I received this e-mail from a friend writing a novel some with scenes set in France. Since my French gets laughed at by the average French-speaking toddler, and I'll bet there are some colloquialisms, I figured I'd turn to you lovely people. *********************************
I wonder if I might pick your brain for a couple of vocab things for my novel? I have a section set in France, but have never been there and never studied the language.
Generally, my characters are speaking in English, but I'd like to throw in the occasional French word. Also, I know that even when speaking in English, they may not use the same term for things.
Would hospital be hospital - or something else?
Would it be an ambulance that would transport you there?
Would you be taken to the Emergency Room (Trauma Center?)?
Do hospital security guards carry guns or other weapons?
Do policemen carry guns or other weapons?
Would they be called the police and policemen?
Is the police chief the police prefect?
Would you be taken down to the police station? ************************* Thanks!
I'm not sure what your friend is requesting. Does she want these phrases translated ? Without knowing the actual context/phrase of the text, it's tough to just throw in a few french terms.
For example, you could be taken to the hospital in an ambulance or by the pompiers. In an emergency, it would likely be the latter.
Would be happy to help, but this is a tough assignment without knowing more details.
The "pompiers" who provide emergency health services are firemen. "Hospital" is the right word: "hoptial" in French with a circumflex over the "o". In Paris, at least, there also are private ambulance services, but as Kevin suggested, firefighter transport would be much more likely in an emergency situation, such as trauma. Yes, police officers are armed. Good question about hospital security persons. At the Hopital St. Antoine in Paris, where I recently did unplanned, flat-on-the-back "research," the emergency services, called "urgences," are divided between two buildings, with obstetric in one and general medicine and surgical in another.
should be "hopital" for hospital with the circumflex accent over the H.
(just as a point of interest, a circumflex indicats that there used to be an "s" in that spot in the word, but has disappeared - which would have made the word the same in the old days)
Originally posted by Amy: I received this e-mail from a friend writing a novel some with scenes set in France. Since my French gets laughed at by the average French-speaking toddler, and I'll bet there are some colloquialisms, I figured I'd turn to you lovely people. *********************************
I wonder if I might pick your brain for a couple of vocab things for my novel? I have a section set in France, but have never been there and never studied the language.
Generally, my characters are speaking in English, but I'd like to throw in the occasional French word. Also, I know that even when speaking in English, they may not use the same term for things.
Would hospital be hospital - or something else? hôpital
Would it be an ambulance that would transport you there? yes, such as SAMU or the pompiers (firefighters).
Would you be taken to the Emergency Room (Trauma Center?)? yes, urgence
Do hospital security guards carry guns or other weapons? no
Do policemen carry guns or other weapons? yes
Would they be called the police and policemen? gendarmerie ou police municipal
Is the police chief the police prefect? depends on the area:small yes chef de police municipal or big cities brigadier-chef de police ( ihave policemen in my family; could be more specific).
Would you be taken down to the police station? not for a trauma unless there was a brawl? more specific? ************************* Thanks!
typos, typos, typos! Urgences with an s, not urgence
Police and policemen are Police and Policiers (in Paris and some other major towns), or Gendarmerie, Gendarmes in the countryside. Some towns have "local police force", on the city's payroll, not the ministry of interior's, they are the Police Municipale, also Policiers The police chief --what level?? The commissaire is the chief you find at the station. Taken down to the police station: if there's a brawl, it's "emmener au poste"
i guess we do type fast urgences is correct the rest i was just tranlasting what he had:ask for more specific too commissariat they give the title as commissaire or chef de police: higher up at the regional level is the brigadier-chef de police (my inlaws is one!) the police is attached to the army in france ranks ranks up and up.
