This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English
  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

alors sans cachet

English translation: at the time devoid of any particular charm

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:alors sans cachet
English translation:at the time devoid of any particular charm
Entered by: EirTranslations

08:05 Dec 30, 2015
French to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / Hotel
French term or phrase: alors sans cachet
In this context, for a hotel, many thanks!

À Paris, c'est un modeste deux-étoiles, alors sans cachet, niché au pied de la butte xxx, qui attire l'attention d'xxxx pour son potentiel.
Ainsi naîtra l’Hôtel xxx, après d’ambitieuses rénovations.
EirTranslations
Ireland
Local time: 13:59
at the time devoid of any particular charm
Explanation:
I think this would be a mode natural and idiomatic way of expressin it in EN.

Or if 'devoid of' doesn't fit the register, then simply 'lacking'.
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 14:59
Grading comment
thx
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +6at the time devoid of any particular charm
Tony M
4 +6then undistinguished
B D Finch
3 +4nothing special at the time / then
Noni Gilbert Riley
4at that time without charm,
Lisa Jane
4not very remarkable at the time
LuisaCele


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
at that time without charm,


Explanation:
or then uncharming...

in the sense it had no charm or character when it was discovered-until it was renovated by the new owners

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2015-12-30 09:45:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

then characterless!

Lisa Jane
Italy
Local time: 14:59
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: Not 'uncharming' — we might say 'charmless'.
2 mins
  -> I prefer 'without charm' in fact. I have heard uncharming used in this way however.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
at the time devoid of any particular charm


Explanation:
I think this would be a mode natural and idiomatic way of expressin it in EN.

Or if 'devoid of' doesn't fit the register, then simply 'lacking'.

Tony M
France
Local time: 14:59
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 348
Grading comment
thx

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carol Gullidge: I was thinking along the lines of "unremarkable" or "nothing special", but like this, which is closer to the ST
16 mins
  -> Thanks, Carol! I think either of your options could work well too.
agree  Yvonne Gallagher
54 mins
  -> Thanks, G!
agree  Jennifer White
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Jennifer!
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
3 hrs
  -> Merci, J-C ! :-)
agree  Yolanda Broad: back then...
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Yolanda! Yes, that would be good...
agree  Andrew Bramhall
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, Oliver!
agree  Michele Fauble
10 hrs
  -> Merci, Michele !
disagree  GILLES MEUNIER: cela me semble un style un peu relevé dans ce contexte
5 days
  -> Absolutely not! This is good, idiomatic EN native-speaker style totally appropriate for what appears to be the register here.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
then undistinguished


Explanation:
I think "sans cachet" is better translated here by "undistinguished".

www.spectator.co.uk/tag/pat-eddery/
Eclipse was one of the most remarkable racehorses ever. Sired by the then undistinguished Marske, whom mares could visit for…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar_ScaligerHer friends objected to her marriage, as he was then undistinguished. By 1528 he was a successful physician and at forty-five he married Andiette, who was ...

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QPsl8mpIlzQC
Vol. 47, No. 9 - ‎Magazine
The day in May would, I am sure, have been the same as countless other • of the Texas Bar (Houston ) days in Billingsley's then undistinguished legal career— ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2015-12-30 10:22:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

For those who would like hotel-related citations:

www.tripadvisor.in › ... › Fairmont Southampton
Rating: 3 - ‎Review by a TripAdvisor user - ‎5 Nov 2010
Fairmont Southampton: A perfectly average, adequate, undistinguished hotel ...

www.bayerischerhof-kempten.de/16-1-History-of-the-Hotel.htm... the beginning of the 20th century the famous Kempten architect Andor Akos turned what was then a plain, architecturally undistinguished inn into the attractive ...

B D Finch
France
Local time: 14:59
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 136

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carol Gullidge: yes, and along the lines of my original thoughts (posted on Tony's answer), although I do wish you'd found some more a propos examples!
4 mins
  -> Thanks Carol. I shall add some undistinguished hotels to offset the racehorses.
agree  Julia Burgess: I think this suggestion is on the right lines - alternatives could be "without prestige".// Should it be 'so/therefore', rather than 'then'?
5 mins
  -> Thanks Julia. I think that "unprestigious" is rather higher up the scale of things lacking.// "Alors", here, means "then", i.e. the state of affaires before the "ambitieuses rénovations", after which it had "cachet".
agree  Yvonne Gallagher
40 mins
  -> Thanks Gallagy
agree  Tony M
45 mins
  -> Thanks Tony
agree  Michele Fauble
9 hrs
  -> Thanks Michele and Happy New Year!
agree  GILLES MEUNIER
5 days
  -> Thanks Gilou
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
not very remarkable at the time


Explanation:
I think the word 'remarkable' gives the idea of a 'mark'/'stamp' as well as connoting a sense of charm.

LuisaCele
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:59
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
nothing special at the time / then


Explanation:
Another possibility; my first reaction was "nothing to write home about", but that's probably too long.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 hrs (2015-12-30 19:54:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oh no! I've just spotted that Carol had mentioned this option in her response to Tony. That is likely to be where the inspiration came from, even if I didn't realise it! I won't go into the details of the skimming technique but you know what I mean. My apologies Carol and credit to you!

Noni Gilbert Riley
Spain
Local time: 14:59
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: also works//Season's Greetings!
25 mins
  -> Thanks and season's greetings
agree  Tony M
29 mins
  -> Thanks and season's greetings
agree  writeaway: This is what I'd use. It's not judgmental and says what it has to.
3 hrs
  -> Thanks and season's greetings
agree  Michele Fauble
9 hrs
  -> Thanks Michèle
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search