Gifle sonore sur ton nez

English translation: Resounding slap on your face

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Gifle sonore sur ton nez
English translation:Resounding slap on your face
Entered by: Sonya Mountford-Jones

15:08 May 21, 2013
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Feminism
French term or phrase: Gifle sonore sur ton nez
Another Haiku, sorry!

Can anyone tell me why it's "ton nez" in the last line? If a man's placing an unwelcome hand on a woman's shoulder (in the workplace, I presume), who is the "you" here? I'm tiring of all this guesswork now.

Épaule de femme
Main de mâle posée
Gifle sonore sur ton nez

Thank you!
Sonya Mountford-Jones
Local time: 13:18
Resounding slap on your face
Explanation:
I haven't tried this out to check, but I imagine that a slap on the nose would make a cracking sound as the nose broke, which is not really "sonore". So, to retain "sonore" as "resounding" what is slapped needs to be the face, which is a bigger target and easier to slap without the woman hurting her hand. I think it's easier to punch someone's nose than to slap it.
Selected response from:

B D Finch
France
Local time: 14:18
Grading comment
Thanks you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3Resounding slap on your face
B D Finch
3 +2a loud slap in the face
Jane F
3 +1it means "your nose" and is poetic licence
polyglot45
4Resounding slap on your nose
Carla Buchman
3ringing slap on your snout
Wolf Draeger


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
it means "your nose" and is poetic licence


Explanation:
A woman's shoulder
A stray male hand
A resounding slap on your nose
(17 syllables)

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 52

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Victoria Britten
5 hrs
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
a loud slap in the face


Explanation:
I would be less specific and use 'slap in the face' rather than 'on the nose'

Jane F
France
Local time: 14:18
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: Resounding is good, too.
20 mins
  -> thanks Phil, yes I like 'resounding' but wanted to use an alternative suggestion

agree  GILOU
1 hr
  -> thanks Gilou
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Resounding slap on your face


Explanation:
I haven't tried this out to check, but I imagine that a slap on the nose would make a cracking sound as the nose broke, which is not really "sonore". So, to retain "sonore" as "resounding" what is slapped needs to be the face, which is a bigger target and easier to slap without the woman hurting her hand. I think it's easier to punch someone's nose than to slap it.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 14:18
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 43
Grading comment
Thanks you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kévin Bernier
1 hr
  -> Thanks Kévin

agree  Wolf Draeger
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Wolf

agree  Chahine Yalla
1 day 17 hrs
  -> Thanks Chahine
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Resounding slap on your nose


Explanation:
"ton nez", according to me means that the woman is adressing herself to the man

Carla Buchman
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
ringing slap on your snout


Explanation:
Another option. Men are pigs, right? ;-)

Woman's shoulder
Male hand lying about
A ringing slap on your snout.

Wolf Draeger
South Africa
Local time: 15:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 32
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