# l'événement incontournable de la rentrée



## adrien64

Bonjour a tous,

Je souhaite traduire cette phrase en anglais:

" l'évênement incontournable de la rentrée " ?

merci de votre aide


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## Berri00

"The school re-entry unavoidable event" est la traduction que je vous suggère.

Événement s'écrit sans accent circonflexe.


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## FAC13

Hi, I suggest "The inevitable return to school."


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## Berri00

The translation to french to that would be "L'inévitable rentrée" or "L'inévitable retour à l'école" _tout court_. Although they mean the same, the way each are expressed invoke different feelings about what they are saying.
But I guess what each sentence invoke depends on who's reading.


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## bobepine

Bonjour,

Peut-être est-ce moi qui manque de café, mais il me semble que cette phrase, sans contexte, peut signifier deux choses complètement différentes.

La première, comme les autres participants l'ont compris, est l'inévitable événement qu'est la rentrée - "the unavoidable return to school".

Cependant, j'en vois une seconde, soit un tout autre événement, considéré incontournable, qui aura lieu en septembre - "the must-see event of the back-to-school period". (OK, la traduction n'est pas jolie, mais vous voyez ce que je veux dire )


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## watergirl

bobepine said:


> "the must-see event of the back-to-school period". (OK, la traduction n'est pas jolie, mais vous voyez ce que je veux dire )



This is how I understood it as well!   Maybe,  I need more coffee too, however.


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## Berri00

If someone wants to say that in french, he would say "L'événement incontournable qui aura lieu à la rentrée" precisely not to make any confusion.
I wouldn't say that in that way at least.


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## bobepine

Personally, I wouldn't use that string of words in either context, but I think the second meaning I suggested is more idiomatic than the first. Perhaps it's another one of those "different sides of the ocean/different perceptions" situations


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## Wopsy

The idea of 'la rentrée' has already been discussed on the forums and it's a very tricky idea to translate. 

Personally, I would suggest something like 'The must-see/unmissable event of this coming September'


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## johndot

The thread title being discussed here is a phrase, not a sentence, and without a verb it’s impossible to tell whether there’s ‘an event’ taking place at the same time as the ‘return to school’, or whether the ‘return to school’ is itself ‘the event'.


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## multae gentes

johndot said:


> The thread title being discussed here is a phrase, not a sentence, and without a verb it’s impossible to tell whether there’s ‘an event’ taking place at the same time as the ‘return to school’, or whether the ‘return to school’ is itself ‘the event'.


 
Though the phrase allows two different meanings, its wording strongly suggests a special - probably cultural -event attracting major media attention ("buzz") during the fall season.


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## Berri00

That's funny because the only way I understood was that "L'événement" reported to "la rentrée".

The only way one would understand it as another specific event happening during the _rentrée_ period is if the event was mentioned before and the context would dictate it was that event and not the _rentrée_ itself we are talking about. Without any further context, it's crystal clear to me the only way we can interpret that sentence (because IT CAN be read as a sentence - a small one, but still a sentence) is that it's the _rentrée_ that is the  unavoidable event.


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## johndot

That's funny because the only way I understood was that "L'événement" reported to "la rentrée".

The only way one would understand it as another specific event happening during the _rentrée_ period is if the event was mentioned before and the context would dictate it was that event and not the _rentrée_ itself we are talking about. Without any further context, it's crystal clear to me the only way we can interpret that sentence (because IT CAN be read as a sentence - a small one, but still a sentence) is that it's the _rentrée_ that is the unavoidable event. (BerriOO, post #12)
 
I’m sorry, BerriOO, I don’t fully understand your comment.
 
You say: “The only way one would understand it as another specific event happening during the _rentrée_ period is if the event was mentioned before ...” Mentioned before what? In the phrase of the title, ‘l’événement’ _is_ the first item.
 
You continue: “... and the context would dictate ...” But there _is_ no context—the thread title stands as a phrase alone without context.
 
Further: “... (because IT CAN be read as a sentence - a small one, but still a sentence) ...” I have to disagree. A sentence must contain a verb, and must start with a capital letter and end with a full stop, and the thread title does not conform to these requirements.
 
Therefore, all in all, I and others find the phrase ambiguous. I wonder if we might follow your reasoning more clearly if you expressed it in French? That way, there would be no possibility of confusing the meanings of ‘sentence’ and ‘phrase’.


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## Xavier11222

How about "Fall" for "la rentrée"? Would make it something close to The unmissable fall event. 
And I too read it as an event taking place during la rentrée, not the back-to-school/daily grind thing itself. I believe I heard the phrase about a hundred times on late August television, where the "event" was a new tv show or such.


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## Berri00

johndot, there is no rule saying a sentence must contain a verb.

From the Cambridge Dictionaries Online:
sentence (WORD GROUP) 
 noun [C]
_ a group of words, usually containing a verb, which expresses a thought in the form of a statement, question, instruction or exclamation and starts with a capital letter when written._

I agree the capital letter isn't there when it should be in order to fully be accepted as a sentence but then again it can be a typo. That happens a lot on the internet. I read it as a sentence.



> Mentioned before what? In the phrase of the title, ‘l’événement’ _is_ the first item.



 Mentioned before saying that phrase in the conversation and/or text.
If it's a phrase, like I said the context dictates what event we are refering to. I did understand the ambiguity but without context, it's safer to read as a full sentence (lacking the capital letter in the beginning) and in that case the only way to understand it is how I translated it as far as I can tell.
I do agree, however, there are two possible ways to perceive the phrase.


