This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English
  3. Journalism

marcher dans les traces

English translation: follows X in his daily life/takes an inside look at

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:marcher dans les traces
English translation:follows X in his daily life/takes an inside look at
Entered by: suezen

14:44 Dec 1, 2006
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Journalism / television show
French term or phrase: marcher dans les traces
From a paragraph describing a documentary about an artist.

"Y (the TV channel that made the film) est venu marcher dans les traces de X (the artist) qui tient la vedette du documentaire."

There's no other info on what the documentary showed and nothing to be found online. The only clue is in a later sentence that says the guy's dog also features in the film. I can only imagine that they filmed him at work and going about his daily life. In my rough version I've used "shadowed" but that's more something a private detective would do!

Many thanks for your ideas.
Sandra Petch
Local time: 12:06
follows X in his daily life
Explanation:
perhaps, depending on nature of what follows
cameras into their home to follow their daily life and struggles. ...
talk.ocregister.com/archive/index.php/t-13396.html - 7k
This fascinating documentary follows two Nigerian women's different ... This revealing documentary offers a rare view of daily life in West Africa. ...
globetrotter.berkeley.edu/GlobalGender/africafilm.html - 27k

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 mins (2006-12-01 15:00:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or follows X as he goes about his daily life

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2006-12-01 15:10:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

takes an inside look at the life of ...
Selected response from:

suezen
Local time: 12:06
Grading comment
I finally decided to go with my "portrait" idea. However, I though Suezen's "inside look at..." was very much in keeping with the style of the text and deserves points. Your ideas are always much appreciated and a great help in setting off new trains of thought. Thank you again to everyone.
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3follows X in his daily life
suezen
4 +1following in the footsteps of...
Amanda Grey
4 +1follow in the footsteps of
French Foodie
5to shadow
Carol Gullidge
3followed in the wake of X
Sandra C.
3 -1walk in the footsteps
Fiorsam


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
following in the footsteps of...


Explanation:
Might be one way of putting it!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 mins (2006-12-01 14:57:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I meant of course, you are "right"! It's Friday afternoon...!

Amanda Grey
France
Local time: 12:06
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Sandra C.: I thought about this too but to me, it has a connotation of 'following X's example', 'doing what X did', kinf of thing.// Am I tight, really? Or am I Right... ;-))
2 mins
  -> You are tight. How about spent a day following X around? Although you would need to know if it was for one day or...
agree  monbuckland
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
follow in the footsteps of


Explanation:
seems to be used in this context


Calendar of the South Bay Mobilization - Educate, Involve ...
Wetback, an award-winning documentary, follows in the footsteps of immigrants traveling from Nicaragua to America. On their journeys, they encounter gangs ...
www.southbaymobilization.org/calendar/2006/2006_05.htm - 34k - Cached - Similar pages

TV, Eh? What’s Up in Canadian TV
With today’s announcement, Corner Gas follows in the footsteps of several ... Each one-hour, independently-produced documentary represents the talents of ...
canadiantv.wordpress.com/ - 55k - Cached - Similar pages

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2006-12-01 15:07:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

what about the idea of trailing someone? A little higher register than tagging along perhaps... Just throwing out ideas :-)

French Foodie
Local time: 12:06
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Sandra C.: I thought about this too but to me, it has a connotation of 'following X's example', 'doing what X did', kinf of thing.
2 mins
  -> hmmm, I see what you mean, but in the examples I found with documentaries (such as the immigrant ref above), they are using it to describe actually following the people day in and day out. Hopefully someone will come up with the bang-on answer! :-)
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): actually I think this comes closest to the intendedmeaning...
10 hrs
  -> thanks Ingeborg :-)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
walk in the footsteps


Explanation:
I think "walk" rather than "follows" is closer

Fiorsam
United States
Local time: 06:06
Works in field
Native speaker of: Italian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Tony M: No, that doesn't really work for a film crew...
9 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
follows X in his daily life


Explanation:
perhaps, depending on nature of what follows
cameras into their home to follow their daily life and struggles. ...
talk.ocregister.com/archive/index.php/t-13396.html - 7k
This fascinating documentary follows two Nigerian women's different ... This revealing documentary offers a rare view of daily life in West Africa. ...
globetrotter.berkeley.edu/GlobalGender/africafilm.html - 27k

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 mins (2006-12-01 15:00:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or follows X as he goes about his daily life

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2006-12-01 15:10:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

takes an inside look at the life of ...

suezen
Local time: 12:06
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
I finally decided to go with my "portrait" idea. However, I though Suezen's "inside look at..." was very much in keeping with the style of the text and deserves points. Your ideas are always much appreciated and a great help in setting off new trains of thought. Thank you again to everyone.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: That's the way I would interpret it, and I can't think of a more 'high-brow' way of saying it!
23 mins
  -> thanks Tony :-)
agree  Mark Nathan
36 mins
  -> thanks Mark
agree  French Foodie: an inside look at is great
1 hr
  -> thanks Mara :-)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
followed in the wake of X


Explanation:
followed X around


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2006-12-01 14:56:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Y tagged along

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 27 mins (2006-12-01 15:11:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Y accompanied X in his daily tasks...

Sandra C.
France
Local time: 12:06
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
to shadow


Explanation:
ie, to follow very closely by the camera (crew), as in (without necessarily having to be wired for sound):

Edward Hasbrouck's weekly commentary on The Amazing Race on CBS-TV

....I'm here in the UK (although visiting Northern Ireland makes one question whether there really is a "United" Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) courtesy of the BBC, with whom I spent last week filming a documentary on tourism in Northern Ireland that involved being****** wired for sound and shadowed by a camera******* as I explored the region's attractions...

www.hasbrouck.org/amazingrace2/index_11.html

Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:06
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search