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English translation: gentleman archaeologist/gentleman adventurer
15:10 Jul 3, 2020
French to English translations [Non-PRO] Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / novel
French term or phrase:gentleman traveller
This term has been used in a novel that I am proofreading in English (source text was written in French). It is used to describe a fictional character in the book: a man with extensive wealth who amassed a great fortune in the 1930s through leading archeological excavations across the world.
I'm not sure 'gentleman traveller' in the right term to describe him in English - does anyone have any better alternatives to suggest please?
A big thank you to you all for your informative and useful answers! I think the consensus is to leave as is as the term accurately portrays the character and places him in that particular era. Thank you again
@Asker, can you tell us a bit more about the main character, how he makes his money, what other pursuits he has? Is he an actual archaeologist? Is the gentleman voyageur label one he earns or claims during or after his expeditions? Does he have adventures?
Just a mild hunch, but the ST author may be paying tribute to Arsène Lupin gentleman cambrioleur or more generally to the idea of the gentleman thief/detective, seeing as the 1930s would be not that long after most of the Lupin stories take place.
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In addition to Emma's gentleman farmer. I'd leave it as it is, TBH. It might not be relevant today but it defines clearly a type of lifestyle in the past.
Since this as posted as a Fr-En question, it's apparently safe to assume that this English is a translation of the French. What is the French term please?
I have heard the term "gentleman farmer" used to similarly indicate someone who was independently wealthy and (in this case) spent that money on the upkeep of a farm (as opposed to farming for a living). It would be helpful to know the source term, but it certainly reads as correct and comprehensible to me.
You could optionally embellish this further by prefixing something like "learned', "distinguished', 'renowned', 'filthy rich' (sic)....? :) Or 'wealthy', of course...
www.amazon.co.uk › Lakeland-1830s-Journal-Gentlem... Buy Lakeland in the 1830s: The Journal of a Gentleman Traveller: Isaac Simpson by Stuart, Wendy M. (ISBN: 9781904524625) from Amazon's Book Store.
In the absence of more context, I'd say the term is quite likely to be suitable for the period. Cf. 'gentleman of private means' and 'gentleman of leisure' as other examples of comparable terms, which of course nowadays have a quaintly dated feel about them.
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peer agreement (net): +1