Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
sorcière en grève
English translation:
strike witch
Added to glossary by
Wendy Streitparth
Jun 16, 2012 06:30
11 yrs ago
French term
New Zealand
Translation with excellence
Native in: Russian
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, French to English, and 3 more.
sorcière en grève
French to English
Art/Literary
Folklore
This comes from a book published in 1982 which looks like a predecessor of today's video games of "adventure" kind. Each page has a few paragraphs of text and a selection of simple actions like fight/run/cast a spell etc. (Fantasy genre).
This is just one of the monsters the main character gets to fight. As such, it has nothing much in the way of description except that it's an evil spell-caster (rather obviously) and a pencil-type drawing of a typical witch, complete with a conical hat and owl on her shoulder. The other monsters in the same group are "un mort vivant" and "un loup méchant ".
I can of course just put a "witch" there but I'm puzzled as to what was it supposed to mean?
The book appears to be targeted at young teens. That is, not a "kiddie" talk but not quite adult either.
There are very few internet hits that I've found so far and none of them very illuminating, so any hints or pointers would be greatly appreciated.
TIA
This is just one of the monsters the main character gets to fight. As such, it has nothing much in the way of description except that it's an evil spell-caster (rather obviously) and a pencil-type drawing of a typical witch, complete with a conical hat and owl on her shoulder. The other monsters in the same group are "un mort vivant" and "un loup méchant ".
I can of course just put a "witch" there but I'm puzzled as to what was it supposed to mean?
The book appears to be targeted at young teens. That is, not a "kiddie" talk but not quite adult either.
There are very few internet hits that I've found so far and none of them very illuminating, so any hints or pointers would be greatly appreciated.
TIA
Proposed translations
(English)
| 2 +1 | strike witch |
Wendy Streitparth
|
| 4 | witch in greaves/leg armour |
Rasha Ali Hassan
|
| 3 | unemployed witch |
Wolf Draeger
|
References
| sorcière en grève |
Wendy Streitparth
|
Change log
Jun 19, 2012 10:29: Wendy Streitparth Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+1
14 hrs
Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
45 years experience
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: German to English, French to English, Spanish to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks all for your help.
I think I will go with this suggestion as it seems to fit in nicely with the general style and setting.
"strike witch" in place of "strike fighter" in combat simulations has just the touch of humor (to my ear at leat:-) to go down well with the rest of them.
Thanks again."
4 hrs
Rasha Ali Hassan
Native in English
Experience counts
Native in: English 
, Arabic
Works in: Arabic to English, French to English, English to Arabic, and 1 more.
witch in greaves/leg armour
witch wearing leg armour
sorceress in leg armour
(as in the series "Strike Witches")
From Wikipedia:
"Set in an alternate Earth in the mid twentieth century, Strike Witches tells the story of a fight to protect that world using a combination of magic and technology in a fictional recreation of events occurring in World War II with the national armies joining forces to confront an overwhelming alien threat together instead of fighting among themselves."
"...The story revolves around teenage girls who use machines equipped to their legs to do aerial combat."
Also from Wikipedia:
"A greave (from the Old French "shin, shin armour" from the Arabic jaurab, meaning stocking[1]) is a piece of armour that protects the leg."
sorceress in leg armour
(as in the series "Strike Witches")
From Wikipedia:
"Set in an alternate Earth in the mid twentieth century, Strike Witches tells the story of a fight to protect that world using a combination of magic and technology in a fictional recreation of events occurring in World War II with the national armies joining forces to confront an overwhelming alien threat together instead of fighting among themselves."
"...The story revolves around teenage girls who use machines equipped to their legs to do aerial combat."
Also from Wikipedia:
"A greave (from the Old French "shin, shin armour" from the Arabic jaurab, meaning stocking[1]) is a piece of armour that protects the leg."
1 day 7 hrs
unemployed witch
I think JaneD is very close with "on strike", so it could be either one in my view; but the term "être en grève" initially meant to be looking for work (see web ref), as unemployed workers gathered at La Place de la Grève, which acted as an informal labour marketplace in addition to execution ground (talk about multitasking!). The term then evolved to mean to go on strike.
I'm guessing the characters are meant to have an element of humour about them, to make them less intimidating to young readers; an unemployed witch or witch on strike is bound to draw a smile or chuckle; it refers to a familiar concept and inspires a lot less fear (for instance, "loup méchant" is used instead of "affreux loup-garou" or something scarier). Does that fit with the general style/approach of the book as a whole?
I'm guessing the characters are meant to have an element of humour about them, to make them less intimidating to young readers; an unemployed witch or witch on strike is bound to draw a smile or chuckle; it refers to a familiar concept and inspires a lot less fear (for instance, "loup méchant" is used instead of "affreux loup-garou" or something scarier). Does that fit with the general style/approach of the book as a whole?
Note from asker:
| I <b>was</b> thinking about playing on that original double meaning. Something like "slaughter witch" perhaps(?) but decided this is just a bit too far-fetched for that kind of book. Now, if it was with a capital "G", that would be different. But anyway, thanks for your thoughts, may come in handy some other time. |
Reference comments
2 hrs
Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
45 years experience
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: German to English, French to English, Spanish to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Reference:
sorcière en grève
Mickey et la sorcière en grève
http://fr.outducks.org/mickeytheque/PM164.htm
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Note added at 2 hrs (2012-06-16 08:42:19 GMT)
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Or how about this?
http://strikewitches.wikia.com/wiki/Season_02_Episode_10,_"5...
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Note added at 2 hrs (2012-06-16 08:47:57 GMT)
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Could it be that "strike" was translated in the wrong sense into French?
http://fr.outducks.org/mickeytheque/PM164.htm
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Note added at 2 hrs (2012-06-16 08:42:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Or how about this?
http://strikewitches.wikia.com/wiki/Season_02_Episode_10,_"5...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2012-06-16 08:47:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Could it be that "strike" was translated in the wrong sense into French?
Note from asker:
| That's an interesting possibility. Hadn't thought of that one. |
Peer comments on this reference comment:
| agree |
Rasha Ali Hassan
: Agree. Thank you for your references.
2 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Rasha
|
|
| agree |
JaneD
: Well spotted - that could well be right.
3 hrs
|
|
Thank you, Jane
|
|
| agree |
philgoddard
: You should put this as an answer.
10 hrs
|
|
Thanks Phil. Will do.
|
Discussion
One of the examples:
http://www.kozlika.org/kozeries/post/2006/08/14/557-tout-en-...
even has a picture of a witch wearing something that, with some stretch of imagination, could pass for greaves.
But on the whole I like the idea of the "strike witch". If nothing else, I can always claim that I stuck close to the source text :-)