Anybody here read French?

[acoggan]

Although this article appears to be primarily about the state of French cycling, I'm curious about the paragraph regardings "sorcerers" in which I am mentioned. I've tried running the text through translation software, but that hasn't really helped.

http://fr.sports.yahoo.com/cyclisme/blog/article/1131/

 

[Cobblestones]

Google translator is funny:

Major events, only the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix mobilize the masses. The others try to survive. Le Midi Libre has disappeared, Paris-Nice was recovered just by ASO, Dunkirk has its aura of yesteryear, the Dauphiné lives very difficult times. The press was at the origin of all cycling races no longer follows. The paging cycle has been significantly reduced. The monthly hard to live. Managers prefer writing gauss with a very low championnat de France de football that nobody abroad does images. Yet this is no doping in the sport since the controls are qu'aimable joke to please gogos. And what about the apprentice sorcerers who you bring into the equation when cycling at the same time a true researcher, the American physiologist Andrew Coggan, is part of the theories these people whose goal is not to serve the cycling but it.

I can see your problem.

Let me try a little bit better:

Of the major events, only the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix mobilize the masses. The others try to survive. The 'Midi Libre' has disappeared, Paris-Nice was resuscitated in the nick of time by ASO, Dunkirk has no longer the aura of the old days, and the Dauphine lives through very difficult times. The press, which was present at the creation of all these cycling events, no longer follows them. Cycling pagination has been reduced considerably. Monthly magazines have trouble surviving. Chief editors prefer to mock a very weak French soccer championship, of which no one abroad has any interest. And yet, the extent of doping is non-obvious in the sport since the controls are nothing but amiable jokes to please the bimbos. And what to say about the apprentice sorcerers who formulate cycling in equations for you while at the same time a true researcher, the American physiologist Andrew Coggan, destroys the theories of these people for whom the goal is not to benefit cycling but only themselves.

ETA: Sorry I got sidetracked for a while. Should be everything now. Please tell me if you think I did wrong somewhere. The article uses quite colorful language, therefore I had to depart from the literal meaning of some phrases a little to make sense. No wonder google translator produced only garbage.

 

[pedaling squares]

Although this article appears to be primarily about the state of French cycling, I'm curious about the paragraph regardings "sorcerers" in which I am mentioned. I've tried running the text through translation software, but that hasn't really helped.

http://fr.sports.yahoo.com/cyclisme/blog/article/1131/

I'll try my hand at the latter half for you. Basically, the first half says that cycling no longer receives the same attention in the French press. Only two major races receive wide coverage, the monthly mags are struggling, and the press prefers to sell copy by covering their (also struggling) football team.

If I read it right, and excuse my poor French here, the author says that the doping controls are a joke designed to appease the masses without having true effect. I understood the last sentences to be a critique of the people who the author feels have linked cycling with alchemy. He also references bona fide scientists, yourself, who post theories about the cyclists with the goal of serving themselves, not the sport.

For context, I translated this "dans le même temps un vrai chercheur, le physiologiste américain Andrew Coggan, met en pièce les théories de ces personnages dont le but n'est pas de servir le cyclisme mais de s'en servir"

as this: "at the same time a real researcher, the American physiologist Andrew Coggan, puts forth theories about these people but the goal is not to serve cycling, but to serve themselves."

Again, I only speak/read rudimentary French and apologize if I got it wrong. Especially as my translation is not very flattering. There are French members of this forum who will hopefully find their way here to be of better service.

 

[acoggan]

For context, I translated this "dans le même temps un vrai chercheur, le physiologiste américain Andrew Coggan, met en pièce les théories de ces personnages dont le but n'est pas de servir le cyclisme mais de s'en servir"

as this: "at the same time a real researcher, the American physiologist Andrew Coggan, puts forth theories about these people but the goal is not to serve cycling, but to serve themselves."

Again, I only speak/read rudimentary French and apologize if I got it wrong. Especially as my translation is not very flattering. There are French members of this forum who will hopefully find their way here to be of better service.

No apologies necessary, I appreciate your effort.

So I wonder who "these people" are to whom the author refers, what "theories" I have put forth about them, and why he thinks this somehow serves my own self-interest?

I suppose I should just ask the author, eh?

 

[Anonymous]

I'll try my hand at the latter half for you. Basically, the first half says that cycling no longer receives the same attention in the French press. Only two major races receive wide coverage, the monthly mags are struggling, and the press prefers to sell copy by covering their (also struggling) football team.

