants). Note that ton is used with a feminine noun beginnning with a vowel or mute ‘h’ ( ton adresse).When addressing more than one person, the translation is votre + singular noun and vos + plural noun. When your is stressed, à vous or à toi is added after the noun:your house= votre maison à vousWhen used impersonally to mean one’s, your is translated by son, sa or ses when you is translated by on:you buy your tickets at the door= on prend ses billets à l’entréeThe translation after an impersonal verb in French is son, sa, ses:you have to buy your tickets at the door= il faut prendre ses billets à l’entréeNote, however, the following:sweets are bad for your teeth= les bonbons sont mauvais pour les dentsyour average student= l’étudiant moyenFor your used with parts of the body ⇒ The human body. -
18 themselves
themselves [ðəmˈselvz]* * *[ðəm'selvz]Note: When used as a reflexive pronoun, direct and indirect, themselves is translated by se (or s' before a vowel or mute h)When used as an emphatic the translation is eux-mêmes in the masculine and elles-mêmes in the feminine: they did it themselves = ils l'ont fait eux-mêmes or elles l'ont fait elles-mêmesAfter a preposition the translation is eux or elles or eux-mêmes or elles-mêmes: they bought the painting for themselves = ( masculine or mixed gender) ils ont acheté le tableau pour eux or pour eux-mêmes; ( feminine gender) elles ont acheté le tableau pour elles or pour elles-mêmes1) ( reflexive) se/s'2) ( emphatic) eux-mêmes/elles-mêmes3) ( after preposition) eux/elles, eux-mêmes/elles-mêmes(all) by themselves — tous seuls/toutes seules
-
19 themselves
❢ When used as a reflexive pronoun, direct and indirect, themselves is translated by se (or s' before a vowel or mute h). When used as an emphatic the translation is eux-mêmes in the masculine and elles-mêmes in the feminine: they did it themselves = ils l'ont fait eux-mêmes or elles l'ont fait elles-mêmes. After a preposition the translation is eux or elles or eux-mêmes or elles-mêmes: they bought the painting for themselves = ( masculine or mixed gender) ils ont acheté le tableau pour eux or pour eux-mêmes ; ( feminine gender) elles ont acheté le tableau pour elles or pour elles-mêmes. pron1 ( refl) se/s' ;2 ( emphatic) eux-mêmes/elles-mêmes ;3 ( after prep) eux/elles, eux-mêmes/elles-mêmes ; (all) by themselves tous seuls/toutes seules. -
20 oneself
oneself [wʌnˈself]a. (reflexive) se* * *[ˌwʌn'self]Note: When used as a reflexive pronoun, direct and indirect, oneself is translated by se (or s' before a vowel): to hurt oneself = se blesser; to enjoy oneself = s'amuserWhen used in emphasis the translation is soi-même: to do something oneself = faire quelque chose soi-mêmeAfter a preposition, the translation is soi1) ( refl) se, s'to wash/cut oneself — se laver/couper
2) ( for emphasis) soi-même3) ( after prep) soito have the house all to oneself — avoir la maison pour soi tout seul/toute seule
to talk to oneself — parler tout seul/toute seule
(all) by oneself — tout seul/toute seule
См. также в других словарях:
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