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sorties parisiennes

English translation: Paris nightlife

06:53 Jun 8, 2012
French to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Tourism & Travel / tourism
French term or phrase: sorties parisiennes
This is contained in some marketing blurb about a Parisian hotel that is ideally located for easy access to shopping, tourist attractions and "sorties parisiennes".

Whereas this may appear a very easy question at first, I am finding it hard to find a snappy word, or even phrase, in English that exactly conveys the whole meaning of the French expression. In fact, having exhausted a long list of possibilities, I'm not sure whether the English language even has such a descriptive word, but I'm hoping that someone will prove me wrong!

Look forward to hearing your ideas!
Sarah Bessioud
Germany
Local time: 02:42
English translation:Paris nightlife
Explanation:
Presumably shopping and tourist attractions are things you do during the day, i.e. excursions, so the "sorties" would be where you go in the evenings, theatres, music-halls and so on? Just hazarding a guess here.
Selected response from:

liz cencetti (X)
Local time: 02:42
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2out-and-about in Paris / places to go, things to do in Paris
Tony M
2 +3Paris nightlife
liz cencetti (X)
3 +2Paris hot spots
polyglot45
4 +1Going out in Paris
Assia SANLIS
3 +2everything Paris has to offer
katsy
4 +1Parisian Sightseeing / Exploring Paris
Lara Barnett
4Paris is your playground
Colin Rowe
4(easy access for) excursions in the city
MatthewLaSon
3the Parisian scene
Emma Paulay
5 -2parisian outings
Michel F. Morin
4 -1Parisien walkways
Laurence Fogarty
4 -1the sights of Paris
Tim Cleary


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Paris nightlife


Explanation:
Presumably shopping and tourist attractions are things you do during the day, i.e. excursions, so the "sorties" would be where you go in the evenings, theatres, music-halls and so on? Just hazarding a guess here.

liz cencetti (X)
Local time: 02:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cyril B.: good guess :)
5 mins
  -> Thanks Cyril
neutral  Sheila Wilson: I think it might be safer to saf "Parisian life" as I have a feeling it could be including a stroll in the Bois de Boulogne etc., along with the "real Parisians"
39 mins
  -> You could be right, in which case the solution would be to ask the client. But it might be the sort of thing that even the client wouldn't be 100% sure of!
agree  Rebekka Yates: "Paris nightlife" fits the bill perfectly in my opinion given that we're talking about marketing blurb.
3 hrs
  -> Thanks rebekka.
neutral  Tony M: Depends entirely on the context, but this could be much too specific
4 hrs
  -> True, but I've just asked my French partner what he understood by the expression and his immediate reaction was opéra, concert, boîte de nuit, restos, et surtout le soir.
agree  Sonia Geerlings
1 day 5 hrs
  -> Thanks Sonia.
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
out-and-about in Paris / places to go, things to do in Paris


Explanation:
As Liz, says, it might well be just nightlife — but if you prefer something more non-committal, one of these might do!

Tony M
France
Local time: 02:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 119

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Cyril B.: That's what's covered by 'shopping' and 'tourist attractions' / Other contexts are irrelevant, we're talking about this one here. In this context, a 'sortie' or 'sortir' is about going out at night.
4 mins
  -> In the absence of more context, I don't see how you can be quite so categoric about it; in some contexts, this could perfectly well be correct. / I hardly think that justifies a 'disagree', if so, you need to 'disagree' with other answers here too.
agree  writeaway: who knows. Asker alone has the actual text. But it certainly can't be dismissed as out-and-out wrong
1 hr
  -> Thanks a lot, W/A!
agree  Jennifer White: "out and about" seems perfect to me. Disagree with Cyril's comment.
9 hrs
  -> Thanks, Jennifer! I think this has the merit of including everything, of being as general as the FR potentially is; certainly does not exclude nightlife too!
agree  SJLD: FYI "out and about in Paris" is the excellent translation (I should know) used for "sortir à Paris" on this website http://www.paris-lifestyle.fr/ ;-)
13 hrs
  -> Thanks, S! I think it works, given a sensitivity for the target culture
agree  cc in nyc: maybe "verb it": going out and about in Paris.... TO SJLD: thanks for the interesting website
1 day 17 hrs
  -> Thanks, CC! Yes, I generally prefer to use a verb expression, and I think that might fit asker's context better
disagree  Tim Cleary: I think the answers here are too specific to be of use as a translation, especially in the absence of any linguistic or semantic context. I think we would really need some context to assess their validity. In any case, we require one response, not three.
2 days 6 hrs
  -> I find it hard to accept that these suggestions (like others on this page) are so completely wrong as to merit a 'disagree'; one can hardly say that 'out-and-about' or 'places to see, things to do' are "too specific" — they really couldn't be more general
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Paris hot spots


Explanation:
there does tend to be a notion of nightlife but it perhaps best to hedge your bets

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway: covers the most territory without straying from the French
46 mins
agree  Letredenoblesse
1 hr
neutral  Gavin Jack: "hot spots" could be interpreted in various ways. A less ambiguous option might be "the city's top spots"
2 hrs
  -> actually, in context, you may not need "Paris" at all
neutral  Clive Phillips: Perhaps not likely to be misunderstood in this context, especially as qualified by "Paris", but 'hot spots' are often mentioned in hotel publicity in the sense of Wifi Internet connection areas (within the hotel).
2 hrs
neutral  katsy: at the risk of sounding "ageist" or otherwise prejudiced, I'm not sure that "hot spots" would be perceived as an attraction by all visitors...
2 hrs
neutral  Tony M: Agree with the doubters, I'm afraid: 'hotspots' is quite often also used to described 'danger zones' it's best to avoid!
4 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Going out in Paris


Explanation:
I think that we need a more general expression as going out because it comprises all the activities we can do in a city, visiting museums, going to theatres, sightseing and not specifically those we can do in the evenings or at night.

