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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

bon courage

English translation: all the best in your efforts

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:bon courage
English translation:all the best in your efforts
Entered by: dholmes (X)

08:50 Jul 9, 2008
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Bus/Financial - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
French term or phrase: bon courage
Letter from general management to managers concerning new budgets and cost reduction.
"Nous comptons sur vous et vous souhaitons bon courage".
I've thought of "all the best" or "good luck" but other ideas are welcome
dholmes (X)
France
Local time: 05:42
all the best in your efforts
Explanation:
the result of a quick consultation here at Euty towers. I think "good luck" is right out (subtext: "...you're going to need it"...)
Selected response from:

David BUICK
Local time: 05:42
Grading comment
Many thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +9all the best in your efforts
David BUICK
4work hard!
Graham macLachlan
3 +1best wishes
Ariadne Ashby
3 +1Gor for it!
L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen
3best of luck to you
sdavidson


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +9
all the best in your efforts


Explanation:
the result of a quick consultation here at Euty towers. I think "good luck" is right out (subtext: "...you're going to need it"...)

David BUICK
Local time: 05:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Many thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Graham macLachlan: but maybe he IS going to need it ;-)
3 mins
  -> some things are best left unsaid ;)
agree  Anton Konashenok
4 mins
agree  La Classe
4 mins
agree  Sandra Petch: Your comment made me smile :-)
5 mins
agree  Julie Barber: plus it's not a question of luck for finance managers, they are supposed to get it right!! ;-)
41 mins
agree  Tony M
1 hr
agree  Mohamed Mehenoun
1 hr
agree  swanda
1 hr
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
9 hrs
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
work hard!


Explanation:
is what I get in Oxford/Hachette and they may well be right,
usually just "bon courage!" between colleagues perhaps this is just a more formal version
who knows what they really mean? It is rather vague after all.
I think I would put something like "We are counting on you and wish you luck (in your endeavours)"

Graham macLachlan
Local time: 05:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: i think that exhortation might be viwed rather sourly in the light of the specific context as given!
54 mins
  -> What do we know? There is EXTREMELY little context to go on
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
best wishes


Explanation:
with best wishes

Ariadne Ashby
Local time: 04:43
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: Sounds a bit too much like a postcard from Auntie, and rather dilutes the intended message.
4 mins
agree  Graham macLachlan: it's possible, the person might always sign off with this formula when writing to subordinates
2 hrs
  -> thank you, Graham
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31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Gor for it!


Explanation:
That would be my message...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-07-09 10:35:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Go for it" is an expression I learned when working for an US company and it had the following powerful meaning, among other: "don't let anything stand in your way", "try it out", "don't worry", " nothing ventured, nothing gained".

L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen
South Africa
Local time: 05:43
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in DutchDutch

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  B D Finch: As in "gor blimey"?
26 mins
neutral  Tony M: register risks being too informal, and also, I think the tenor of the remark is not quite the same.
36 mins
agree  Graham macLachlan: the trouble is we don't know how much of an exhortation it really is//:)
3 hrs
  -> Thanks Graham. Have you ever known a budget not to be an exhortation? Shareholders, investors and the B.O.D then demands it and right down the line. All "chiefs" pass it down to the "indians" to do...
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
best of luck to you


Explanation:
*

sdavidson
Local time: 23:43
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Julie Barber: if I was entrusting some managers with money (or any process) I would want them to do the job properly not leave it to good luck! I really don't thin it fits the context......
45 mins
agree  whither had (X): absolutely.. Ive seen people trying desperately to translate "take care" fi nto French. Its a 1OO% cultural problem. But Iwas also surprised to see "bon courage" in such a context.. Wishing you all the best in your endeavours is about as far as Id go..
22 hrs
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