Ce n'est pas une eau que l'ombre

English translation: Darkness is not water

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Ce n'est pas une eau que l'ombre
English translation:Darkness is not water
Entered by: Paul Hirsh

18:23 Jun 8, 2013
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
French term or phrase: Ce n'est pas une eau que l'ombre
Theseus is walking through the Labyrinth to encounter the Minotaur. It is dark, he is feeling his way along. This is compared to a "plongée dangereuse", a dangeous plunge (the piece was written pre-Cousteau and SCUBA).

"Thésée, debout toujours, et ses pieds nus appuyés au sol, apprend une nage singulière. [...]
Ce n'est pas une eau que l'ombre, car se noyer, sombrer serait encore un secours."

I don't think there's anything metaphorical intended. What is the literal meaning though?

TIA.
DLyons
Ireland
Local time: 12:20
Darkness is not water
Explanation:
or is not a body of water

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Note added at 39 mins (2013-06-08 19:02:46 GMT)
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so getting lost in the darkness is better than drowning

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Note added at 40 mins (2013-06-08 19:03:59 GMT)
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in this periphrasis the word following que is the subject of c'est
Selected response from:

Paul Hirsh
France
Local time: 13:20
Grading comment
Thanks Paul.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3Darkness is not water
Paul Hirsh
4It isn't that the water covers him
axies
3For darkness is no water, and fading in the shadows is a far more joyful fate than drowning
Kévin Bernier
3it is not water but shadows
Jane F
3He was not in the shadow of water
Sandra & Kenneth Grossman
3He was in the shade of something other than water
B D Finch


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Darkness is not water


Explanation:
or is not a body of water

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 39 mins (2013-06-08 19:02:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

so getting lost in the darkness is better than drowning

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 40 mins (2013-06-08 19:03:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

in this periphrasis the word following que is the subject of c'est

Paul Hirsh
France
Local time: 13:20
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 44
Grading comment
Thanks Paul.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Victoria Britten
18 mins
  -> thanks!

agree  katsy
16 hrs

agree  Emma Paulay
1 day 44 mins
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
For darkness is no water, and fading in the shadows is a far more joyful fate than drowning


Explanation:
Just a suggestion.

Kévin Bernier
France
Local time: 13:20
Native speaker of: French
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Kévin. That does have a nice literary flow.

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
it is not water but shadows


Explanation:
In the darkness its difficult to distinguish between water and shadows

Jane F
France
Local time: 13:20
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Jane. That's relatively close to Paul's, so I'm just going to go with the popular vote!

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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
It isn't that the water covers him


Explanation:
Not necessarily or exactly that but, I believe that it has nothing to do with light and shade that approaches more the Spanish language that that of the French.
I believe that there is a mistake in the French sentence.
The word ''sombrer'' could be in fact s'ombrer and this is the reason why the entire paragraph below doesn't make any sense. The apostrophe is missing.

Ce n'est pas une eau que l'ombre, car se noyer, s'ombrer serait encore un secours."



axies
Australia
Local time: 22:50
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks axies, this is a good point and is made again later in the dicsussions.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: lIke you, i am not convinced that the French is not missing something. However, "sombrer" is a synonym for "se noyer", althought the author is no doubt conscious of the link with "ombre" and "sombre".
8 hrs
  -> Thank you Nikki. Yes I know what you mean. But, then it doesn't read right with''car de...''''.
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
He was not in the shadow of water


Explanation:
Water was not threatening him
"Une eau" would suggest water in general, rather than this particular plunge...


Sandra & Kenneth Grossman
Israel
Local time: 14:20
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RomanianRomanian
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Sangro. You're absolutely right that water is not the threat here.

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21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
He was in the shade of something other than water


Explanation:
Shade(s) can have multiple meanings: darkness, ghosts, Hades ...

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Note added at 21 hrs (2013-06-09 16:15:11 GMT)
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Or: ... something that was not water

B D Finch
France
Local time: 13:20
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 43
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Barbara. When I come back to review the complete translation I'll certainly use "shade"somewhere, and maybe even here ("ombre" occurs a lot).

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