prend place

English translation: is set

18:54 Mar 24, 2013

French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Marketing - Tourism & Travel / Holiday rentals

French term or phrase: prend place

This comes from publicity material for a studio flat on the top floor of a 14th century building which has been converted for holiday rentals.

"L'ensemble prend place sous une magnifique charpente du type "coque du bateau inversée".

I'm not sure how to translate "prend place" which I've never seen used like this before. So far I've come up with "the apartment occupies a space in a remarkable structure shaped like an upturned boat".

Has anyone an alternative to "occupies a space"?

Jane F KudoZ activity Questions: 49 (2 open) (4 closed without grading) Answers: 577 France
Local time: 18:12

English translation:is set

Explanation:
I think you need the idea of "setting" here. Set beneath a magnificent ceiling with exposed beams shaped like an overturned hull. Or even "nestled beneath".

Selected response from:

Emma Paulay
France
Local time: 18:12

Grading comment

Many thank Emma. Sorry that this was changed to a non-pro question by the site's self-appointed watchdogs!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +4

is set

Emma Paulay

3 +4

is located in

Assia SANLIS

4 +2

is situated

Atelier de Mots

extends/spreads out

Wolf Draeger

5 -3

resides

papier

4 -3

takes place

Verginia Ophof

Discussion entries: 8

Answers

2 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -3

takes place

Explanation:
suggestion

Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 10:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 6

13 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

is located in

Explanation:
je crois que c'est plus dans le sens se situe

Assia SANLIS
Local time: 18:12
Works in field
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in category: 4

18 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

is situated

Explanation:
I think this is the most natural way to express the meaning here.

NOTE: I am having technical difficulties. Je m'excuse. I posted this and accidentally clicked to HIDE THE ANSWER. I also thanked Allegro when I meant to thank Gail. Does anyone know how to UNHIDE an answer?

Atelier de Mots
Local time: 18:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 3

16 hrs confidence:

extends/spreads out

Explanation:
Difficult to say whether the Fr is bad copy, overreaching or an example of unusual and creative use of language...my suggestion assumes the latter :-)

Much room for improvement, of course, but maybe this will spark other ideas.

Unfurls, unfolds?

Example sentence(s):

The apartment extends under a magnificent structure in the shape of an upturned boat.
The apartment spreads out beneath a magnificent structure in the shape of an upturned boat.

Wolf Draeger
South Africa
Local time: 18:12
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

16 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

is set

Explanation:
I think you need the idea of "setting" here. Set beneath a magnificent ceiling with exposed beams shaped like an overturned hull. Or even "nestled beneath".

Emma Paulay
France
Local time: 18:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 41

Grading comment

Many thank Emma. Sorry that this was changed to a non-pro question by the site's self-appointed watchdogs!

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you Emma. I like your suggested translation very much!

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): -3

resides

Explanation:
A suggestion:
"The unity resides under an upturned boat-like structure".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 horas (2013-03-25 14:41:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

French use of "prend place" is a way of magnifying the unit (ensemble) to the readers and has an implicit "personification" of the verb, too.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 horas (2013-03-25 15:41:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Just remembering that to reside has a Latin route as follows:
"Late Middle English (in the sense 'be in residence as an official'): probably a back-formation from resident, influenced by French résider or Latin residere 'remain', from re- 'back' + sedere 'sit'"

Source: Oxford British English dictionary
Clearly the same sense of "to occupy".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 horas (2013-03-25 16:51:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Some uses of to reside:

The headquarters

"Neale Attenborough took over as CEO from Emrick after the sale. The Hillsboro label center was shut in 2007 with those crusades consolidated with a sister company's processes in Pennsylvania, while the headquarters RESIDED in Hillsboro with 150 employees."
http://www.amazines.com/Business/article_detail.cfm/3046887?...

Perfumes

"Marni is one of a few new perfumes to graduate from my workroom to my bedroom mantelpiece, where my personal-use scents RESIDE. Here are the others."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/2013/mar/23/sali-hughes-ne...

The newness

"This, though, is a crude summary of a wispy, shape-shifting book, for there are other worlds at play. The name Novilla captures the mixture of newness and nowhere that RESIDES in literary utopias from Thomas More onwards."
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/151395ea-84e4-11e2-891d-00144...

Public spending:

"Apprenticeships are partly funded by a tax on corporations and while companies can channel part of their contribution to the schools they want to support, the bulk of the public spending allocation power RESIDES with local governments."
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/c575b508-6581-11e2-a3db-00144feab4...

Data:

"The business needs to be able to prevent the loss of data that may come to RESIDE on those devices."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media-network/media-network-blog/2...

A trophy:

"Chelsea fans may forgive Roman Abramovich anything for as long as the Champions League trophy RESIDES at Stamford Bridge. "
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2013/feb/28/rafael-b...

A statue:

"Where Should Statue Of Barnum RESIDE?"
http://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/26/nyregion/l-where-should-st...

papier
Brazil
Local time: 13:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Portuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

neutral

Sheila Wilson: people reside, not apartments // I don't find anything in your ref. to call into question my knowledge of the language. You simply cannot say that an apartment resides in a building.

11 hrs

-> Sorry, Sheila, but you are wrong in that:http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english... You were wrong as Oxford says that there are other meanings of "to reside" related to objects, feelings. On personification: read below

disagree

Emma Paulay: Sheila is right. This term is incorrect.//You can give all the dictionary refs you like - and I agree that in the instances you quote, the term works (due to personification in most cases). It doesn't work here. Sometimes only a native ear will do.

12 hrs

-> Sorry Emma, nobody can be located but a building can: http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english...

disagree

Jane Proctor (X): objects don't reside; people reside. Thank you for the ref. In your link the painting is being personified. It's a rare usage and not one that works here.

13 hrs

-> Objects? See what Oxford says about resides: http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english... The paintings as well as the units, qualities inheritaded. Clear personification here: the reason to use "prendre place" in French.

disagree

AllegroTrans: this sounds completely unnatural applied to a building and this particular text

1 day 21 hrs

-> Your comment came a bit later once the question is closed. But I still don't agree as all the samples above support my opinion. Maybe it is a matter of style corresponding to the "unnatural" French style. Have you thought about that?

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English translation: is set

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