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La meilleure façon de revendiquer, c’est d’assumer
English translation: if you've got something to say, then make sure you feel at home with it
13:43 Dec 31, 2015
French to English translations [PRO] Bus/Financial - Retail
French term or phrase:La meilleure façon de revendiquer, c’est d’assumer
I'm stumped by this one. I'm not sure what it has to do with the rest of the paragraph. This is a text by a big box store about shopping trends in the home decorating market. The heading for the paragraph is: "concept - mon chariot, ma déco. Target: UK English
Here's the paragraph: La meilleure façon de revendiquer, c’est d’assumer. Et pourquoi ne pas utiliser les contraintes magasin, les détourner et en faire de véritables icônes de l’achat déco ? Le chariot de courses devient l’accessoire nécessaire à son expérience magasin. Tout doit rentrer dans le chariot. Il peut contenir un salon, une cuisine ou bien 50 euros de bonheur... Il devient le fil conducteur du parcours d’achats déco du client.
Explanation: Or variations thereupon : - the best way to make a statement, is to feel at home with it
The idea being in that "assumer" means "to feel at ease with", as does the expression "to feel at home with". Given that this is all about kitting out the home with decorative ideas, then it gives you a (corny) link which might just come off. After all, apparently pushing the trolley is described as an "experience", a term you often come across in marketing texts these days. (Even Skype passes of its updates as a way of "improving [my] Skype experience").
This is almost a copywriting exercise. Tons of possibilities. This is just one idea among many possibilities.
Very clever, Nikki! I love "feel at home with it." I ended up using "the best way to make a statement is to feel at home with it." I like Jonathan's suggestion, too, but the use of "home" was the clincher. I can't for the life of me, though, understand how using a shopping cart can be an "experience" when it's so old and mundane by now. 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
Marketing hype type termino. Not the stuff I find easy to get excited about. You probably don't need to be that close to the original as you think. I think something which gives you a nice opening shot, even something different from the original. I think it is just important to get across the fact that if you've got something to say, if you're gonna make a statement, then don't be shy, go ahead and say it (with whatever deco choices you make). If you're actually marketing some innovative concept for a trolley, then it's probably best to avoid using phrases like going off your trolley, but you could go with if push comes to shove (pun?). I digress! I've made a suggestion. It may help. ;-)
the best way to get what you want is to take charge/things into your own hands
Karen Tucker (X)
United States
ASKER
15:09 Dec 31, 2015
Thanks for my morning laugh! I needed that, especially with this headache of a job.
Karen Tucker (X)
United States
ASKER
15:08 Dec 31, 2015
I did contact the client (an agency) but no response yet. I think everyone's on vacation. I might have to send the question along with the translation.
That's what I was thinking Tony: If people need shopping trolleys, you may as well use them as a style statement, or perhaps an advertising medium. But there's nothing in the text to suggest either of these interpretations. Maybe the reason why we're not understanding this sentence is because the whole paragraph is not very well expressed, and you need to get clarification from the customer.
Karen Tucker (X)
United States
ASKER
14:59 Dec 31, 2015
I like "virtue out of necessity." It's somewhat in the vein of one idea I had - "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," but I doubt a retailer would find that appropriate. I really appreciate all your help with this. It's been driving me nuts!
I can't help thinking there's an element here of "making a virtue out of a necessity".
Then again, perhaps they are trying to say that if you want to become something (as they say at the end) (i.e. lay claim to a certain role/status etc.), then the best way is to take on that role — rather like saying "if you want to feel the part, then look the part", if you get my drift? The same idea as power dressing, at supermarket level!
Karen Tucker (X)
United States
ASKER
14:49 Dec 31, 2015
No, there's just a drawing of a shopping cart - very basic, almost like a child's drawing, with no details.
In particular, I don't understand what the sentence begining "Et pourquoi pas utiliser" means. Do the pictures show examples of particularly stylish shopping trolleys? The reason I'm asking is that it's hard to know what your sentence means without understanding the context of the whole paragraph.
Karen Tucker (X)
United States
ASKER
14:44 Dec 31, 2015
Oh, I see what you mean. No, the text is divided up into separate topic-specific boxes and this is one of them. I can give you the text for the next box but I don't think it will help much: Comment devenir un véritable supermarché de la déco ? Proposer une déco “distributeur” et la communiquer comme tel est le noyau de notre identité. Le principe doit être simple : offrir, sous le même toit, tout ce qui est nécessaire à la décoration d’intérieure pour embellir la maison. Proposer du beau, au bon prix, est la carte à jouer pour redorer le blason de la déco supermarché et passer du statut de simple distributeur à celui de véritable marque.
I meant what does it say after this paragraph, rather than after this phrase. I don't see why they're giving us this information. Or do the pictures provide an explanation?
Karen Tucker (X)
United States
ASKER
14:28 Dec 31, 2015
The only thing that follows is the paragraph above. Nothing else comes after the phrase. Plus there are pictures of shopping trolleys (yes, you're right about "trolleys" though I say "carts," too!).
What does it say after this? It seems to be leading somewhere, but the punchline is missing. Is it something to do with using shopping carts as an advertising medium?
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Answers
2 days 1 hr confidence:
if you've got something to say, then make sure you feel at home with it
Explanation: Or variations thereupon : - the best way to make a statement, is to feel at home with it
The idea being in that "assumer" means "to feel at ease with", as does the expression "to feel at home with". Given that this is all about kitting out the home with decorative ideas, then it gives you a (corny) link which might just come off. After all, apparently pushing the trolley is described as an "experience", a term you often come across in marketing texts these days. (Even Skype passes of its updates as a way of "improving [my] Skype experience").
This is almost a copywriting exercise. Tons of possibilities. This is just one idea among many possibilities.
Very clever, Nikki! I love "feel at home with it." I ended up using "the best way to make a statement is to feel at home with it." I like Jonathan's suggestion, too, but the use of "home" was the clincher. I can't for the life of me, though, understand how using a shopping cart can be an "experience" when it's so old and mundane by now.
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