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Reviews for French Lessons

By : Spike119
  • From LouisElegantRequiem on January 30, 2007
    I know you asked to please excuse your gaffes, but I thought you might like a few suggestions if ever you feel like fixing it. French uses a lot of different words for things, and online translators translate too literally, often going word for word. So, just a few suggestions, but don’t take it the wrong way. You don’t have to change anything as it is your story. I’m just letting you know of some better things than what online translators provide. Your choice if you use them or not. Other than that, I really loved your fic.

    You wrote: “Te sourire chauffe mon âme. Your smile warms my soul.”
    This is just a case of the translator not using the right tense for the translation. It’s like saying “Smiling to you” just by using the word “te.” The proper tense of the second person in this case would be “Ton.”

    You wrote: “Tes yeux placent mon coeur sur le feu,” “Your eyes set my heart on fire.”
    The translator wrote (in French) “Your eyes place my heart on the fire.” Which doesn’t make sense, even in French. Try: Tes yeux enflame mon coeur.”

    Your wrote: “Your touch sends shivers down my spine. Ton contact envoie des frissons en bas de mon épine,”
    The translator you used thought spine meant like the spine of a porcupine, and the rest of it could be a bit better too. Try:
    Tes touches me donne des frissons dans le dos. (Your touches give me shivers in my back).
    See the difference French has? It mixes a lot of people up, understandably, if it is not a language they learned early on. I could make simple sentences in French when I was five, but that’s because both my parents are of Acadian descent. It’s part of my culture.

    You wrote: “J'ai t’ai aimé depuis le jour j'ai vu que toi,” “I have loved you since the day I saw you.”
    The translator… ok, fuck it. Every mistake is the translator’s fault, not yours. Anyway, the way it’s written is like saying “I have loved you since the day I saw but you.” *shakes head* No, no, no.
    Try: Je t’ai aimé depuis le jour que je t’ai vu.

    You said: “Il est mon souhait plus affectueux que nous dormirons toujours ensemble comme nous avons dormi la nuit passée, mon plus cher Jean. It is my fondest wish that we shall always sleep together as we slept last night, my dearest John.”
    I won’t even bother pointing out the translator’s error; it just doesn’t work, because of certain French rules. Try:
    Mon souhait le plus sincere est que nous dormons ensemble pour toujours comme nous avons dormi la nuit passée, mon plus cher Jean.”
    Of course, only keep it Jean if you think Holmes would have translated the name along with the rest.
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  • From ANON - Aeronwyn on August 07, 2006
    Another great fic! Holmes was so sweet in this, and Watson so lovably quick to jump to conclusions. :) Plus I had fun trying to work out the French before I read the translation - without much success I must say. It's been a long time since I learnt French; that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! Lol.
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  • From ANON - Nells on August 05, 2006
    Aww, cute and incredibly hot! Lovely first time's etc. Plz write more!!

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