No, Chirac Didn't Say 'Shut Up'

The New York Times ^ | 02/22/2003 (for editions of 02/23/2003) | Eleanor and Michel Levieux

[GeneD]

PARIS — Did President Jacques Chirac of France actually tell half of Europe to shut up last week? Was he scolding a bunch of unruly children?

Not exactly. Translating the nuances of the "language of diplomacy," as French was once known, can be très difficile.

Although France and Germany have stood at the forefront of European resistance to the Bush administration's position on Iraq, 13 East European countries have expressed support for the United States. They include Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, already accepted by the European Union as future members, and 10 others, most of them candidates for membership.

Mr. Chirac said that these countries "ont manqué une bonne occasion de se taire," rendered in part of the American and British press as "missed a good opportunity to shut up."

But Mr. Chirac's words were a significant notch above that level of discourse. To be sure, he could have been quite formal and said "ont manqué une bonne occasion de s'absentir de tout commentaire" ("refrain from making any comment"), or "garder le silence" or "se garder de s'exprimer" ("keep silent" or "say nothing"). And of course, he also could have taken a much lower road and said "ont manqué une bonne occasion de fermer leur gueule" or "de la fermer"), which would indeed mean "to shut up." The verb Mr. Chirac chose, "se taire," was neither elegant nor rude, simply neutral.

That's not to say that he wasn't upset. France and Germany have long been the pillars of the European Union, and Eastern Europe, for all its politeness in seeking admission to the club, almost certainly appeared to Mr. Chirac to be taking undue license.

"Their behavior is rather irresponsible and not very polite," Mr. Chirac went on to say. In French, that's "Ce n'est pas un comportement bien responsable. Ce n'est pas très bien élevé."

"Bien élevé" means "well brought up," and when used in the negative, as Mr. Chirac used it, it typically describes a misbehaving child. But "ce n'est pas très bien élevé" is definitely not as strong as "c'est mal élevé" would have been.

That would have simply meant "it's rude."

[Inspectorette]

Ha! When my dear departed Memere used to say to me, "Taire tu!!!" - I knew I'd better shut up!

[Cicero]

What a bunch of hogwash.

So, the French didn't say the Eastern Europeans should shut up if they know what's good for them. He said they should keep quiet if they know what's good for them. Big difference. It's still insulting as hell, and it still amounts to extortion.

Behave, or we'll keep you out of the club.

[Exit148]

To your #14 ----- right on!

The NYT can whitewash it as much as they wish. The words went out, they were insulting, and the reaction to them was widespread. All the op-ed's can't change that.

[XEHRpa]

Not a chance. Aziz will hang with Saddam.

I'm sure you are right... I just like to hold out hope that He works the wonder of His Grace through the hearts of even stubbornly evil men (I'm talking the Lord, here, not the Pope).

[jonatron]

Eh Vichy, taisez-vous!

[John Jorsett]

The meaning of what he said was clear, whether or not the tone could be considered 'neutral': "Your input is not desired." He put his foot in it, regardless of how the NYT tries to dress it up.

[ffusco]

So if that's the polite way, how do you say "shut yer pie hole?

[RobbyS]

Too late. If France wants to sell wine they had better try to place orders in Hollywood.

[UncleSamUSA]

Now the left wing times is giving us freeping French lessons, for gosh sakes.

I was always taught back in eighth grade french that saying "taissez-vous" was equivalent to "shut up" and was therefore very rude. Seems like Mr Surrender Monkey did in fact come very close to that naughty-word.

But then again maybe you at the Times could translate the following phrase directed at Mr Chirac: "Bugger off, you obnoxious appeasement maggot" into proper diplomatese.

[calico joe]

All anyone need do is look it up in a French dictionary. "se taire" is not neutral. My OED gives one colloquial meaning as "shut up". Other translations are "hold your tongue" or "be silent".

No matter how you cut it, it isn't neutral either in English or in French.

It is, as they say, worse than a "faux pas"; c'est une faute!

[philetus]

Babel Fish says:
trou fermé de pâté en croûte de yer

[NonValueAdded]

Parse, parse, parse, spin, spin, spin. STFU, Eleanor and Michel Levieux.

We knew what Chirac meant as did the 13 East European countries that are probably having second and third thoughts at trading the Soviet Union for France as their overlord.

[gorebegone]

how about...

fermé la bouche!

[sheik yerbouty]

Les mots de m*rde!

[StriperSniper]

It figures the Times would try to help Chirac weasel out.

[AmishDude]

I have read on NRO that "Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey" does not translate well into French.

I wonder if the NYT went to great lengths to explain that Gerald Ford never actually said "Drop Dead" or anything of the sort to NYC.

Maybe. They resembled a real paper back then.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Even high school students are taught that taisez-vous means SHUT UP!.

I'll go you one farther. My daughter is in the 8th grade, doesn't take French, but has several friends who do. I called her in the study and asked her if she knew what taisez-vous meant?

She thought for about a half a second, then said

Shut up!!!!

[Sarah]

Non, c'est plutot: 'Ferme ta geule!'
(excuse my French...)

[HiTech RedNeck]

I have read on NRO that "Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey" does not translate well into French.

Rendre-singes qui mangent du fromage

[RichInOC]

Did President Jacques Chirac of France actually tell half of Europe to shut up last week? Was he scolding a bunch of unruly children? Not exactly...

"Bien élevé" means "well brought up," and when used in the negative, as Mr. Chirac used it, it typically describes a misbehaving child.

Oops.