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réinsertion

English translation: going straight

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:réinsertion
English translation:going straight
Entered by: Nora Mahony

23:14 Jan 8, 2010
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. / graphic novel
French term or phrase: réinsertion
This is a graphic novel (comic-book format) of a crime story set in the US in the 1960s. The tone is very casual, and somewhat dated in terms of slang; all the characters are tough types. The lead character has just got out of prison and picked up a woman for sex, but got more than he bargained for. She wants to help him because

'elle s'inquiète de sa réinsertion'

so she hooks him up with a lousy, boring and demeaning job.

I know that 'réinsertion' is a sociological term to do with ex-prisoners re-entering the work force, rejoining society, etc., and it's much the same in English (reinsertion, reintegration, etc.) but neither of these characters would talk or think like that. Though this isn't dialogue, she's advising him while sitting in (only) her panties and huge earrings at the breakfast table.

Any ideas for a more casual turn of phrase? The other catch is that because it's a graphic novel, I need something very short to fit in the speech bubble!
Nora Mahony
Ireland
Local time: 04:19
go straight
Explanation:
I'd say rehabilitation normally, but if I've understood the context correctly, the phrase could be translated as "She wants him to go straight".




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 48 mins (2010-01-09 00:02:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

If that doesn't fit in the bubble, nothing will!
Selected response from:

philgoddard
United States
Grading comment
Many thanks – right on the money and blessedly short enough for the space available.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +12go straight
philgoddard
3 +3making it outside the joint
Stephanie Ezrol
4 +1become an upstanding citizen
John Detre
4 +1vernacular: rehab
Jackie G
4reintregration or social reintregration
Nathalie Doare
3back on the straight and narrow
polyglot45
1 +1re-entry/back into life / rehab(ilitation)
Aude Sylvain
Summary of reference entries provided
Rehab in context of prison
B D Finch

  

Answers


39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
réinsertion
reintregration or social reintregration


Explanation:
would be I think the closest as it is used in a sociological meaning

Nathalie Doare
France
Local time: 05:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: French
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46 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +12
go straight


Explanation:
I'd say rehabilitation normally, but if I've understood the context correctly, the phrase could be translated as "She wants him to go straight".




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 48 mins (2010-01-09 00:02:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

If that doesn't fit in the bubble, nothing will!

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 38
Grading comment
Many thanks – right on the money and blessedly short enough for the space available.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  John Detre
15 mins
  -> Thanks John.
agree  Chris Hall
19 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Ana Resende: i like that!
31 mins
  -> Thanks!
agree  margaret caulfield
54 mins
agree  Steve Melling
7 hrs
agree  liz cencetti (X): Yes, better than the longer rehabilitation.
9 hrs
agree  Carol Gullidge: going straight - nice!
9 hrs
agree  Sheila Wilson: words like rehabilitation don't belong in speech bubbles
10 hrs
agree  Julie Barber: I'd prefer rehabilitation as it's in keeping with the original and very understandable in English
10 hrs
agree  Evans (X): going straight, absolutely
10 hrs
agree  Catherine Gilsenan
11 hrs
agree  Lorraine Buckley (X): joining the landslide for going straight
12 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +1
réinsertion
re-entry/back into life / rehab(ilitation)


Explanation:
a few other ideas

re-entry (into life/the society) - (termium)
back into life (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8437450.stm)

Also met "(social) rehabilitation" as a synonym for social reintegration --> would "rehab" work or is it too related to addictions?
http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-anglais/réinse...

Aude Sylvain
France
Local time: 05:19
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  rkillings: 're-entry' will do, all by itself.
9 hrs
  -> thank you!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
become an upstanding citizen


Explanation:
Another possibility, if you're going for a more tongue-in-cheek tone: she wants to help him become an upstanding citizen

John Detre
Canada
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Chris Hall: Am not sure whether it will fit into the speech bubble John.
6 mins
  -> Oh yes, you may be right. How about just "she wants him to be an upstanding citizen"? Still a bit longer than the French, but not by much...
agree  philgoddard: It's a good answer though.
18 mins
  -> Thanks Phil
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
réinsertion
making it outside the joint


Explanation:
joint = jail goes back to the 1950s and 60s, and "making it" was then, and still is, a way of saying surviving.

This fits something of the tone of your more than half naked gal with a heart of a gold.

Stephanie Ezrol
United States
Local time: 23:19
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sheila Wilson: or simply "making it on the outside" - to me anyway that means outside jail
9 hrs
  -> thanks. "making it on the outside" works. joint adds some color, but both work
agree  sueaberwoman: With Sheila.
13 hrs
  -> Thanks.
agree  Travelin Ann: I like "on the outside" - works for US
20 hrs
  -> Thanks.
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
réinsertion
vernacular: rehab


Explanation:
A shibboleth offered quite cynically, as the questioner points out.

Example sentence(s):
  • Any pub.
Jackie G
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: I think 'rehab' has come to be associated with drugs etc. now –– but in the early '60s, to 'rehabilitate a prisoner' would have been a common turn of phrase. Will consider it! Thanks.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Carol Gullidge: isn't rehab more associated with coming off drugs, cold turkey, etc?//True! but I feel this could be misleading, especially as the Q specifies 'casual' and 'dated', but not 'scoffing'
56 mins
  -> Yes, it is, but scoffing is permitted, especially in the vernacular.
agree  B D Finch: I can imagine the character saying "Let's get you rehabbed". But don't know whether that would be right for the US.
7 hrs
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
réinsertion
back on the straight and narrow


Explanation:
sounds about right for the period

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 22
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Reference comments


17 hrs
Reference: Rehab in context of prison

Reference information:
"February 20, 2009. Report: Prison Rehab Programs Are Working. Prison Population Has Stopped Expanding. Report: Prison rehab programs working ..."

"Rally to protest gutting of prison rehab programs. DATE: Tuesday, Dec. 8. TIME: 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.. WHERE: South steps of state Capitol ..."
www.sacbee.com/.../Prison education rally 12-08-09[1].pdf - United States


    Reference: http://www.realcostofprisons.org/blog/.../02/report_prison_r...
B D Finch
France
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 78
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