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apprentissage ébloui

English translation: the awesome experience of learning French

11:15 Dec 18, 2013
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
French term or phrase: apprentissage ébloui
From the wikipedia page on French novelist Laura Alcoba
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Alcoba

I'm trying to work out what exactly is meant by "ébloui" here. Any ideas? Thanks in advance...

En août 2013, elle publie Le Bleu des abeilles, roman inspiré de l’arrivée en France de l’auteur, à l’âge de dix ans. Le roman évoque notamment la correspondance qu’elle entretenait à l’époque avec son père, alors prisonnier politique en Argentine, la découverte de la France et l’apprentissage ébloui de la langue française.
Philip Taylor
Local time: 05:53
English translation:the awesome experience of learning French
Explanation:
is the meaning
Selected response from:

polyglot45
Grading comment
Yes, I'm convinced that is the meaning, i.e. the experience of learning was "awesome", rather than her skills in the language (seems improbably boastful in the context of a semi-autobiographical novel). My final rendering would therefore be something like "her dazzling discovery of the French language". Many thanks to everyine who contributed.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3the awesome experience of learning French
polyglot45
3 +2learning, bedazzled,
DLyons
4 +1her dazzling acquisition (of the French language)
Helen Shiner
4remarkable, outstanding or brillant learning
John Holland
3awe-inspiring apprenticeship (in the French language)
Marian Vieyra


Discussion entries: 9





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
learning, bedazzled,


Explanation:
I had the following (clumsy) construction from Fraigneu recently "retour d'Athènes ébloui et faisant part de mon éblouissement".

There I used "dazzled/bedazzlement".

DLyons
Ireland
Local time: 05:53
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Philippa Smith: Yes, as in, she's learning French, a language that dazzled her.
5 mins
  -> Thanks Philippa.
agree  Alison Kapor (X)
5 hrs
  -> Thanks Alison.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
her dazzling acquisition (of the French language)


Explanation:
I understand it to mean that her acquisition of French is stunningly good or dazzling to onlookers (not to her - i.e. she isn't bedazzled by it).

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:53
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 44

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marian Vieyra: Yes, I agree with this interpretation.
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, Marian
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
the awesome experience of learning French


Explanation:
is the meaning

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 227
Grading comment
Yes, I'm convinced that is the meaning, i.e. the experience of learning was "awesome", rather than her skills in the language (seems improbably boastful in the context of a semi-autobiographical novel). My final rendering would therefore be something like "her dazzling discovery of the French language". Many thanks to everyine who contributed.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carol Gullidge: yes, must be something along these lines
33 mins
agree  Victoria Britten
50 mins
agree  Verginia Ophof
1 hr
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
remarkable, outstanding or brillant learning


Explanation:
Used figuratively, "ébloui" means:
"Frapper la vue, l'esprit d'admiration."
From: http://www.cnrtl.fr/lexicographie/�bloui?

Also see: https://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/éblouir

It means that the author learned French very well.

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Note added at 24 mins (2013-12-18 11:40:06 GMT)
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Other possibilities include "impressive" or "prodigious."

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Note added at 41 mins (2013-12-18 11:57:48 GMT)
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I agree with Helen that this is about the appreciation that others have for her French skills.

John Holland
France
Local time: 06:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 27
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
awe-inspiring apprenticeship (in the French language)


Explanation:
'awe-inspiring' to avoid problems with the word 'awesome'. But why avoid the word 'apprenticeship'? The book is (partly) about discovering France and learning to speak French.

Marian Vieyra
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:53
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
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