Jan 24, 2007 16:23
17 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term
collants, chaussettes ou pas
French to English
Other
Cosmetics, Beauty
spa treatments
This is from the description of a spa treatment for heavy legs.
The last step of the treatment is:
Avant de repasser collants, chaussettes ou pas, appliquer sur les jambes la LOTION XYZ, à l’aide d’un spray ou de gants.
I'm having trouble finding a way of wording this that doesn't sound completely odd!
At first I thought it might be a typo for bas, but it is repeated in the treatment descriptions for each product, so I don't think so.
"Before putting back on hosiery or socks or not" (!) just doesn't cut it, obviously.
Perhaps they are covering the option of the client wanting to leave the spa bare-legged, summertime?
Any ideas or suggestions are more than welcome. I'm brain-dead and stumped.
The last step of the treatment is:
Avant de repasser collants, chaussettes ou pas, appliquer sur les jambes la LOTION XYZ, à l’aide d’un spray ou de gants.
I'm having trouble finding a way of wording this that doesn't sound completely odd!
At first I thought it might be a typo for bas, but it is repeated in the treatment descriptions for each product, so I don't think so.
"Before putting back on hosiery or socks or not" (!) just doesn't cut it, obviously.
Perhaps they are covering the option of the client wanting to leave the spa bare-legged, summertime?
Any ideas or suggestions are more than welcome. I'm brain-dead and stumped.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +5 | comments |
Bourth (X)
|
| 4 | see response |
Patrice
|
| 3 | tights and stockings whether knee-length or not |
Miranda Joubioux (X)
|
Proposed translations
+5
5 hrs
Selected
comments
Before putting tights or socks back on - or not, as the case may be - apply a little lotion ...
This covers:
- the case where people were wearing tights or socks before they had the treatment and put them back on afterwards;
- the case where people were wearing tights or socks before they had the treatment and don't want to put them back on afterwards;
- the case where people weren't wearing tights or socks before they had the treatment and therefore couldn't put them back on even if the wanted to.
The French are always - ou pas - using this formulation, which I find rather awkward, though they seem to get the message across with it - ou pas, as I might suspect.
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Note added at 6 hrs (2007-01-24 22:26:26 GMT)
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Otherwise "(if applicable)".
This covers:
- the case where people were wearing tights or socks before they had the treatment and put them back on afterwards;
- the case where people were wearing tights or socks before they had the treatment and don't want to put them back on afterwards;
- the case where people weren't wearing tights or socks before they had the treatment and therefore couldn't put them back on even if the wanted to.
The French are always - ou pas - using this formulation, which I find rather awkward, though they seem to get the message across with it - ou pas, as I might suspect.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2007-01-24 22:26:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Otherwise "(if applicable)".
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
katsy
: Just think that this way of phrasing it sounds the best
5 mins
|
| agree |
Ingeborg Gowans (X)
: this is the best one yet!
8 mins
|
| agree |
Helen Genevier
12 hrs
|
| agree |
NMR (X)
1 day 13 hrs
|
| agree |
Gina W
2 days 6 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "The client still has not got back to me as to whether it is pas ou bas, but I think Bourth provides a good solution for anyone seeking a way round the "ou pas" construction."
15 mins
tights and stockings whether knee-length or not
I take this to be a negative.
"collants chausettes mi-bas" is a common term, so this makes the distinction between tights and knee-length stockings.
"collants chausettes mi-bas" is a common term, so this makes the distinction between tights and knee-length stockings.
2 hrs
see response
I would turn this sentence on its head, something like: Apply lotion to bare legs....
Discussion
I must say 'putting back on' sounds a bit clumsy but I'm not sure how else you say it. You always put your tights back on