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No, Chirac Didn't Say 'Shut Up'
The New York Times ^ | 02/22/2003 (for editions of 02/23/2003) | Eleanor and Michel Levieux

Posted on 02/22/2003 5:46:31 PM PST by 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."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: france; french; jacquechirac
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To: GeneD
Ha! When my dear departed Memere used to say to me, "Taire tu!!!" - I knew I'd better shut up!
21 posted on 02/22/2003 6:15:38 PM PST by Inspectorette
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To: GeneD
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.
22 posted on 02/22/2003 6:24:33 PM PST by Cicero
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To: Gumption
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.

23 posted on 02/22/2003 6:27:21 PM PST by Exit148
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To: blam
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).

24 posted on 02/22/2003 6:30:18 PM PST by XEHRpa
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To: GeneD
Eh Vichy, taisez-vous!
25 posted on 02/22/2003 6:31:47 PM PST by jonatron
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To: GeneD
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.
26 posted on 02/22/2003 6:49:39 PM PST by John Jorsett
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To: philetus
So if that's the polite way, how do you say "shut yer pie hole?
27 posted on 02/22/2003 6:52:19 PM PST by ffusco ( "Gallia delenda est!")
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To: syriacus
Too late. If France wants to sell wine they had better try to place orders in Hollywood.
28 posted on 02/22/2003 6:52:32 PM PST by RobbyS
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To: GeneD
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.
29 posted on 02/22/2003 6:52:58 PM PST by UncleSamUSA
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To: UncleSamUSA
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!
30 posted on 02/22/2003 7:12:47 PM PST by calico joe
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To: ffusco
Babel Fish says:
trou fermé de pâté en croûte de yer
31 posted on 02/22/2003 7:17:55 PM PST by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll keep getting what you always get)
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To: GeneD
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.

32 posted on 02/22/2003 7:33:34 PM PST by NonValueAdded ("Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." GWB 9/20/01)
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To: philetus
how about...

fermé la bouche!

33 posted on 02/22/2003 7:38:30 PM PST by gorebegone
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To: GeneD
Les mots de m*rde!
34 posted on 02/22/2003 7:45:36 PM PST by sheik yerbouty
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To: GeneD
It figures the Times would try to help Chirac weasel out.
35 posted on 02/22/2003 7:48:24 PM PST by StriperSniper (Frogs are for gigging)
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To: UncleSamUSA
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.

36 posted on 02/22/2003 7:52:34 PM PST by AmishDude
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To: BfloGuy
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!!!!

37 posted on 02/22/2003 8:30:04 PM PST by gov_bean_ counter
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To: gorebegone
Non, c'est plutot: 'Ferme ta geule!'
(excuse my French...)
38 posted on 02/22/2003 10:42:25 PM PST by Sarah
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To: AmishDude
I have read on NRO that "Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey" does not translate well into French.

Rendre-singes qui mangent du fromage

39 posted on 02/22/2003 10:52:31 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (more dangerous than an OrangeNeck)
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To: GeneD
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.

40 posted on 02/22/2003 11:00:39 PM PST by RichInOC (See, this is why you should proofread your work before you turn it in.)
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