Likewise, I'm just translating out of the info given here, making assumptions as to what's needed in the context. The police "chief" you are likely to encounter as a civilian (or a TV viewer) is the Commissaire, or the "Capitaine" in the gendarmerie (countryside). The police in France isn't attached to the army. They report to the Ministry of Interior. The Gendarmerie used to, but this has changed recently.
disagree; the police chanels up to the ministry of interior which does not have the same meaning as in the US; the Ministry of the Interior forces are put under an Army General in times of war or national emergency. this is not just me: but a brigadier-chef de police in seine et marne 77. the gendarmerie is still in the army more directly with a unit of carabiniers;more recently sent to cote d'ivoire in Africa.
commissaire et chef de police do the same role being the commissaire in town larger than 10K hab and in smaller town it is usually call the chef de police. With the bit confusing role that the house HQ is always called the Commissariat de police.
for those who are more interested in this topic here is a link to the French police in English http://www.police.online.fr/lawfr.htm with special attention to POLICE 1.administration section
Out on a short walk after dinner tonight. There was a "pompiers" emergency vehicle pulling into the Hopital St. Antoine. It was a van - red of course - with blue flashing lights mounted on the top and the front, as well. Blue lights are the rule in France.
Aralynn tells me that at one point during my five-hour stay in emergency services a woman was brought in for treatment by the police, handcuffed with her hands behind her back. I was horizontal and missed this scene. It suggests a little screening that may help reduce the need for arming hospital guards.
Not sure exactly what's needed, but, Loie and I were at le hopital twice on our trip to Brittany a couple years ago. If your author is trying to establish a setting, in general, it was just like going to the hospital here in the U.S. Here's the scene from my point of view...
Loie slipped in the post office in Carnac, Brittany. She caught herself on her hand (bad idea, but there it was). Over the course of the next day, her wrist was painful; we tied it up in a bandana to immobilize it but it wasn't feeling better. Luckily, we were traveling with Dana and Mike, who speak much better French than my high school efforts. Dana took Loie to the pharmacy for painkillers, and the pharmacist recommended they go to the hospital for an xray. They did so, and their visit took about three hours for xray, consultation and the application of a cast. Loie had a very small fracture in a wrist bone right where muscle attachs. The doctor was concerned that if it wasn't kept truly immobile, it would heal badly and cause muscle problems.
We had much more trouble calling our HMO doctor from France, getting them to "authorize" treatment (for insurance purposes, which I think in the end we didn't need), than Loie did getting treatment. Loie was also told that before we came home, we should go to the hospital again to have another xray and checkup. I think the hospital made an appointment for her.
Our second week was in the north of Brittany, with the Hauers; Dana and Mike went home after the first week. So, Loie and I went to the hospital in Lannion. It was perfectly easy to find, following the "H" signs. It looked just like any smallish hospital here in the US. There were no particularly noticeable guards. The sign-in desk was efficient and zippy. We paid a small (I'd say $50) fee with her credit card and went upstairs to our appointment, passing a very nice little gift shop news stand on the way.
Upstairs, there was less art and fancy wallpaper than an American hospital might have; few if any of those pharmaceutical company educational posters. The place could have used a coat of paint. It was a bit scuffed and nicked, but perfectly clean. We waited less time than we might have here, and Loie's appointment went perfectly well. We got by fine with a smattering of French and the doctor's and nurses' English. The doctor was very careful to cut Loie's cast open, but leave it in place. He said that would give her the protection her wrist needed and also allow for her arm possibly swelling due to changes in air pressure on the airplane.
Altogether, we got better service from the French national health than we did from our HMO back home, when we went to have the cast finally removed. The French hospitals were a bit less "fancy" but more efficient and helpful than their American counterparts. Kudos to them, I say.
Thanks! Bucky "Trying To Slow Down" Edgett
Posts: 750 | Location: Maryland | Registered: 24 April 2006
nice story Bucky and true in detail. I go again tomorrow with my mother for her checkup. very simple surroundings and bare supplies but just do the job efficiently and the insurance system here pays everything not even nothing upfront!!!
Slow Travel Talk 
