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energies propres...degoutantes

English translation: cleanliness...impurity

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:energies propres...degoutantes
English translation:cleanliness...impurity
Entered by: Barbara Cochran, MFA

16:59 May 21, 2007
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Observations about A Laundromat In New York City's Chinatown
French term or phrase: energies propres...degoutantes
In a satirical piece about washing clothes/the people in a laundromat. Seems to be the condition of the clothes during the washing as opposed to the drying stage.

Context: "Les gros hubelots transparents ou l'on pourrait mettre une personne entiere a l'interieur sechent les **energies propres,** les petits hublots lavent les **energies degoutantes**.

It seems to me that the author must be trying to convey something more than just "clean" and "disgusting (dirty)" clothes.

Merci beaucoup!

femme
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 01:19
cleanliness...impurity
Explanation:
both are energies emanating from humans, as the text infers, alluding to a washing machine where a person's "clean energies are dried and impure energies are washed off"
Selected response from:

Katarina Peters
Canada
Local time: 01:19
Grading comment
Merci encore.
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1cleanliness...impurity
Katarina Peters
3pristine energy.... stale energy
katsy


Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
cleanliness...impurity


Explanation:
both are energies emanating from humans, as the text infers, alluding to a washing machine where a person's "clean energies are dried and impure energies are washed off"

Katarina Peters
Canada
Local time: 01:19
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 14
Grading comment
Merci encore.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Julie Barber: yes it's talking about people not clothes
6 mins
  -> Thanks, juliebarba, we're on the same wavelength here!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
pristine energy.... stale energy


Explanation:
with, for 'énergies puantes' .... 'unsavoury/decaying energy'
The idea being that you move away from clean/dirty etc. but simply try to translate the positive and negative..
Je m'explique. The washing powder has given 'clean energy' to the clothes (the ones drying), the dirty clothes are disgusting, in the machine, and before they get to the machine they stink. Difficult in my opinion to keep the clean/disgusting image, so I have gone for a contrast of new and old.
Just an idea

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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-05-21 19:44:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Just a little 'mise au point' following on from juliebarba's comment. It is obvious (or at least it seemed so to me) that - except, possibly, for the energy given TO the clothes by the washing (énergies propres), the dégoûtants/puants obviously come from people. However, I personally would not make a huge thing about the 'où l'on pourrait mettre une personne entière' - the 'people/human' reference stands (or at least would stand) perfectly well without it. ....IMO of course!

katsy
Local time: 07:19
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 15

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Julie Barber: I think it's refering to people not clothes: hubelots transparents ou l'on pourrait mettre une personne entiere. But I agree for clean/disgusting
19 mins
  -> I do take your point juliebarba; however, I would, even assuming it's people - and perhaps with sth else for pristine, say, 'bright' or 'shining' - stand by my answer as being appropriate for people too. Thanks for that comment, though!
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