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mène sa barque

English translation: successfully navigated his career

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:mène sa barque
English translation:successfully navigated his career
Entered by: Miranda Joubioux (X)

14:57 Dec 21, 2010
French to English translations [PRO]
Ships, Sailing, Maritime
French term or phrase: mène sa barque
Article for a in-house magazine concerning a sailor being sponsored for the Barcelona World Race.
Target audience : international - preference US.

There is word play here with "mène sa barque". I'm trying to find a sailing equivalent.
Any ideas?

Avec persévérance, XXXX mène sa barque dans sa nouvelle peau de régatier.
Miranda Joubioux (X)
Local time: 20:31
plain sailing
Explanation:
XXX has had to negotiate some stormy waters in the past (***if that's true of course***) but all is now plain sailing...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2010-12-21 15:17:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another alternative:
XXX has successfully navigated his career
Selected response from:

Emma Paulay
France
Local time: 20:31
Grading comment
Since this was quite urgent and Emma came up with the best solution first, she gets the points.
I liked her second solution which helped me round the "skin" problem.
'XXX has successfully navigated his racing career' did the trick. Thanks Emma.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3takes the helm
B D Finch
4helms his boat
rkillings
4navigating/charting a new course
Yvonne Gallagher
3bien se comporter
pooja_chic
1 +2run a tight ship
Graham macLachlan
3steers his ship
Marco Solinas
3plain sailing
Emma Paulay
3sailing through
mimi 254


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
takes the helm


Explanation:
"He takes the helm at Birmingham Law Society following a governance review, which will see the creation ... “I am looking forward to the new role immensely. ..."
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk/.../new-president-takes-the-... -

"Role-swap Rachel takes the helm at Huntington Primary School (From ... The new role for ten-year-old Rachel Gladwin came about due to one of ..."
www.yorkpress.co.uk/.../8742290.Role_swap_Rachel_takes_the_...

B D Finch
France
Local time: 20:31
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks for the suggestion.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  kashew: Sounds perfect to me.
16 mins
  -> Thanks kashew.
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
57 mins
  -> Thanks 1045
agree  Elizabeth Slaney: Definitely the best answer here!
1 hr
  -> Thanks Liz
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
bien se comporter


Explanation:
http://dictionnaire-analogique.sensagent.com/MA76401/ML-fr-f...

Example sentence(s):
  • .........
pooja_chic
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +2
run a tight ship


Explanation:
Awful source sentence! Don't envy you at all ;-)

mener la barque : to be in charge; bien/mal mener sa barque : to manage things well/badly.
Hachette/Oxford

tight ship, taut ship (a) a ship in which ropes etc. are tight; a strictly run ship; (b) transf. & fig. a disciplined or well-run organization, state of affairs, etc. (freq. in "run a tight ship")
OED

Graham macLachlan
Local time: 20:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 352
Notes to answerer
Asker: This was a good suggestion, but didn't quit fit the context, IMO. I felt this was talking about his career.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carol Gullidge: Or "is running a tight ship". I think it needs to be the continuous present tense, which is the only reason I think BD's answer might not work (you only take the helm once, at a specific point in time, which doesn't fit with "avec persévérence)
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Carol, no "take the helm" is not quite the same thing
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: agree with Carol's points
7 hrs
  -> thanks
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
steers his ship


Explanation:
very commom metaphor

Marco Solinas
Local time: 11:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 20
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, common, but not really quite right for the context.

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17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
plain sailing


Explanation:
XXX has had to negotiate some stormy waters in the past (***if that's true of course***) but all is now plain sailing...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2010-12-21 15:17:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another alternative:
XXX has successfully navigated his career

Emma Paulay
France
Local time: 20:31
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Since this was quite urgent and Emma came up with the best solution first, she gets the points.
I liked her second solution which helped me round the "skin" problem.
'XXX has successfully navigated his racing career' did the trick. Thanks Emma.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi Emma, thanks. That's really helpful.

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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
sailing through


Explanation:
*

mimi 254
Local time: 19:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
helms his boat


Explanation:
… in his new guise of regatta skipper.

Preference US? Do you go in for lingo in the style of Variety, the show-biz mag? Yes? Then you want 'helm' as a verb! (Variety calls *film directors* 'helmers'.)




    Reference: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029067?refCatId=13
rkillings
United States
Local time: 11:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
navigating/charting a new course


Explanation:
another option

...with perseverence/persistence, he is now /charting/navigating a new course (or role) as...

tillerman/helmsman/sailor/skipper/yachtsman... whatever role he has on board. Is he the skipper or helmsman?

I don't think you can say "his new skin" so new role/course would substitute

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Charting a new Course: navigating through troubled Waters ... we have done our best to chart a new course. The conversations we've been asked to ...
www.cjc.net/publications/documents/CJC2009AnnualReport.pdf

Navigating a New Course sermon, Navigating a New Course sermon by ...Navigating a New Course sermon, Navigating a New Course sermon by Rick Stacy, Rick Stacy takes you through - 1 Peter 1:17-1:21 - Call of the Disciples ...

www.sermoncentral.com/.../navigating-a-new-course-rick-stac... - Cached


Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 19:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Notes to answerer
Asker: Your answer was also an excellent suggestion, but came a little too late! Thank you. I'm sure it will come in useful to someone else.

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