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French to English translations [PRO] Marketing - Tourism & Travel / Walk description
French term or phrase:ponctuée par
The writer of these walk descriptions is rather fond of the verb "ponctuer" I've noticed. Here I can't envisage what is meant - "interrupted" perhaps? Anybody actually done this walk?
La Roseraie et le Grand Cru Hatschbourg La promenade du Grand Cru Hatschbourg présente un panorama dominant ouvert vers le sud. La ponctuation de la contemplation paysagère est donnée à la table d’orientation située peu après le mi-parcours de la promenade. La vue sur la cité médiévale de Gueberschwihr, les falaises de grès, Notre-Dame du Schauenberg est particulièrement séduisante, elle est **ponctuée par* un regard plein sud vers les collines sèches du Strangenberg.
Explanation: ''Ponctuer'' can mean ''Diviser une composition musicale en phrases, en périodes, au moyen de pauses, de repos'' or ''Marquer (de gestes, d'exclamations, de silences, etc.) les phrases ou les mots − que l'on prononce'' (http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/ponctuer). This same idea of dividing or interrupting (as you suggested) is here in this text, I think. You can get around using an exact translation of ''ponctuer'' by using this type of formulation: while doing one thing, you are interrupted by something else.
je crois que c'est le sens premier de ponctuer : punc•tu•ate 1. to mark or divide (something written) with punctuation marks in order to make the meaning clear. En montant vous avez une jolie vue. À mi-parcours, la table d'orientation vous donne les signes nécessaires à la "clarté visuelle" (des points, par exemple, qui rythment ce que vous voyez comme dans un texte). Mais c'est vrai que j'ai pensé un moment moi aussi que le texte était bizarre.
Yes, I also see the word as being used for enhancing the view in some way - and we would not use "punctuate" to convey this idea with any style or beauty of writing anyway. But I agree with AllegroTrans, it will not always work for the idea being conveyed in this translation. This is a nuance issue and is very subtle IMO. You will see it, or you won't, but if some people notice it, it is obviously an issue.
If you wanted to used "punctuated" (which is possible), you'd need to say "with", not "by".
"View is punctuated with ...."
Every once in a while, the view is punctuated with a grandiose entrance to some housing development, apartment or condo complex. Now on to the roads I call . http://www.xed.ch/personal/036.html
I'm afraid it's yet another example of the OTT style of over-enthusiastic writers. It reminds me of some restaurant menus! Well, it was interesting to translate, and it was very interesting to read the (welcome) responses to this and two or three other related questions of mine on KudoZ. Actually the other 2 related docs, on the history of Pfaffenheim and Rouffach (in the form of information panels) were quite well written.
I am very sceptical about this particular ST having been inflluenced by German (or Elsässerditsch for that matter). It simply sounds like badly drafted tourist blurb (probably by a non-native FR speaker, or even a native speaker simply not up to the job) of the type you see all over the place. It may have even been written by a machine.
which gives a more likely explanation for this strange use of "la ponctuation" - influence from German. Looks like "Alsatian French" should be added to the list of potentially baffling variants. "... while French is the major language of the region, the Alsatian dialect of French is heavily influenced by German and other languages such a Yiddish in phonology and vocabulary. ..." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alsace#Language]
La ponctuation de la contemplation paysagère est d
02:01 Aug 26, 2013
Bad French! Makes little sense to me; it is machine translated and wouldn't be surprised if Ponctuation is not a machine automatic translation for ''dotting''. I.e. Dotted throughout the landscape one...
It sometimes help to give a more English flow by changing the structure of a language. French and English are at times very different in their structures, and this is often caused by the difference in active/passive usage of our respective languages.
Please try to respect the tense and from of the expression: the verb is in the "passive voice + by" the answer (eye-catching / breathtaking (restructure)), for example may not be used here
Explanation: I think the sense of this is that something "stand out"... just as punctuation in a text brings something to a reader's attention. In terms of describing a landscape, there are many . I like mine. :-)
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 15 mins (2013-08-25 12:38:43 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Whoops! Meant to say "... there are many options." I still like mine.
Atelier de Mots Local time: 21:37 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 3
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, thanks for the reminder of the metaphoric use of the word!
1 hr confidence:
in contrast to
Explanation: could be "interrupted by"
kashew France Local time: 21:37 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 8
Explanation: I think that "Ponctuee" here is used with a sort of mix of the ideas of, as you say, "interruption", but also "punchy" (i.e. something forceful which takes ones attention). Therefore, I would go for one of these adjectives and restructure something on the lines of:
"...has a special charm with its eye-catching/breathtaking south facing view towards/over the"
Or perhaps even "gripping"???
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2013-08-25 14:21:55 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Punctuation TYPO: Maybe if this was structured as per my suggestion, you would need to punctuate:
"...has a special charm, with its eye-catching, South facing view over..."
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2013-08-25 14:22:32 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
OR even:
"Seduces with its breathtaking southern views of ..."
Lara Barnett United Kingdom Local time: 20:37 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 12 1 corroborated select project in this pair and field
