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s'accumuler

English translation: build up/pile up

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:s\'accumuler
English translation:build up/pile up
Entered by: Sandrine Guyennet

15:45 May 7, 2010
French to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
French term or phrase: s'accumuler
J’ai une mémoire visuelle donc tout cela s’accumule.

This is part of an interview. She is asked what is her best memory and she answers that some places she's been to really impressed her. The memories she has of these travels are the "tout" in "tout cela".
Sandrine Guyennet
France
Local time: 19:52
build up/pile up
Explanation:
is it clear from the text whether she means that it all agglomerates (so it is hard to distinguish one thing from another) or whether she means that she has built up a wealth of memories ?
Selected response from:

polyglot45
Grading comment
Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3build up/pile up
polyglot45
4 +1all this stuff accumulates
Tony M
4to be held
kashew
4 -1to store (up)
Expressão, Lda.
3So many coming to me at once (memories)/they're really starting to add up (from all her travels)
MatthewLaSon


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
s\'accumuler
to store (up)


Explanation:
s'accumuler:
I.transitive verb
1.to store (up) [things];
to accumulate [capital];
to make a succession of [mistakes];
2.to store (up) [energy].


    Reference: http://www.wordreference.com/
Expressão, Lda.
Portugal
Local time: 18:52
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Chris Hall: Doesn't work here though. Quoting dictionary entries is not overly helpful, since anybody could copy and paste from an online dictionary.
22 mins
  -> That's why I didn't rate my answer 5, I knew it wasn't perfect, still i thought it did work here. Was is better if I just put an "*" or "sug" instead, like most people do?
disagree  Tony M: And I don't actually think those definitions are right for s'accumuler — they seem in fact to be the definitions for 'accumuler' tout court
14 hrs
agree  kashew: Stored up in someone's mind sounds fine to me.
22 hrs
  -> thank you!
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
build up/pile up


Explanation:
is it clear from the text whether she means that it all agglomerates (so it is hard to distinguish one thing from another) or whether she means that she has built up a wealth of memories ?

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 227
Grading comment
Thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Verginia Ophof: I have a photographic memory so it /from which it all builds up.
4 mins
agree  Chris Hall: Agree with "builds up". (I have a visual memory, therefore it all builds up)
10 mins
agree  Evans (X): I think builds is good here
10 mins
neutral  Tony M: I have slight reservations; to my mind, both of these terms are often used with a negative connotation: 'limescale builds up in your pipes', 'work piles up on you', and so this might not quite work if the accumulation is a fortunate one
14 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
So many coming to me at once (memories)/they're really starting to add up (from all her travels)


Explanation:
Hello,

I'm not sure exactly what's being said here without more context. You could interpret this differently.

Tout cela s'accumule = memories are really starting to add up, considering all her travels

Tout cela s'accumule = memories are all coming to her at once (where does she start?)

I think it probably means the latter, but I'm from far sure.

I hope this helps.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2010-05-07 20:45:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

There is definitely some ambiguity here.

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 13:52
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 145
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
tout cela s'accumule
all this stuff accumulates


Explanation:
I think you really need to look at the phrase as a whole to find a natural-sounding solution.

Here, I actually think the obvious, literal solution works quite well: 'to accumulate memories' — and it does have the advantage of not forcing resolution of the potential ambiguity that others have already highlighted: one can accumulate a wealth of happy memories just as well as one can accumulate an atticful of junk.

Tony M
France
Local time: 19:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 348

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Chris Hall
18 hrs
  -> Thanks, Chris!
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22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to be held


Explanation:
memories are held i.e. not forgotten. In fact, our Portuguese friend's "stored up" isn't far off!

kashew
France
Local time: 19:52
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 74

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: Yes, though it's a little hard to see how best to work this elegantly into the passive construction used here; I would prefer a verb in the active voice if possible...
16 hrs
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