If I read it right, and excuse my poor French here, the author says that the doping controls are a joke designed to appease the masses without having true effect. I understood the last sentences to be a critique of the people who the author feels have linked cycling with alchemy. He also references bona fide scientists, yourself, who post theories about the cyclists with the goal of serving themselves, not the sport.

For context, I translated this "dans le même temps un vrai chercheur, le physiologiste américain Andrew Coggan, met en pièce les théories de ces personnages dont le but n'est pas de servir le cyclisme mais de s'en servir"

as this: "at the same time a real researcher, the American physiologist Andrew Coggan, puts forth theories about these people but the goal is not to serve cycling, but to serve themselves."

Again, I only speak/read rudimentary French and apologize if I got it wrong. Especially as my translation is not very flattering. There are French members of this forum who will hopefully find their way here to be of better service.

thats pretty much as we got it.. i think they are agreeing with your opinions and theories.. but its not overly clear.. the translation of the section with your name is bang on, but trouble is with french language is the re-arranging of the sentances which dont always flow so well in english

 

[acoggan]

i think they are agreeing with your opinions and theories

After finding a couple of other occasions upon which the author has mentioned me, I think that you are right.

 

[pedaling squares]

After finding a couple of other occasions upon which the author has mentioned me, I think that you are right.

I have noticed that "dans le meme temps" is also sometimes used in the same context as "meanwhile". In this context, the author might be holding you up as an example of true science and leveling his critique at the 'sorcerers'.

 

[Cobblestones]

I'll try my hand at the latter half for you. Basically, the first half says that cycling no longer receives the same attention in the French press. Only two major races receive wide coverage, the monthly mags are struggling, and the press prefers to sell copy by covering their (also struggling) football team.

If I read it right, and excuse my poor French here, the author says that the doping controls are a joke designed to appease the masses without having true effect. I understood the last sentences to be a critique of the people who the author feels have linked cycling with alchemy. He also references bona fide scientists, yourself, who post theories about the cyclists with the goal of serving themselves, not the sport.

For context, I translated this "dans le même temps un vrai chercheur, le physiologiste américain Andrew Coggan, met en pièce les théories de ces personnages dont le but n'est pas de servir le cyclisme mais de s'en servir"

as this: "at the same time a real researcher, the American physiologist Andrew Coggan, puts forth theories about these people but the goal is not to serve cycling, but to serve themselves."

Again, I only speak/read rudimentary French and apologize if I got it wrong. Especially as my translation is not very flattering. There are French members of this forum who will hopefully find their way here to be of better service.

I translated 'mettre en piece' as 'destroy', (more literal put to pieces), which I think makes more sense than 'put forth' in the context, but otherwise, I agree with you more or less (I also interpret 'dont' to refer to 'personnages', by the way, which also makes a little bit more sense). Anyway, I finished my translation in post 2. Have a look and see if you agree.

ETA: 'gogos' was particularly hard to translate. I chose 'bimbos' which might have the right connotation to 'go-go dancers', if that was the intent in the first place (I'm not sure really).

 

[Cobblestones]

No apologies necessary, I appreciate your effort.

So I wonder who "these people" are to whom the author refers, what "theories" I have put forth about them, and why he thinks this somehow serves my own self-interest?

I suppose I should just ask the author, eh?

I think what the author says is, what you're doing is refuting theories of some self-serving pseudo scientists who try to formulate cycling in equations and who do not benefit the sport.

 

[pedaling squares]

I translated 'mettre en piece' as 'destroy', (more literal put to pieces), which I think makes more sense than 'put forth' in the context, but otherwise, I agree with you more or less (I also interpret 'dont' to refer to 'personnages', by the way, which also makes a little bit more sense). Anyway, I finished my translation in post 2. Have a look and see if you agree.

ETA: 'gogos' was particularly hard to translate. I chose 'bimbos' which might have the right connotation to 'go-go dancers', if that was the intent in the first place (I'm not sure really).

Ha. I would do Andy a far better service were I to read more closely. I mistook "mettre en piece" for "mettre en place'. 'Dont' can have so many meanings, I think it is probably best translated as 'for whom' in this context. If so, it supports your translation. The term 'gogos' was new to me, I figure it's a French term for the masses. I've never heard it in Canadian french, they usually use much more colourful (and sacrilegious) terms. Thanks for the corrections, it's funny how a word here and there can throw the text completely sideways.

 

[Anonymous]

I have noticed that "dans le meme temps" is also sometimes used in the same context as "meanwhile". In this context, the author might be holding you up as an example of true science and leveling his critique at the 'sorcerers'.

seems to be used like that.. literal translation obviosly being "at the same time"

 

[avignon]

French translation

If I may...