Assia SANLIS
Local time: 02:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Just Opera: Time Out headline = Your critical guide to events, attractions, culture and *going out* in London
2 days 4 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the Parisian scene


Explanation:
Another idea.

Emma Paulay
France
Local time: 02:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 41
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
everything Paris has to offer


Explanation:
another suggestion.... inspired (i.e. copied!) from
http://www.doylecollection.com/locations/london_city_hotels/...

katsy
Local time: 02:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gavin Jack: I like this. Perhaps also: "the very best Paris has to offer"
55 mins
  -> Thanks Gavin :-) and thanks for the suggestion - why not, indeed?
agree  Sandra & Kenneth Grossman: Nice.
1 day 23 hrs
  -> Thanks Sangro :-)
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -2
parisian outings


Explanation:
Hello,

Le mot "sortie" désigne la fait de... sortir, et non pas le lieu où l'on va (qui peut être branché, et c'est alors "hot spot").


    Reference: http://joliepittwatch.com/2010/11/angelina-jolies-parisian-o...
Michel F. Morin
France
Local time: 02:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  writeaway: am not 100% certain this is the 'only' possibility. fwiw, it's Parisian in English (avec P majuscule)
10 mins
disagree  Gavin Jack: you can "go on an outing" (Cambridge online: "when a group of people go on a short journey, usually for pleasure or education") but you can't "have access to outings" unfortunately
31 mins
disagree  Tony M: 'outing' is more like 'balade', for example; and in EN, we don't tend to use the adjective 'Parisian' (other than in certain specific contexts), otherwise it's just 'Paris' — 'the Paris fashion scene', for example.
2 hrs
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Paris is your playground


Explanation:
Would require a little re-arrangement of the sentence, perhaps, but indicates the element of fun suggested by other answerers' references to night-life without explicitly stating that these "sorties" absolutely have to be nocturnal.

Example, referring to the Claridge Paris on the Rue Francois Premier:

"With its [the hotel’s] fabulous location, Paris is your playground as so many shops, restaurants and tourist attractions are within easy reach."

http://boutiquehotels.utell.com/Hotels/ClaridgeBellman

Colin Rowe
Germany
Local time: 02:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
(easy access for) excursions in the city


Explanation:
Hello,

"Sorties" is a very vague word in French, and it's best to translate it by something very vague in English, too; and that word, I believe, may be "excursions". That way, nighttime and daytime entertainment and activities are included. Kids might be involved as well (taking them to the zoo, etc).

Easy access to shopping, tourists attractions and excursions in the city..."

I might avoid just say "in the city" instead of saying "in Paris".


I hope this helps.

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 20:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 23
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Parisian Sightseeing / Exploring Paris


Explanation:
Maybe one of these would work. Must be the idea the text is trying to convey.

I also think that as "tourist attractions" has already been mentioned, this may include those backstreet and alternative journeys you like to take to get away from the mainstream when visiting large popular cities (if you do anyway!).

Also thought of "Adventures" but this one could be a bit over-translated.

Example sentence(s):
  • "Rachelle and I have been in Paris for a few days now. So far we’ve mostly been exploring the city, so we haven’t been to any museums yet. Since we have about 10 more days here, we still have a good bit of time left."
  • "Paris sightseeing, Paris subway, Paris Disneyland visit, Paris hotels, all information!"

    Reference: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2011/08/exploring-paris/
    Reference: http://www.gisparis.com/paris.htm
Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
1 corroborated select project
in this pair and field What is ProZ.com Project History(SM)?

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kate Collyer: Yes, I like 'exploring Paris' as a way of expressing this: no day/night limit, and an independent feel
19 mins
  -> Thank you. ((I also like exploring Paris!)
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Parisien walkways


Explanation:
In keeping with the 'touristy' nature of the original text.

Laurence Fogarty
Italy
Local time: 02:42
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Tony M: 'walkway' would be quite out of place here, translates something like 'passerelle'
4 hrs
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2 days 5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
the sights of Paris


Explanation:
The term 'sights' in this context is somewhat ambiguous - just like the term 'sorties' in French.

Example sentence(s):
  • Explore the sights of Paris with our trusted guide.
Tim Cleary
Local time: 01:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Tony M: The trouble is, Asker already has 'tourist attractions', and 'sortie' definitely implies something more participative than merely sightseeing. / Yes, but e.g. 'dining out in a restaurant' is hardly a 'sight'... I really think this is too restrictive.
23 mins
  -> Hi Tony, thanks for your comment. What I was trying to say was that both 'sortie' and 'sights' are ambiguous, I.e. they don't necessarily refer to tourist sights, nightlife, experiences, but all of thes ideas combined.'
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