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## johndot

We would have to open another thread, BerriOO, in order to discuss whether sentences require verbs, but in the meantime I’m glad that we can agree the title here is not a sentence (as it neither starts with a capital letter nor ends with a full stop), and is therefore ambiguous.
 
It’s a pity that adrien64 (who opened the topic) has not returned to the forum to indicate whether any of the replies to the thread have been at all helpful. If nothing else, though, he or she will realise that others are puzzled, too!


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## architribe

I am almost certain this refers to a cultural/newsworthy event of the September season as it is a stock phrase used by the French media and PR.

I have just come across "incontournable" in reference to a restaurant - a must-go or unmissable place for visitors to St Tropez.


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## Berri00

contourner - to bypass, circumvent, get around.

Nobody likes to go back to school when we are kids, but still we have to. And sometimes (usually) there is a lot of "drama" involved, so it is as if it's an event.

l' événement incontournable de la rentrée = "incontournable événement de la rentrée" = "the unavoidable event of the school reentry" = the unavoidable school reentry event.

I cannot say any better than this.


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## johndot

If it's a phrase, like I said the context dictates what event we are refering to. I did understand the ambiguity but without context, it's safer to read as a full sentence (lacking the capital letter in the beginning) and in that case the only way to understand it is how I translated it as far as I can tell.
I do agree, however, there are two possible ways to perceive the phrase.
(Berri00, post #15, extract)
 
On that point alone we shall have to agree to differ! In the presence of ambiguity and the absence of context, I feel that it is _safer_ to read it as an incomplete sentence; and if someone were to ask me “What does this mean?” I would be obliged to apprise my questioner of the two possible interpretations.


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## Berri00

Yes, ok, i agree with you.


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## Coolframboise

And I too read it as an event taking place during la rentrée, not the back-to-school/daily grind thing itself. I believe I heard the phrase about a hundred times on late August television, where the "event" was a new tv show or such.[/quote]

Sorry to come in so late into the discussion (only a few months late !), but it seems to me so obvious, as a French speaker, that the event was not the _rentrée_ itself, but some other event... As you say, Xavier, and as also stated by Multae Gentes it could be _l'incontournable évènement littéraire de la rentrée, l'incontournable évènement culturel de la rentrée, l'incontournable évènement politique de la rentrée_, etc. _La rentrée_ is quite clearly the period when the unavoidable event is going to take place. I also agree that *unmissable* is much better than *unavoidable*, the first one meaning that it's so good you shouldn't miss it, the second one meaning there's so much buzz around it you're bound to hear about it over and over again, whether you like it or not. But I would like an English speaker to confirm - or not.


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## yodamaster

Sorry,
I don't want to talk on behalf of the initiator of this topic, but I do believe that the sentence here refers to an event occurring at the re-entry to school period. It could be something like a book fair, or any other event related which takes place every year at the same period. For example, people generally HAVE to go and buy new stationery items, school bags and clothes for their children.. and this is an unmissable event of the re-entry.

In addition, la "rentrée" is also referred to in French as Fall. Here, "La rentrée sociale" refers to the general re-entries (school, university, and even parliament session).

Hope this has been helpful


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## Berri00

Yes, you have convinced me. « Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum »


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## bezani

Late, but,

"An unbeatable/unparalleled back-to-school event" ?

While I recognise that this thread is about "incontournable" (that's what I am here looking up)  I just wanted to mention that I see "back-to-school" everywhere in the fall, and it strikes me as a fairly good translation of the somewhat tricky "_la rentrée"_.


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## WillHelpIfICan

.... *is an absolute must-go after the (summer, Christmas, etc.) holiday/recess*.


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## orlando09

As has been said, this is a stock phrase you hear a lot and it refers to an event of some kind that will be occurring in September/October and is "unmissable" or "unavoidable". The "rentrée" - ie. "back-to-school period" is made much more of in France than in the Uk where it simply refers to the kids going back to school. In France it's almost like the start of a new year for everyone (as much as January is), after the summer is over. This is probably because of the tradition of so many people taking long holidays in July or August, some businesses closing etc. It is the time Parliament starts work again on new reforms, it is also a time when strikes and protests often start up again etc.


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## orlando09

The "event" could be anything, a big sporting event, a new TV show or film, a much-publicised book, a celebrity wedding...


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## Green Linnet

One of the posters above recommended a look at a separate thread about "rentrée". I would like to second that: "school reentry" is not English, or at least is not used in any of the varieties of English I'm familiar with. There is no exact equivalent in EN of that FR term, which is used to refer to all sorts of things (not just school) that kick off in September. In a school context, "back to school" is widely used (for example, as a heading for advertisements), as are phrases like "going back to school". The adjectival form, "back-to-school", is also quite widely used.
"Fall" is dangerous - apart from the fact that it is the term for a whole season and not an equivalent of "rentrée", it is US English. On the other side of the Atlantic the season is  known as "autumn". Depends on the destination of the final text.


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## LV4-26

If I wanted to refer to _la rentrée des classes_, I would never say _l'évènement incontournable de la rentrée._
I'd rather say something like _l'évènement/cet évènement incontournable *qu'est* la rentrée._

To this native, the most immediate understanding is "an event occuring in september".
While I agree the sentence may be ambiguous, I find the ambiguity to be strongly unbalanced in favor of my/our interpretation. As has been said, you've got to be aware that the title phrase is almost a fixed expression.

I believe a good translation should avoid any reference to "school", which would inevitably mislead English speakers.


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