<<alors dans le même temps un vrai chercheur, le physiologiste américain Andrew Coggan, met en pièce les théories de ces personnages dont le but n'est pas de servir le cyclisme mais de s'en servir.>>

Although, in the mean time a real researcher (scientist), the American physiologist Andre Coggan, debunks the theories of those whose goal is not to serve Cyclism but to take advantage of it.

 

[Nevermind]

For context, I translated this "dans le même temps un vrai chercheur, le physiologiste américain Andrew Coggan, met en pièce les théories de ces personnages dont le but n'est pas de servir le cyclisme mais de s'en servir"

as this: "at the same time a real researcher, the American physiologist Andrew Coggan, puts forth theories about these people but the goal is not to serve cycling, but to serve themselves."

Close enough but you should read: at the same time a real researcher, the American physiologist Andrew Coggan, puts forth theories about these people whose goal is not to serve cycling, but to serve themselves.

My problem is not the french part, it's translating it back in english

 

[unsheath]

Just doing the morning Google of yourself Andy?

 

[bianchigirl]

gogo=gull, used here in the sense of being gullible or stupid.

 

[velololo]

The writer of this article, Jean-Paul Brouchon, is a well-knwon sport and especially journalist in France for over 40 years.
A resumé of his article is: the importance of cycling has badly decreased in France partly because of doping uses, and the media have linked this doping uses and cycling so many times that this has lead to increase the effect on the people mind of cycling represents in France.
To me, the gogos are the same as the "apprentis sorciers", I mean people who take advantage of the situation.
To what concerns Andrew Coggan, the article is absolutely positive with him and what he has done.

if you have other French articles... feel free, I am French...

 

[peter7932]

If I may...

<<alors dans le même temps un vrai chercheur, le physiologiste américain Andrew Coggan, met en pièce les théories de ces personnages dont le but n'est pas de servir le cyclisme mais de s'en servir.>>

Although, in the mean time a real researcher (scientist), the American physiologist Andre Coggan, debunks the theories of those whose goal is not to serve Cyclism but to take advantage of it.

I believe they are referring to Greg Lemond and his new theory of VO2 max!

 

[velololo]

What kind of business is Greg Lemond running in the U.S?
from France, when we hear of him, it is always about 2 things:
- fighting doping
- fighting Armstrong
So, what is or would be his interest in always talking as he does?

 

[acoggan]

What kind of business is Greg Lemond running in the U.S?

AFAIK the only business venture with which he is actively involved is Lemond Fitness:

http://www.lemondfitness.com/

He could, though, have lots of other things going on behind the scenes.

rom France, when we hear of him, it is always about 2 things:
- fighting doping
- fighting Armstrong
So, what is or would be his interest in always talking as he does?

I've met Lemond a couple of times, once back when we raced against each other as Juniors and then again a few years ago for a couple of days of business talks at the above company. My impression is that he says the things he does because he is 1) very passionate about the sport of cycling and the impact of doping in particular, and 2) doesn't really care one way or the other how he is perceived. IOW, whether you agree with his stance or approach or not, it does seem that you are getting the "unvarnished truth" as he sees it, i.e., there is no pretense there.

P.S. Thanks for the translation above!

 

[velololo]

As I said before, Lemond is considered in France as THE American anti-Armstrong.
Has it started since 1999 and doping suspisions against Armstrong or was it also the case before.
To me, Armstrong has already succeeded to "block" some of Lemond's projects, which have probably lead to increase the war between the 2, but I wonder what has created the first opposition!

 

[_nm___]

No apologies necessary, I appreciate your effort.

So I wonder who "these people" are to whom the author refers, what "theories" I have put forth about them, and why he thinks this somehow serves my own self-interest?

I suppose I should just ask the author, eh?

these "sorcerer's apprentices" the author is referring to are for sure Antoine Vayer and Frederic Portoleau. these are the 2 most obvious people to think of in france.
but the author might very well know of other "sorcerer's apprentices" beyond those 2.

 

[velololo]

these "sorcerer's apprentices" the author is referring to are for sure Antoine Vayer and Frederic Portoleau. these are the 2 most obvious people to think of in france.
but the author might very well know of other "sorcerer's apprentices" beyond those 2.

I absolutely agree with you!
Just have a look at a quite "cynical" French website http://www.cyclismag.com, where you can find some of there "scientifical measures" after each big event