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lourd paquebot

English translation: slow-maneuvering vessel

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:lourd paquebot
English translation:slow-maneuvering vessel
Entered by: Cyril B.

16:13 Sep 6, 2012
French to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
French term or phrase: lourd paquebot
From a newspaper article describing the woes of various Japanese companies.

"le groupe japonais est un lourd paquebot, à la vitesse d’exécution limitée."

I understand the meaning - basically the company is too big, has too many employees and is therefore struggling to adapt to the market - but how do I translate "lourd paquebot" so as to recreate the metaphor? So far I have come up with "cumbersome vessel" - can anyone think of anything better?

Thanks!
Imogen Hancock
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:42
slow-maneuvering vessel
Explanation:
Another suggestion
Selected response from:

Cyril B.
France
Grading comment
many thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4supertanker
philgoddard
4 +1lumbering ocean liner
kashew
4clumsy leviathan
emiledgar
4[corporate] behemoth
Cyril B.
4bogged down
cc in nyc
3slow-maneuvering vessel
Cyril B.


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
supertanker


Explanation:
.

Example sentence(s):
  • The state machine is just terribly inefficient and we should have tried to turn the supertanker around on day one.
  • Iain Duncan Smith battles to turn around the benefits supertanker

    Reference: http://sentence.yourdictionary.com/supertanker
    Reference: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/14/iain-duncan-s...
philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 175

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: Nice solution
5 mins
agree  Verginia Ophof
4 hrs
agree  Sonia Geerlings
16 hrs
agree  Letredenoblesse
17 hrs
neutral  Mpoma: hmm... IMHO "paquebot" also conveys the notion of behemoth from yesteryear
19 hrs
  -> I think sometimes it's inevitable that things get lost in translation. You could put "ageing supertanker".
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
lumbering ocean liner


Explanation:
LOL!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 heures (2012-09-07 08:43:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or, "lumbering mastodon"

kashew
France
Local time: 23:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 74

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mpoma
3 hrs
  -> Thanks
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23 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
clumsy leviathan


Explanation:
To keep the feeling of enormous and slow to adapt.

emiledgar
Belgium
Local time: 23:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 125
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1 day 12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
[corporate] behemoth


Explanation:
I think 'Behemoth' could fit nicely. 'slow-maneuvering behemoth'? I think the idea's there.

"Metaphorically, the name has come to be used for any extremely large or powerful entity."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behemoth

There are dozens of references, it's a commonly used image in business, including the reference to the company we're talking about here :)

"But the slow moving corporate behemoth that is Sony has, at least by all appearances, nearly always been a step behind its Asia-based neighbors in effectively responding to the new landscape of consumer electronics."
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2402927,00.asp

"Can Local Retail Survive the Behemoth that is Amazon?"
http://technorati.com/business/article/can-local-retail-surv...

"Apple and the Burden of Being a Behemoth"
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/08/23/apple-and-the-burden-...

"Can a Behemoth Company Reclaim its Underdog Status?"
http://therunningstart.ca/2012/08/15/can-a-behemoth-company-...


Cyril B.
France
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in category: 10
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1 day 12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
slow-maneuvering vessel


Explanation:
Another suggestion

Cyril B.
France
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in category: 10
Grading comment
many thanks
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1 day 19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
bogged down


Explanation:
According to the article, Sony is product-heavy and employee-bound.
I would skip the "heavy ship" (tanker, liner, etc.) metaphor in English.

The article, for context:
Avec ses 168.000 salariés dans le monde et ses multiples activités (électronique, films, musique, services financiers...), le groupe japonais est un lourd paquebot, à la vitesse d'exécution limitée.
http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-secteurs/tech-medias/actu...

cc in nyc
Local time: 17:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 153
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