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  3. Journalism

témoignage

English translation: speaking personally.....//personal viewpoint

08:49 Jun 25, 2010
French to English translations [PRO]
Journalism / free council newsletter for tourists
French term or phrase: témoignage
In one of those free city council papers that purports to be news but is liberally peppered with the majority party's opinion, an insert column where a local person tells 'their story' (which naturally is positive and full of praise for the council) in a longish paragraph.

I have had several ideas but none of them seems fit particularly well. They either seem either too dramatic (first-hand account, my story) or bland (personal experience) and 'personal account' sounds as dull as a bank .

It could be of course that most English language newspapers of this type would not bother giving a headword to the column but I need something to fill the space! Thanks for any ideas.
Alain Pommet
Local time: 00:11
English translation:speaking personally.....//personal viewpoint
Explanation:
OR
my views
one person's comments
bird's eye view
testimonial
in the words of our readers
Selected response from:

polyglot45
Grading comment
Thanks to all for their contributions. I eventually used 'personal view' inspired by polyglot45's answer as being the most neutral. Residents / readers etc was tempting but not necessarily true in all cases.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3a resident's story
Noni Gilbert Riley
3 +2speaking personally.....//personal viewpoint
polyglot45
4testimony/witness
Constantinos Faridis (X)
4Readers feedback
SMcG (X)
4testimonial
Michel F. Morin
3 +1one reader's/resident's experience
Evans (X)
3 +1First person / First person singular
Sandra Petch
3refere details given
mohanv
3personal account/experience
Euqinimod (X)
3From the horse's mouth
B D Finch
3citizens' voice
Claire Nolan
2what they say/what our readers say/what our residents say
Antonio Tomás Lessa do Amaral


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
what they say/what our readers say/what our residents say


Explanation:
HTH

Antonio Tomás Lessa do Amaral
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
a resident's story


Explanation:
Yes I see your problem about veering between the over dramatic (eye witness) and the yawn inspiring. I think my suggestion fits into the latter category, but another one for consideration anyway.

Or " (a) local voice" has just occurred to me. Probably not!

Noni Gilbert Riley
Spain
Local time: 00:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 2

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mark Nathan: Probably fits in with the overall tone
10 hrs
  -> Thanks Mark
agree  Aude Sylvain
12 hrs
  -> Merci Aude.
agree  Sandra Mouton
2 days 15 hrs
  -> Merci Sandra
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
testimony/witness


Explanation:
c'esta la traduction litterale.

Constantinos Faridis (X)
Greece
Local time: 01:11
Native speaker of: Greek
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
speaking personally.....//personal viewpoint


Explanation:
OR
my views
one person's comments
bird's eye view
testimonial
in the words of our readers

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Thanks to all for their contributions. I eventually used 'personal view' inspired by polyglot45's answer as being the most neutral. Residents / readers etc was tempting but not necessarily true in all cases.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sandra Petch: A big thumbs-up for "Speaking personally."
4 hrs
agree  Stephanie Ezrol: speaking personally
2 days 2 hrs
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Readers feedback


Explanation:
Something along these lines

SMcG (X)
Belgium
Local time: 00:11
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 3
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
refere details given


Explanation:
my view; through my eyes; Opinion column; from my heart; what I think; readers' opinion ; public Opinion ; Citizen's view

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2010-06-25 09:06:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

sorry for the typo; it should be refer details given

mohanv
India
Local time: 03:41
Native speaker of: Native in TamilTamil
PRO pts in category: 4
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
testimonial


Explanation:
I think it's more accurate than "testimony"


    Reference: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1558984
Michel F. Morin
France
Local time: 00:11
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  SMcG (X): literal translation, but IMO too much gravitas in this context
7 hrs
  -> Well, less than "testimony", which refers to a statement under oath (AMHA) !
neutral  rkillings: Might as well put 'ADVERTISEMENT' if you're going to call it a testimonial. Not for a story that pretends to be news reporting. cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testimonial
17 hrs
  -> I believe I remember "advertisement" more likely stands for "publicité" than for "témoignage"...
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32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
one reader's/resident's experience


Explanation:
Hard to get away from being bland in these circumstances, but this might work. I think the choice of "reader" or "resident" depends on the kind of article involved.

Evans (X)
Local time: 23:11
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Noni Gilbert Riley: Like the use of the word one.
1 day 5 hrs
  -> thanks, Noni!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
personal account/experience


Explanation:
Une proposition.

Euqinimod (X)
Local time: 00:11
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 8
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
From the horse's mouth


Explanation:
If you have the space to fill.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 00:11
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
citizens' voice


Explanation:
Not sure if you can say citizens' voice (the possessive is what bothers me here: can it be a singular voice for the plural citizens?). Or maybe ''citizens voice'' would be better (no possessive at all: citizens (plural) voice (verb) their opinion).

Claire Nolan
Local time: 18:11
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
First person / First person singular


Explanation:
One more idea for the pot.

First person
or
First person singular (singular as in not plural of course but also the idea that this is a distinct and personal experience).



Sandra Petch
Local time: 00:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  John Detre
3 hrs
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